Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's announcement of the launch of the International Biodiversity Fund on the 23 September 2019, how much of the £220 million that was announced for the first investment in that Fund has been dispersed as at 14 October 2021.

The International Biodiversity Fund is comprised of three main programmes spending from FY21/22. This fund includes:

• The new £100 million Biodiverse Landscapes Fund
• A scale up of Defra’s flagship Darwin Initiative
• A scale up of our work to counter the Illegal Wildlife Trade

Since 1992, the Darwin Initiative has awarded over £168 million to more than 1,162 projects across 159 countries. So far in FY21/22 (from 1st April 2021 to 14th October 2021) we have disbursed £5.23 million for Darwin Initiative projects.

We are investing over £46 million between 2014 and 2022 to counter the illegal wildlife trade by reducing demand, strengthening enforcement, ensuring effective legal frameworks and developing sustainable livelihoods. So far in FY21/22 (from 1st April 2021 to 14th October 2021) we have disbursed £2.46 million for activities including supporting projects through the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund.

The Biodiverse Landscapes Fund is still in development and so there have been no funded activities as of 14^th October 2021. Funded activities are expected to start before the end of the financial year.