PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE
Prosperity Fund - 6 June 2019 (Commons/Commons Chamber)
Debate Detail
Contributions from Dame Harriett Baldwin, are highlighted with a yellow border.
Bill Esterson
Sefton Central
10:30:33
Harriett Baldwin
The Minister of State, Department for International Development
The primary purpose of the prosperity fund is reducing poverty through inclusive economic growth. Departments that execute prosperity fund programmes are responsible for ensuring that they meet the requirements of the International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015.
10:31:04
Bill Esterson
Between 2016 and 2018, the prosperity fund financed 16 fossil fuel projects across the world, including two in fracking. Is not this obsession with fossil fuels, despite the fine words of the Secretary of State, just confirmation that this Government could not care less about addressing the climate emergency, which is, after all, one of the biggest threats to alleviating world poverty?
Harriett Baldwin
These funds are obviously administered by other Government Departments in compliance with the wording of the Act, so I am not seized of the specifics of what the hon. Gentleman refers to. He will know that we do need to work together as a world to reduce emissions. One of the ways in which we are doing that is to encourage people to power past coal. Often we can do that by substituting less polluting fossil fuels. It may be in that context that these disbursements were made.
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