Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the steps that can be taken by (a) Gemfields and (b) other UK headquartered companies operating in Mozambique for the purposes of ensuring the safety of workers working at mines in that region.

We are concerned by the threat posed by IS-affiliated groups in northern Mozambique and regularly discuss the security situation with Gemfields and other UK headquartered companies operating in Mozambique. We are working in partnership with the Government of Mozambique, the private sector and international partners, to address the drivers of the conflict and build resilience to violent extremism. We are also working with the government, private sector and civil society to support implementation of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, to promote a community-focused approach to security and increase operational stability around mining and other major extractive projects in Mozambique.