Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in other countries on progress towards universal access to (a) water, (b) sanitation and (c) hygiene in healthcare facilities.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Improving access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services, including in healthcare facilities, is a global health priority for the FCDO. It forms a core part of the UK's new Ending Preventable Deaths of mothers, babies and children strategy published in December 2021, and is critical to our wider global health objectives.
The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development office continues to engage with international partners, including through the G7, G20 and the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) forum, to ensure WASH is included in efforts to prevent the spread of infections including COVID-19, to prevent future pandemics, and to reduce the threat of anti-microbial resistance. We will also continue to pursue these objectives through our membership of the "WASH In Healthcare Facilities" international taskforce, through our bilateral programming such as our innovative hand hygiene partnership with Unilever, and through our core multilateral funding including to the World Bank and the World Health Organisation.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) his international counterparts on the role the UK can play in helping to alleviate food scarcity in developing countries by increasing production on UK farms.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Research, innovation and its take-up into practice are integral to supporting a thriving productive and sustainable food and farming sector, and to helping address the global challenges we face on food security. Defra engages with other Government departments, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), through the UK Research and Innovation-led Global Food Security Programme, which coordinates research and innovation activity of public funders to address food security challenges.
Defra’s investment in industry-led research and development (R&D) through the Farming Innovation Programme will drive innovation in agriculture and horticulture to boost domestic productivity, including by helping to improve crop yield sustainability in the UK, and by driving the take up of new technologies, processes and practices by farmers and growers.
Defra’s Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs) on Wheat, Oilseed Rape, Pulses and Vegetable crops aim to improve the main UK crops by identifying genetic traits to improve their productivity, sustainability, resilience and nutritional quality. Across the GINs we have already successfully identified genetic traits that have improved resilience to climate change and common pests and diseases, and we are working with breeders to incorporate these traits into elite UK crop varieties. Ongoing work is also investigating the capacity for nutritional improvement of our crops, such as improved pulse protein quality and nutritionally fortified rapeseed oil.
The Government is also taking steps to unlock the innovation potential of genetic technologies such as gene editing which can help increase crop yield more efficiently, and increase resilience to pests and disease which will benefit developing countries.
Further funding to support R&D for improved agricultural productivity in developing countries is administered by FCDO as part of the UK's overall Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). The UK’s ODA R&D spend supports climate-resilient and nature positive food systems, combining ‘upstream’ science, technology and innovation with ‘downstream’ delivery, through partnerships with public sector, agribusinesses, and impact investors.
This includes support to the CGIAR, the world’s leading agricultural science and innovation organisation (formerly the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research). The CGIAR has a strong track record in delivering tangible climate and development impacts in countries which are a priority for FCDO.
FCDO’s Agriculture Research programmes include our major joint research initiatives with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, including work in Cambridge which uses biological nitrogen fixation to sustainably increase yields for small-holder farmers in Africa, and Edinburgh-based research on livestock health.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will invest in research to improve crop yield in the UK to produce crops for developing countries where food is scarce.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Research, innovation and its take-up into practice are integral to supporting a thriving productive and sustainable food and farming sector, and to helping address the global challenges we face on food security. Defra engages with other Government departments, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), through the UK Research and Innovation-led Global Food Security Programme, which coordinates research and innovation activity of public funders to address food security challenges.
Defra’s investment in industry-led research and development (R&D) through the Farming Innovation Programme will drive innovation in agriculture and horticulture to boost domestic productivity, including by helping to improve crop yield sustainability in the UK, and by driving the take up of new technologies, processes and practices by farmers and growers.
Defra’s Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs) on Wheat, Oilseed Rape, Pulses and Vegetable crops aim to improve the main UK crops by identifying genetic traits to improve their productivity, sustainability, resilience and nutritional quality. Across the GINs we have already successfully identified genetic traits that have improved resilience to climate change and common pests and diseases, and we are working with breeders to incorporate these traits into elite UK crop varieties. Ongoing work is also investigating the capacity for nutritional improvement of our crops, such as improved pulse protein quality and nutritionally fortified rapeseed oil.
The Government is also taking steps to unlock the innovation potential of genetic technologies such as gene editing which can help increase crop yield more efficiently, and increase resilience to pests and disease which will benefit developing countries.
