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 use aid funding to prevent natural disasters causing loss of life and infrastructure.

The UK has a strong record in disaster response and preparedness and is committed to transforming how we anticipate and prevent crises, including though our support for the global Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. In the Caribbean, we provide grant finance for resilient infrastructure, as well as backing a new insurance scheme to protect critical water and sanitation infrastructure. We work closely with partners on developing and advocating for better Early Warning Systems to protect communities at risk, as well as providing technical and financial support to strengthen meteorological services, regional climate centres and risk assessment in Africa and Asia.