Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase biodiversity in the British Overseas Territories.

Environmental policy is a devolved responsibility. However the UK works in partnership with the Overseas Territories (OTs) to deliver both OT- specific objectives and to contribute to wider regional and international environmental commitments. Since 2012, the UK Government's Darwin Plus Programme has committed £22m towards 122 individual projects in the UK Overseas Territories, aimed at conserving and protecting unique and globally significant species and habitats.

There are a number of funding streams available to the British Overseas Territories to support the protection and management of their natural resources, including Darwin Plus (also known as The Overseas Territories Environment and Climate Fund), with an annual budget of £10 million from 2021. The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund has also provided funding from 2016-2021 for a number of environmental projects such as the Blue Belt of marine protection around the OTs. Other environmental projects include assessing renewable and non-renewable natural assets (natural capital); implementing actions plans to protect fragile coral reefs and non-native species, and biosecurity measures to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful species to new environments.