Further funding to support R&D for improved agricultural productivity in developing countries is administered by FCDO as part of the UK's overall Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). The UK’s ODA R&D spend supports climate-resilient and nature positive food systems, combining ‘upstream’ science, technology and innovation with ‘downstream’ delivery, through partnerships with public sector, agribusinesses, and impact investors.
This includes support to the CGIAR, the world’s leading agricultural science and innovation organisation (formerly the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research). The CGIAR has a strong track record in delivering tangible climate and development impacts in countries which are a priority for FCDO.
FCDO’s Agriculture Research programmes include our major joint research initiatives with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, including work in Cambridge which uses biological nitrogen fixation to sustainably increase yields for small-holder farmers in Africa, and Edinburgh-based research on livestock health.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Foreign Secretary on the role of research into productive farming in (a) creating better farming techniques and (b) expanding land yield to support with food shortages in developing countries.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Research, innovation and its take-up into practice are integral to supporting a thriving productive and sustainable food and farming sector, and to helping address the global challenges we face on food security. Defra engages with other Government departments, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), through the UK Research and Innovation-led Global Food Security Programme, which coordinates research and innovation activity of public funders to address food security challenges.
Defra’s investment in industry-led research and development (R&D) through the Farming Innovation Programme will drive innovation in agriculture and horticulture to boost domestic productivity, including by helping to improve crop yield sustainability in the UK, and by driving the take up of new technologies, processes and practices by farmers and growers.
Defra’s Genetic Improvement Networks (GINs) on Wheat, Oilseed Rape, Pulses and Vegetable crops aim to improve the main UK crops by identifying genetic traits to improve their productivity, sustainability, resilience and nutritional quality. Across the GINs we have already successfully identified genetic traits that have improved resilience to climate change and common pests and diseases, and we are working with breeders to incorporate these traits into elite UK crop varieties. Ongoing work is also investigating the capacity for nutritional improvement of our crops, such as improved pulse protein quality and nutritionally fortified rapeseed oil.
The Government is also taking steps to unlock the innovation potential of genetic technologies such as gene editing which can help increase crop yield more efficiently, and increase resilience to pests and disease which will benefit developing countries.
Further funding to support R&D for improved agricultural productivity in developing countries is administered by FCDO as part of the UK's overall Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). The UK’s ODA R&D spend supports climate-resilient and nature positive food systems, combining ‘upstream’ science, technology and innovation with ‘downstream’ delivery, through partnerships with public sector, agribusinesses, and impact investors.
This includes support to the CGIAR, the world’s leading agricultural science and innovation organisation (formerly the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research). The CGIAR has a strong track record in delivering tangible climate and development impacts in countries which are a priority for FCDO.
FCDO’s Agriculture Research programmes include our major joint research initiatives with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, including work in Cambridge which uses biological nitrogen fixation to sustainably increase yields for small-holder farmers in Africa, and Edinburgh-based research on livestock health.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to update the International Development Strategy to include specific targets on (a) food security, (b) access to reproductive and sexual healthcare and (c) clean water and sanitation.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The International Development Strategy (IDS) sets out the government's vision for the future of UK international development, with further details set out in associated strategies. Tackling the worsening global food security crisis, exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is a key priority for the UK. We are working with G7 allies to ensure a coherent international response. In addition to humanitarian assistance, the IDS commits us to develop solutions to challenges in our global food system which include root causes of food insecurity. We will honour our COP26 targets and boost sustainable agriculture productivity in developing countries.
Access to reproductive and sexual healthcare and clean water and sanitation are also priorities. The IDS reiterates our target to support efforts to end preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children by 2030. Our Approach Paper of December 2021: Ending the Preventable Deaths of Mothers, Babies and Children by 2030; explains how the UK will deliver on this to 2024 and our strategic direction to 2030, including through actions to accelerate progress on sexual and reproductive health and rights, address malnutrition and promote access to climate resilient water supply, hygiene and sanitation services. The FCDO is business planning the delivery and measurement of our commitments, including our commitment to spend £1.5 billion between 2022 and 2030 on nutrition.
