Written question asked by Robert Key (Conservative) on Friday, 25 January 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 29 January 2008. It was answered by Shahid Malik (Labour) on Friday, 1 February 2008 on behalf of the Department for International Development.

Tuvalu: Floods

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what account he has taken of evidence that possible inundation of the Pacific island of Tuvalu may be caused by (a) rising sea level and (b) sinking of the earth’s crust in allocating UK aid to that area.

Answer: DFID has not had a bilateral aid programme in the Pacific since 2001. The UK provides assistance to the region through the European Commission’s European Development Fund (EDF). €5 million has been earmarked for Tuvalu under the 10th EDF, which is due to begin this year and end in 2013. The UK’s share of the 10th EDF is 14.82 per cent. The European Commission recognises climate change is an important cross-cutting issue for the small islands of the Pacific region, and major regional initiatives to address it are being considered in the context of the 10th EDF.

Secondary information