Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of oil spills on the environment and the livelihoods of indigenous populations in the Peruvian Amazon; and what contact the UK Ambassador to Peru has had with those communities.

Our Ambassador to Peru discussed this with the Peruvian Environment Minister on 15 August and the Energy Minister on 2 September. The Peruvian Ministry of Environment believe affected areas will take a year to recover, whereas independent scientists are of the opinion that this will take much longer and damage may be irreversible, with a direct impact on livelihoods and local economies.

The Ambassador last met indigenous communities during an official visit to Iquitos in late 2015.