Vol. 782 Tuesday No. 128 21 March 2017 PARLIAMENTARYDEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDEROFBUSINESS Questions International Development: Forestry .............................................................................143 Police: Pension Rights ....................................................................................................145 Gaza Strip ......................................................................................................................147 Schools: Funding Formula .............................................................................................149 Parking Places (Variation of Charges) Bill Third Reading .................................................................................................................151 Broadcasting (Radio Multiplex Services) Bill Third Reading .................................................................................................................152 Armed Forces Act (Continuation) Order 2017 Motion to Approve ..........................................................................................................152 Defence and Security Motion to Take Note.......................................................................................................230 Brexit: Gibraltar Question for Short Debate...............................................................................................230 Grand Committee Greater Manchester Combined Authority (Fire and Rescue Functions) Order 2017 .....GC 1 Greater Manchester Combined Authority (Transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner Functions to the Mayor) Order 2017 ..............................................................................GC 7 Electricity Supplier Payments (Amendment) Regulations 2017 ......................................GC 7 Electricity and Gas (Energy Company Obligation) (Amendment) Order 2017.............GC 15 Collection of Fines etc. (Northern Ireland Consequential Amendments) Order 2017..GC 23 Public Guardian (Fees, etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2017.......................................GC 25 Judicial Pensions (Additional Voluntary Contributions) Regulations 2017 ..................GC 28 Judicial Pensions (Fee-Paid Judges) Regulations 2017 ..................................................GC 32 Judicial Pensions (Amendment) Regulations 2017 ........................................................GC 32 Industrial Training Levy (Engineering Construction Industry Training Board) Order 2017...............................................................................................................................GC 32 Immigration Skills Charge Regulations 2017 Motions to Consider ..................................................................................................GC 37 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. 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This issue of the Official Report is also available on the Internet at https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2017-03-21 The first time a Member speaks to a new piece of parliamentary business, the following abbreviations are used to show their party affiliation: Abbreviation Party/Group CB Cross Bench Con Conservative DUP Democratic Unionist Party GP Green Party Ind Lab Independent Labour Ind LD Independent Liberal Democrat Ind SD Independent Social Democrat Ind UU Independent Ulster Unionist Lab Labour LD Liberal Democrat LD Ind Liberal Democrat Independent Non-afl Non-affiliated PC Plaid Cymru UKIP UK Independence Party UUP Ulster Unionist Party No party affiliation is given for Members serving the House in a formal capacity, the Lords spiritual, Members on leave of absence or Members who are otherwise disqualified from sitting in the House. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2017, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 143 International Development: Forestry[21 MARCH 2017] International Development: Forestry 144 House of Lords Lord Bates: I do, and that is what DfID provides through many of its programmes and by working in Tuesday 21 March 2017 public/private partnerships in this area. We recognise that tropical forests regulate weather patterns and that 2.30 pm 25% of global greenhouse gases are a result of deforestation and land-use changes. It is therefore Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Leeds. crucial that we make efforts in this area. Regarding my noblefriend’sopeningpointabouttheUSAdministration’s International Development: Forestry policy, I would comfort him to an extent and say that Question that policy is a proposal. A full budget will be published in May and has then to find its way through Congress. 2.37 pm Lord Clark of Windermere (Lab): My Lords, I Asked by Baroness Parminter declare an interest as a former chair of the Forestry To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light Commission. As the Minister is aware, Britain has a of the Department for International Development’s unique reputation as one of the few countries in the Economic Development Strategy, whether they plan world that has successfully reforested its landscape. to commit to supporting forest programmes across Traditionally, the Forestry Commission has offered the globe to improve forest governance and reduce much expertise and experience to countries seeking to deforestation. reforest their landscape but of late, due to the financial cuts, it has been unable to sustain that at the level it The Minister of State, Department for International would like. Will the Minister look again at how we Development (Lord Bates) (Con): My Lords, stopping could use money to utilise the expertise of the Forestry deforestation is an essential part of global efforts to Commission to practically help countries grow more promote sustainable economic development. DfID already trees? supports programmes focused on governance, tackling illegal logging and related corruption, and working Lord Bates: I certainly pay regard to the noble with companies to eliminate deforestation from supply Lord’s great experience and commitment to this area chains for palm oil, cocoa and other commodities. over many years. However, I would also say that, This makes an important contribution to DfID’seconomic through DfID, we fund a number of programmes, development strategy. such as the international forestry knowledge programme, which does a great deal around the world in terms of Baroness Parminter (LD): My Lords, I pay tribute forest governance and partnerships in forests, and are to the work of both this Government and previous part of the forest investment programme with the Governments in the fight against global deforestation. World Bank. A key part of those initiatives takes place Given that we are losing an area the size of a football in areas such as Indonesia, for example, where 80% of pitch every two seconds, and that deforestation accounts forestry was formerly illegal but now 90% is legally for 10% of our global carbon emissions, will the audited. We want to see more of that type of work and Minister commit to the fact that the Government will I assure the noble Lord that that will continue to not lose any further funding to take forward this happen. important work? Lord Cameron of Dillington (CB): With DfID’s new Lord Bates: I am very happy to renew that and welcome emphasis on the promotion of agriculture commitment, particularly on the International Day of as the bottom rung of our wider economic agenda, Forests.The commitment is there not only in a government does the Minister agree that forestry and agri-forestry statement on such matters, but also in our signing up have a vital role to play in sustaining soils and encouraging to the sustainable development goals. Sustainable the sustainable management of water and grazing, development goal 15 puts sustainable managed forests, and that therefore forestry has a really important role combating deforestation and reversing land degradation to play in the wider economic agenda generally within at the heart of one of the key goals that need to be sub-Saharan Africa in particular? attained. The Government are committed to those goals, and through a number of different mechanisms Lord Bates: Absolutely. That is why it is such a seek to bring them about by 2030. prominent part of the sustainable development goals. As the noble Lord says, it is about livelihoods and Lord Crickhowell (Con): My Lords, the Washington- climate change. It is also about direct livelihoods, as based NGO Forest Trends has been working extremely about a billion people around the world depend on hard to save the South American rainforests. I declare forests for their livelihoods. That is a very important an interest: my son is in Brazil on its behalf at this part of our economic development strategy. moment. It has received support from the Obama Administration, but that is now almost certain to end Lord Naseby (Con): Will my noble friend look as a result of the policies of President Trump. Does again at the decision of DfID not to give any help to my noble friend agree that public/private organisations