Asked by: Stuart Anderson (Conservative - Wolverhampton South West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to increase access to clean water for drinking and sanitation in developing counties, including desalination projects, in the last three years.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK has strong track record of supporting people in developing countries with clean water and sanitation. In the five-year period to 2020, we helped over 60 million people to gain access to clean water and/or sanitation, having also reached over 60 million people from 2011 to 2015. This was achieved using a mix of technologies and approaches depending on the location and context. We have also supported WHO and UNICEF to strengthen national service delivery and track progress towards water and sanitation global goal targets.
Desalination processes are utilised in limited instances by FCDO partners including UNICEF, primarily in coastal areas where freshwater is scarce. The capital and operational costs of desalination can be high and care is needed to mitigate the environmental impact of the brine produced by these systems. Nevertheless, in some situations including emergencies, desalination may be less expensive than options such as water trucking from a distant source. Therefore, the UK will continue to consider desalination, alongside alternatives, where water supply is needed.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what commitments she plans to secure at the upcoming meeting of G7 foreign ministers to help achieve universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in health centres in developing countries.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Improving access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services, including in healthcare facilities, is a key global health priority for the FCDO. It forms a core part of the UK's new Ending Preventable Deaths of mothers, babies and children strategy published in December 2021, and is critical to our wider global health objectives.
The UK will continue to work with our international partners, including through the G7, to ensure WASH is included in efforts to prevent the spread of infections including COVID-19, to prevent future pandemics, and to reduce the threat of anti-microbial resistance. We will also continue to pursue these objectives through our membership of the "WASH In Healthcare Facilities" international taskforce, through our bilateral programming such as our innovative hand hygiene partnership with Unilever, and through our core multilateral funding including to the World Bank and the World Health Organisation.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the scale of the threat to global security as a result of restricted access to water due to climate change; and what steps they are taking, together with international partners, to ensure that essential water resources are protected.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's latest report is clear that the effects of climate change have not been felt equally across the world, and this trend will continue. Water scarcity is one of the ways people are most likely to experience climate change. Our latest assessments can be found on the Knowledge For Development Water Learning Journey website (K4D Learning Journey on Water Security (ids.ac.uk)). They show that water can be a risk or threat multiplier for conflict and instability, and a trigger for conflict at the local level. Water shortages can compound existing fragilities and social stressors making conflict or migration more likely.
The UK recognises the importance of ensuring that countries most vulnerable to climate change can respond to the risks they face, including those related to water. We are supporting a number of initiatives that help to improve water security and from a range of angles including policy and regulation, investment, and water footprints.
For instance last week we launched the 'Al Murunah' project in the Middle East and North Africa region, the world's most water-scarce region. The project aims to increase water security through the integration of resilient nature-based solutions.
The UK also funds the Transboundary Water Programme, supporting countries in southern Africa to manage their shared water resources (rivers, lakes and groundwater) for economic development and contribute to climate resilience and poverty reduction.
In addition, we are funding the development and piloting of the new 'Water Tracker', led by the Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, which is being used by developing country governments to integrate water resilience within their national climate plans.
Asked by: David Lammy (Labour - Tottenham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of climate change on population movements in (a) North Africa and (b) the Middle East.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK recognises how urgent and important it is to ensure countries most vulnerable to climate change, including those in the MENA region, are able to respond to the risks they face. The UK is fully committed to working with countries to deliver the commitments made in the Glasgow Climate Pact at COP26, including through the Glasgow-Sharm el Sheikh work programme, to deliver on the Global Goal on Adaptation; developed countries' commitment to double their collective provision of climate finance for adaptation to developing countries by 2025; and the Glasgow Dialogue on Loss and Damage. The UK is strengthening climate resilience and adaptive capacity in MENA by investing in green finance, regional water management and weather and information services which will reduce exposure to climate risks.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to support the provision of food supplies to developing countries that received food from Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK has now committed £395 million in aid to the current crisis. This includes £220 million of humanitarian assistance which will be used to save lives, protect vulnerable people inside Ukraine and in neighbouring countries. This funding will help aid agencies respond to the deteriorating humanitarian situation by providing access to basic necessities and medical supplies. UK Government humanitarian experts have also deployed to the region to support those fleeing the violence in Ukraine.
The UK has matched pound for pound the public's first £25 million for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, which has now surpassed £100 million. Donating will help DEC charities provide food, water, shelter and healthcare to refugees and displaced families.