Asked by: Bim Afolami (Conservative - Hitchin and Harpenden)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the UK is a global leader in policy advocacy for the conservation of nature.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are committed to ensuring that the UK leads the world to promote a green, fair and resilient global recovery from the impacts of Covid-19 and central to that is the importance of resetting the global relationship with nature.
We will support the adoption of ambitious and practical targets on nature at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity Summit (COP15) in China next May, strengthened by coherent implementation mechanisms that will deliver a new global biodiversity framework that is commensurate with the scale of the challenge. Nature is also a top priority for our upcoming Presidency of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP26) next year and we are pushing for tangible and ambitious commitments from partner governments to champion nature and nature-based solutions. Given this, and the multi-faceted benefits of nature-based solutions, we are working with the Chinese Government, who are hosting COP15, to press for mutually reinforcing outcomes at the two Conferences. In addition, we will continue leading global ambition on conserving endangered species, following our hosting of the international Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in 2018.
On marine biodiversity, we are driving forward efforts to protect and enhance the ocean and eliminate harmful fisheries practice as we have done domestically and in 2018 we launched the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance with Vanuatu, which now convenes 34 Commonwealth countries to tackle plastic pollution. We have also committed to a new, £500 million Blue Planet Fund, and are building on the ‘30by30’ campaign which the UK launched at the UN General Assembly in 2018, leading the Global Ocean Alliance calling to protect 30% of the world’s global ocean by 2030. This ambitious target is underpinned by domestic commitments through the Blue Belt Programme, which is on course to deliver over 4 million square kilometres of protected ocean around the British Overseas Territories by the end of 2020.
Our international leadership on nature must be underpinned by credible action at home. In England, our 25 Year Environment Plan marked a step change in ambition for nature and the natural environment. We are taking action to fulfil this ambition by introducing bold new legislation and new funding to support nature’s recovery.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's consultation entitled Advancing our health:prevention in the 2020s, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) Lambeth, (b) Southwark, (c) London and (d) England are smoke-free by 2030.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Local authorities are responsible for providing stop smoking services and are working towards the commitments in the current Tobacco Control Plan for England 2017-2022. Public Health England (PHE) provides tools such as the online Local Tobacco Control Profiles that allows users to compare local authorities in the region and benchmark local authorities against the England or regional average. The tool is available at the following link:
https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/tobacco-control
Current smoking rates for 18 year olds and older in 2018 indicate Lambeth at 12.4%, Southwark 14.5%, London region 13.9% and England 14.4%.
PHE and other organisations, including the Greater London Authority and NHS England, are supporting a London-wide tobacco alliance to meet the smoking reduction aspirations in ‘A Health and Care Vision for London’. The aim is for London to become the first smoke free capital city before 2030. More information is available on the Healthy London Partnership website at the following link:
https://www.healthylondon.org/vision/
The Government remains committed to its vision of smokefree 2030. We intend to publish the Government response to the Prevention Green Paper, ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’ in due course and key steps and ambitions to deliver Smokefree 2030 after this.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with the Indian government on the (a) launch of One Sun One World One Grid and (b) formation of a Global Green Grid Alliance.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
India is an important partner for the UK and we have a long history of engaging with the Government of India on climate change and clean energy.
To date, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not discussed Prime Minister Modi's new One Sun One World One Grid initiative or the formation of the Global Green Grids Alliance with the Government of India. However, we welcome the ambition on the initiatives and will continue to look for opportunities to work with India to increase global action on climate change and clean energy in the run-up to COP26. The British High Commission in India and the Department for International Development have had exploratory discussions with the Government of India and want to learn more about both initiatives.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the business activities are of (a) Shan Orchard, (b) Frontiir Co. Ltd, (c) Solar Home Pte Ltd, (d) MC Easy Microfinance Co. Ltd, (e) Alliance for Microfinance in Myanmar Ltd, (f) Advans Myanmar and (g) Irrawaddy Green Tower Project as invested in by CDC Group; and whether (i) the Government of Myanmar and (ii) local state authorities have shareholdings in each business.
