Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral evidence of the Prime Minister to the Liaison Committee on 6 July 2022, Question 2, whether the provision by the UK Government of insurance to vessels transporting grain from Ukraine through the Bosphorus will be (a) the responsibility of her Department and (b) counted as ODA; and which other international partners will be contributing to the provision of that insurance.

Russia's illegal blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports is exacerbating a global food crisis, with approximately 23 million tons of grain stuck in Ukraine. We welcome the progress made in Istanbul under the UN-led process with Ukraine, Turkey and Russia on exporting grain out of Ukraine from Black Sea ports. It is critical now that the talks lead to an agreement so that Ukrainian grain can again feed the world at scale. We are working with commercial insurance companies on the availability of insurance for ships operating under the UN plan.