Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to use the UK's membership of the Blue Dot Network to promote sustainable development projects in (a) Pakistan and (b) other countries taking part in China's Belt and Road Initiative.

The Blue Dot Network will translate existing internationally agreed quality infrastructure investment standards into a clear and evidence-based certification framework, and in doing so will attract the financial capital needed to tackle the vast infrastructure investment gap in developing countries such as Pakistan. No other certification process focuses on infrastructure in Low- or Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).  All countries, including those involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, will be able to apply for a blue dot.