Rishi Sunak wants to await Gavin Williamson inquiry result before deciding whether to sack him – as it happened

Gavin Williamson in London. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

5.46pm GMT

Afternoon summary

• Rishi Sunak has said he wants to await the outcome of the inquiry into the aggessive messages sent by Gavin Williamson to a fellow Tory MP before deciding whether or not to sack him from his ministerial post. See 3.35pm.

• Sunak has stressed the importance of working with countries like France to cut the number of small boat Channel crossings, and said that talks with EU leaders on the subject at Cop27 left him with “renewed confidence and optimism” about being able to address the problem. See 4.32pm.

• Sunak has pledged the UK’s continued support for conserving threatened forests around the world, through a funding programme covering a third of the world’s forests, at the Cop27 UN climate summit in Egypt.

• China has criticised the British government for sending the trade minister Greg Hands to Taiwan and said the UK must cease “sending the wrong signals” to pro-independence forces on the self-ruled island that Beijing regards as its territory.

That is all from me. Our Cop27 coverage continues on our live blog.

5.24pm GMT

Sturgeon says developed countries must pledge money to address loss and damage caused by climate crisis

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has said the developed countries should agree to pay money to developing countries to address the “loss and damage” they are experiences as a result of the climate crisis. In comments released ahead of the opening of Cop27, she said:

For many countries, particularly in the global south, this must be the Cop where the global north not only delivers on our promises to finance adaptation and mitigation, but recognises the need to address the loss and damage experienced by countries already impacted by climate change.

Last year, Scotland became the first developed nation to pledge finance to address loss and damage and others have now followed suit, including Wallonia and Denmark. This shows just how important the action of smaller governments can be, and I know many countries and campaigners hope to see other countries, particularly in the north, step up and make Cop in Egypt the loss and damage Cop.

Aid spending is primarily a responsibility for the UK government, but the Scottish government has committed £2m from its global justice fund to address loss and damage.

At @COP27P, First Minister @NicolaSturgeon met with representatives from Global South countries.

They discussed first-hand experience of #lossanddamage and how vital urgent funding and direct action is to helping mitigating the impacts. pic.twitter.com/DGQhAOMkSL

— First Minister (@ScotGovFM) November 7, 2022

Updated at 5.36pm GMT