Answered by James Duddridge
The business activities of these investments are:
Business name | Business activities |
Shan Orchard | An agri-business focussed on the production of avocados |
Frontiir Co. Ltd | An internet service provider |
Solar Home Pte Ltd | A provider of pay-as-you-go solar home systems. |
MC Easy Microfinance Co. Ltd | A microfinance institution |
Alliance for Microfinance in Myanmar Ltd | A microfinance institution |
Advans Myanmar | A microfinance institution |
Irrawaddy Green Tower | An infrastructure provider of telecommunications towers |
Neither the Government of Myanmar or local state authorities are on the shareholder lists of any of the above businesses.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the total invested by the Commonwealth Development Corporation in (a) Shan Orchard, (b) Frontiir Co. Ltd, (c) Solar Home Pte Ltd, (d) MC Easy Microfinance Co. Ltd, (e) Alliance for Microfinance in Myanmar Ltd, (f) Advans Myanmar and (g) Irrawaddy Green Tower Project in Myanmar was in each of the last five years.
Answered by James Duddridge
As stated in Written Question 46671, CDC has invested a total of $78,795,576 into the above companies over the last five years (2015-19). A $50,000,000 direct debt investment was made in Irrawaddy Green Tower Project in 2016. A $20,000,000 direct equity investment was made in Frontiir Co. Ltd in 2019. The remainder has been invested through 4 investment funds. These are Anthem Asia Myanmar SME Venture Fund, Insitor Impact Asia Fund Private Ltd, Myanmar Opportunities Fund II and Advans S.A. These funds have made six investments over the last five years in Shan Orchard, Solar Home Pte Ltd, MC Easy Microfinance Co. Ltd, Alliance for Microfinance in Myanmar Ltd, Advans Myanmar and Frontiir Co Ltd.
CDC discloses on its website the amount it invests into companies, projects and investment funds. The amount invested by those funds into underlying investments is not disclosed as this information is commercially sensitive
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will publish the (a) Environmental and Social Due Diligence and (b) assessment against the Commonwealth Development Corporation Code of Responsible Investing for the investments in companies (a) Shan Orchard, (b) Frontiir Co. Ltd, (c) Solar Home Pte Ltd, (d) MC Easy Microfinance Co. Ltd, (e) Alliance for Microfinance in Myanmar Ltd, (f) Advans Myanmar and (g) Irrawaddy Green Tower Project in Myanmar.
Answered by James Duddridge
CDC’s rigorous due diligence process involves assessing a wide range of Environmental and Social, as well as Business Integrity risks and involves the production of multiple separate documents and reports. Ordinarily, CDC does not publish the suite of documents related to the due diligence it undertakes in the course of making investments because these documents contain commercially confidential or sensitive information about the business being reviewed.
On that basis, DFID does not intend to publish the documents related to the due diligence of investments listed above.
CDC does publish an overview of expected development impact, including key elements related to Environmental and Social issues, for new investments into companies and funds. The next update of CDC’s database will be available from July when CDC publishes its Annual Review.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much CDC has invested in companies operating in Myanmar in each of the last five years; and what the names are of those companies.
Answered by James Duddridge
The amount CDC invested into companies in Myanmar in the each of the last five years is:
2015 | Nil |
2016 | $50,965,888 |
2017 | $5,534,404 |
2018 | $2,021,605 |
2019 | $20,273,679 |
The names of companies that received investment in this period are: Shan Orchard, Frontiir Co. Ltd, Solar Home Pte Ltd, MC Easy Microfinance Co. Ltd, Alliance for Microfinance in Myanmar Ltd, Advans Myanmar, Irrawaddy Green Tower Project.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has taken steps to support the Green Alliance’s Community Energy Manifesto; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Claire Perry
I am really impressed by the work community groups up and down the United Kingdom are already doing to help their wider communities decarbonise and get involved in this transition.
In the Clean Growth Strategy, I announced the creation of a Local Energy Contact Group and a Local Energy Programme. The Contact group made up of communities, local authorities and local enterprise partnerships and provides local insight for policy teams across BEIS.
The Local Energy Programme has funded Local Energy Strategies in every Local Enterprise Partnership. These strategies will feed into the newly developed Local Energy Hubs, also funded by BEIS to create capacity and capability to help Local Authorities deliver low carbon energy projects at scale.
I have brought the Rural Community Energy Fund into my department to allow it to integrate better with the other work we are doing on heat and local ownership. Together with the Local Energy Programme, that will be almost £20m committed by this Government to support local energy in the last three years. Alongside this we have launched Prospering from the Energy Revolution, a £100m innovation fund designed to support local areas demonstrate future integrated energy systems.
