Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spent £30,000 from the Prosperity Fund on a project supporting the government of Malawi in developing the country’s oil and gas sector; and how they intend to ensure that future spending from the Prosperity Fund in Malawi meets the stated aim of promoting economic reform and development.

​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is supporting a £28,000 needs assessment, through its Bilateral Programme Fund, on the prospects for oil and gas exploration in Malawi. This will highlight the potential environmental impact as well as the various economic, legislative, social and political factors. Any decision on the potential future exploitation of oil and gas reserves will be for the Government of Malawi to decide. All parties, including the Department for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, want to ensure that any exploration is done in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Exploring such opportunities will help eradicate poverty, create jobs, increase revenue and reduce dependency on aid. This, and any future UK Government spending, will be firmly in the interests of Malawi.