Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the floods in Pakistan on countries to which the UK provides aid and in which rice is a staple food.

The recent floods in Pakistan will have a serious impact on food security in the country and globally. More than 1 million livestock have died and over 9 million acres of crops have been affected, including 15% of the rice crop. The flooding is expected to affect countries who rely on food imports from Pakistan, however it is too early to tell of the impact on international food prices. The UK has committed to ensuring global food security remains a priority under our new International Development Strategy.