This funding will unlock commercial investment in our local energy system and following a successful national Local Green finance event in Leeds in January, we will be supporting five regional events this summer to bring investors and local projects together.
The Government has a clear vision for an energy system which fairly rewards flexibility for the value it provides to the system.
We have set out in our The Smart Systems & Flexibility Plan, and in the Progress Update in October 2018, a number of actions to open up markets to distribution-connected flexibility, including community energy groups. We are also consulting on a range of changes to the energy market which offer communities a chance to have their say, and ensuring consumers are at the heart of the future energy system.
Asked by: Greg Hands (Conservative - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What plans he has to strengthen the UK's relations with Pacific Alliance countries.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Latin America is an increasingly important partner to the UK. We have strong and close relationships with all four member states of the Pacific Alliance: Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. Trade with the bloc increased by 4.5% from 2017 to 2018. We are strengthening partnerships using tools like the Prosperity Fund, Conflict Stability and Security Fund and International Climate Finance to implement programmes of mutual interest, for example in good governance, green growth, security and justice reform, infrastructure and rural and urban development in order to create the conditions for sustainable economic growth and increased trade.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in implementing decisions taken by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in London in April 2018 on (1) the Commonwealth Blue Charter, (2) the Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance on marine plastic pollution, and (3) any other decision taken to improve the environment.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
In April last year, the UK hosted one of the most successful Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) ever. All 53 members of the Commonwealth adopted the Commonwealth Blue Charter, agreed to establish action groups on ocean issues led by Commonwealth member countries and mandated the Secretariat to take forward a Commonwealth Blue Charter plan of action. Since CHOGM, nine action groups have now been proposed of which the UK Government has joined three so far: the coral reef protection, ocean acidification, and ocean and climate change action groups. The UK Government is in the process of joining the action groups on Mangroves and Marine Protected Areas.
The UK and Vanuatu also spearhead the groundbreaking Commonwealth Clean Oceans Alliance (CCOA), the action group to tackle the scourge of plastic pollution in the ocean. The CCOA has gained unparalleled support since its launch in April, increasing its membership from seven to 24 countries across the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific regions. In recognition of our global leadership on tackling the problem of plastic in the ocean, the Prime Minister has announced up to £66.4 million of UK aid to assist Commonwealth countries. This includes a technical assistance facility that will support developing countries in achieving their commitments under the CCOA, which was increased from £5 million to £10 million by the Prime Minister in August last year.
The first phase of the £6 million Commonwealth Litter Programme (CLiP) work in the Pacific region has been completed. Minister Coffey and Pacific country leaders attended a regional conference last month to showcase the marine litter action plans produced by the CLiP with Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. Furthermore, over 35 Government funded Commonwealth Blue Charter Fellowships are underway which continue to support emerging Commonwealth scholars to explore solutions to the marine plastics challenge. We have made tremendous progress in safeguarding our ocean since CHOGM 2018 and we expect even more successful action ahead of the next CHOGM meeting in Rwanda in 2020.
The UK is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals, and tackling climate change and managing the natural environment is a core part of the Government’s international work. For example:
At the International Wildlife Trade Conference hosted in London in October last year, the Government reaffirmed its commitment to tackling the international wildlife trade and we are now investing over £36 million between 2014 and 2021 to counter the trade, including £900,000 of new funding to develop a British military counter-poaching taskforce in Africa.
At last year’s Katowice Climate Change Conference, the UK demonstrated its climate leadership through our instrumental role in the creation of a rulebook to bring the Paris Agreement to life. This common set of rules and metrics is essential for driving genuine climate action globally and for future agreements.
Since April last year the Green Climate Fund has approved the funding of $1.05 billion in funding proposals, and successfully launched its first replenishment for the second resource mobilisation phase. A further $122.5 million has been approved for readiness funding to be deployed this year. Polices related to results management, prohibited practices, the restructuring and cancellation of funding proposals and the appointment of the World Bank as Trustee were also approved. The Fund also selected its next Executive Director, who will serve a four year term from April.
As announced by the Foreign Secretary at CHOGM, the UK and New Zealand co-hosted a meeting at Wilton Park on 16-18 December to discuss climate change and resilience in the Pacific. The Forum was an opportunity to listen to Pacific concerns, needs and priorities in relation to climate change, and provided a space for representatives from across governments and the academic and private sectors to discuss innovative solutions to these challenges.