Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he plans to make to his Brazilian counterpart on protecting the Amazon rainforest from further deforestation.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Ministers and our Embassy in Brasilia routinely engage with the Brazilian Government on many environmental issues, including deforestation. The United Kingdom is committed to encouraging and contributing to international action to address the widespread problem of deforestation.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding allocated to detention centres in Libya.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The British Government does not fund Libyan detention centres. The centres are the responsibility of Libyan authorities. We remain concerned over the conditions reported in these centres, and continue to lobby the Libyan authorities to pursue alternatives to detention and to implement a better functioning migration system that respects human rights.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the number of refugees the Government plans to resettle from detention centres in Libya.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The ongoing plight of refugees in Libya is a matter of deep concern for the British Government. A range of interventions, including the focus and scale of the Government's existing resettlement programmes, are regularly discussed between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Home Office. We continue to pressure the Libyan authorities to pursue alternatives to detention and prioritise human rights. I met the Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister last week and pressed the issue.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2019 to Question 248760 on Libya: Undocumented Migrants, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the urgent humanitarian evacuation from Libya of refugees and migrants held in detention centres in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Libya and reports of violence in Libyan detention centres. The UK is clear that all parties to the conflict must commit to a ceasefire, ensure unconditional humanitarian access, and return to political talks. All parties to the conflict must do all they can to prevent any further loss of life, including by respecting their obligations under International Humanitarian Law, and evacuating those at risk to safety. The UK has announced a contribution of £1 million to the UN Flash Appeal. This includes: funding to the World Health Organisation to deliver life-saving medical care; and funding to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to improve humanitarian access for agencies on the ground. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has released $2 million to provide life-saving assistance to civilians caught up in the fighting, including vulnerable migrants and refugees. The UK was the biggest donor to the CERF in 2018, providing £114.3 million.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2019 to Question 910174, Climate Change: International Cooperation, what policy objectives his Department has for discussions with international partners on tackling climate change.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Priority Outcomes for 2019/20 now include a specific objective on Climate Change: 'tackle the global threat of Climate Change by: galvanising international action; promoting the role and impact of COP26, including bidding to host it; and taking a global leadership role'.
The objectives for discussions vary widely depending on the international partners concerned but focus on: increasing global ambition to bring greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into line with Paris Agreement goals; delivering policy and regulatory reform that supports sustainable growth and transition to a low carbon economy; and supporting effective measures to mitigate the impacts of climate change in the most vulnerable countries. We are well placed in these areas. We have proved that it is possible to reduce carbon emissions and grow the economy and are one of the first G7 countries formally exploring a more ambitious GHG emissions' target. With our Clean Growth Strategy and Grand Challenges we are continuing our delivery of the world-leading 2008 Climate Change Act and have committed to leading the resilience strand at the UN Secretary General's Climate Summit. We are also discussing COP26 in 2020 and our offer to host. Given that it will be a critical summit, marking the full adoption of the Paris Treaty and the date by which countries should provide strengthened national action plans, we are committed to ensuring that it is a success.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2019 to Question 910174 on Climate Change: International Cooperation, what progress his Department has made on the UK’s bid to host COP26 in 2020.
Answered by Mark Field
We are currently engaging at Ministerial and Official level with interested countries and the Western European and Others Group of the United Nations, as part of a cross-Government effort. We expect that a final decision will be adopted at COP25 in Chile in December 2019.