LONDON, UK - Nepal's struggle against the effects of climate change was brought to the attention of the British Parliament on Tuesday when Labour MP Alex Baker expressed concerns about the matter in the House of Commons.

Baker, who represents Nepali-majority constituencies such as Aldershot and Farnborough and chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Nepal, cited the catastrophic floods that destroyed different regions of the country, including the capital city Kathmandu, last year, killing over 200 people.

She questioned the British government's attempts to assist Nepal, a longtime UK partner, in addressing climate change.

"Nepal is at the forefront of combating climate change. We saw 200 deaths from floods in Kathmandu late last year," Baker told the House.

"What is this government doing to assist the nation that has been an ally and a friend to the UK over many years?"

Foreign Secretary David Lammy replied to Baker, expressing the UK government's support for Nepal. Lammy added that the UK had given Nepal 38.5 million pounds (about Rs6.5 billion) to help them handle the effects of climate change and conduct resilience-building programs.

He also announced a forthcoming aid package of £58 million (about Rs 10 billion) over the next eight years for development efforts to minimize climate change effects.

"We announced a 38.5 million Pounds resilience, adaptation, and inclusion program so that Nepal could cope with a disaster threat, and that follows 58.5 million Pounds in climate-smart development over an eight-year program," Lammy told the BBC. "Our collaboration with Nepal, particularly on the climate issue, is very important."

The debate follows Baker's visit to the Nepalese Embassy in London the day before, where she met with prominent Nepali Congress politician Shekhar Koirala and Acting Ambassador Bipin Duwadi.

Koirala has been in London for the past few days. During the discussion, embassy officials asked Baker for help pushing issues like climate change and the concerns of former Gurkha soldiers in Parliament.