Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the disruption to shipping in the Red Sea on global transfer of (a) fertiliser and (b) energy.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Red Sea is a vital sea lane for international shipping. 12 per cent of international trade, worth over $1 trillion, passes through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Suez Canal every year. The global economy has therefore been threatened by the Houthi's dangerous and destabilising attacks since 19 November.
Djibouti and Ethiopia, for example, are particularly dependent on importing fertilisers through the Red Sea (75 per cent from Morrocco, and 70 per cent from North Africa, respectively). Supply of fertiliser is time sensitive (because it is needed at specific points in a crop's life) and so delays in delivery may be more impactful on such countries' food security, than the consequences of delays to other goods.
The Department for Transport assesses jet fuel to be the most concerning commodity at risk of this disruption; globally, 30 per cent of seaborne jet fuel, 12 per cent of seaborne oil, and 8 per cent of seaborne liquefied natural gas (LNG) passes through the Red Sea.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made a recent assessment of the scale of food shortages in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK is increasingly concerned over the growing food insecurity in Gaza. Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We want to see an end to the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible. We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it. The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the WFP and Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza. We will continue to support and have supported the WFP to deliver a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza. 750 tonnes of life-saving food aid arrived in the first delivery and a second delivery of 315 tonnes has been made.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the disruption to shipping from Ukraine via the Black Sea on food supplies to the developing world.
Answered by Leo Docherty
As a result of Ukrainian resilience and innovation, as well as our support and that of international partners, over 13 million tonnes of agricultural produce has been exported through the Black Sea since September 2023. These are the highest levels since the war began, which is a remarkable achievement.
These supplies are crucial for the resilience of global grain markets and global food security, which are especially important for the developing world. Developing countries, including Egypt, Indonesia and Pakistan, have directly received significant quantities of grain from Ukraine via the corridor.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made a recent assessment of the impact of the disruption to shipping in the Red Sea on food supplies to the developing world.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Houthi's attacks in the Red Sea are putting innocent lives at risk, threatening the global economy and destabilising the region. Risks to food security and price increases are higher in the region, especially in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Lebanon, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.
The Government is working closely with shipping operators to mitigate any potential impact on consumers.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the disruption to shipping in the Red Sea on international food security.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The Houthi's attacks in the Red Sea are putting innocent lives at risk, threatening the global economy and destabilising the region. Risks to food security and price increases are higher in the region, especially in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Lebanon, South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.
The Government is working closely with shipping operators to mitigate any potential impact on consumers.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made a recent estimate of the volume of food and grain being shipped out of Ukraine via the Black Sea.
Answered by Leo Docherty
Ukraine's military successes are generating positive economic outcomes in the Black Sea. In the face of Russian aggression, with our support and that of international partners, Ukraine established a maritime corridor to export goods via its Black Sea ports in September 2023.
Commercial confidence in the corridor has grown at such a pace that monthly exports of agricultural produce have now reached 4.6 million tonnes, the highest levels since the war began. If these levels are maintained, Ukraine is likely to export all its harvest this year.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What steps he is taking to ensure that tackling poverty and inequality throughout the world remains a priority for his Department.
Answered by James Duddridge
Poverty reduction is at the core of the mission of the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It is fundamental to all seven of our strategic priorities for development and ODA spending.
By bringing our development and diplomatic expertise together in the new FCDO, and coordinating all UK activity in country better, we are using the full resources of Her Majesty’s Government to tackle poverty and reduce inequality.