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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government has given to the Jordanian government to assist with the refugee situation in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK has contributed £330 million to support stability in Jordan since the start of the Syria crisis, £193 million of which has gone towards support for refugees and host communities. We are committed to continuing our support. On 4 February the UK co-hosted the ‘Supporting Syria and the Region 2016’ conference which secured over $11billion in pledges from the international community for Syria’s neighbours. Jordan agreed a Compact at the conference which will see them receiving new funding, concessional finance, and support to increase investment in return for providing refugees with access to work and education. The UK will be at the forefront of work to deliver this plan.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government has given to the Lebanese government to assist with the refugee situation in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The UK has contributed over £330 million to support Lebanon since the start of the Syria crisis. Our priorities have been to support refugees and host communities, and strengthen the ability of the Lebanese Armed Forces and security forces to protect against armed groups at the border at terrorism.

On 4 February the UK co-hosted the ‘Supporting Syria and the Region 2016’ conference which secured over $11 billion in pledges from the international community for Syria’s neighbours, including Lebanon. This was the largest sum raised for a cause in a single day.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what use his Department makes of information it collects in Palestinian camps in Lebanon.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

Information and analysis pertaining to Lebanon and the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon is used by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to inform policy-making and programme work.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will ensure that any assistance provided to Palestinians in camps in Lebanon is used to encourage reconciliation between Palestine and Israel to take steps towards peace.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The main objective of our support to Palestinians living in camps in Lebanon is to meet their basic human needs, especially food needs. We also support projects aimed at improving governance and life chances for youth and communities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to the Lebanese government to prevent recruitment to terrorist groups from the Palestinian camps in Lebanon.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

As part of the UK’s global work countering terrorism and extremism, the UK is supporting Lebanon to prevent the recruitment of individuals to violent extremist groups. This support includes supporting moderate Sunni religious voices in Lebanon, training young Muslim leaders on countering extremist narratives, and supporting the reform of the Lebanese school curriculum to educate young people on tolerance and citizenship values. This financial year we are spending £1.15 million within the camps to support Palestinian youth networks to bolster community stability and build resilience against extremism. This includes supporting young people in the development of solutions to community-level problems, increasing civic participation, developing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and the production of youth-led counter extremist narratives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is giving to the Lebanese government to create employment in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We continue to encourage the Lebanese Government to ensure better access to employment for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. We support the Government of Lebanon to implement commitments made at the Supporting Syria and the Region Conference in providing access to education and jobs for refugees and host communities. We will continue to advocate for a non-exclusive approach, reaching all vulnerable groups. In addition, we have provided £1.9 million to United Nations Relief and Works Agency this year to support over 1,000 Palestinian youth across Lebanon with vocational and English skills training, as well as apprenticeship and job placement services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the number of people joining terrorist groups from the Palestinian camps in Lebanon in the last five years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are aware of extremist elements within the camps, and that there have been reported links between some individuals within the camps and terrorist groups. As with many aspects of Lebanese stability, we monitor this issue closely through project work and our engagement with the Lebanese Government seeks to ensure that security is maintained and the influence of extremist and terrorist groups is diminished.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance his Department provides for (a) education, (b) youth services and (c) medical treatment in Palestinian camps in Lebanon.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

In 2015/16 we contributed £33.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency General Fund which ensures provision of education and medical treatment for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. We are spending £1.15 million this financial year within the Palestinian camps to support Palestinian youth networks to bolster community stability and resilience to extremism. This includes supporting youth in the development of solutions to community-level problems, civic participation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and the production of youth-led counter extremist narratives.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect the diversity of wildlife in Forestry Commission land.

Rory Stewart

We are committed to keeping the Public Forest Estate in England in trust for the nation and for it to continue to be sustainably managed. The entire Public Forest Estate is independently certified as sustainably managed to the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS). A key element of this certification standard is the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity.

The Forestry Commission continues to maintain a high performance in the management of the 68,000 hectares of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) under its stewardship, increasing the area in favourable condition year on year. Overall 99.5% of these SSSIs by area are in favourable or recovering condition. It also supports a comprehensive range of species conservation projects, including the freshwater pearl mussel, rare birds of prey, woodland and heathland insects and the recovery of species such as the chequered skipper, ladybird spider and pool frog.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps she is taking to reduce carbon emissions from wood stoves.

Andrea Leadsom

Directive 2009/125/EC established a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products. In April 2015 Commission Regulation 2015/1185 was published, which provides minimum standards for efficiencies of wood burning stoves placed on the European market from 2022 that will reduce their carbon emissions.

Wood burning stoves that have a back boiler attached are supported through the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The scheme applies only to Great Britain.

Wood burning stoves are treated as having zero emissions for most inventory purposes, given that the biomass combustion releases the carbon captured during the trees’ lifetime; and that this loss of carbon from the forest is already recorded in the forestry section of the emissions inventory.

Different carbon emissions figures are used for lifecycle analysis of biomass – but these often relate to the transportation of the fuel and fuel preparation. Evidence to date suggests the fuel used in wood burning stoves, such as logs, is frequently sourced very locally with minimal preparation, and therefore has a relatively small footprint.

A tool is also available from Ofgem for calculating carbon emissions from biomass. It can be found on the Ofgem website at https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/uk-solid-and-gaseous-biomass-carbon-calculator .

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