Written Statements

Monday 16th July 2018 Written Statements

Monday 16 July 2018

Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill

Monday 16th July 2018 Written Statements

[The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mel Stride)]

I have today published a written submission outlining the Government’s analysis of how the English votes for English laws principle relates to all Government amendments tabled for Report stage of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill.

The Department’s assessment is that the amendments do not change the territorial application of the Bill.

I have deposited a copy of the submission in the Libraries of the House.

[HCWS857]

Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report 2017

Monday 16th July 2018 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr Jeremy Hunt)]

I have today laid before Parliament a copy of the 2017 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Report on Human Rights and Democracy (Cmd 9644).

The report analyses human rights developments overseas in 2017 and illustrates how the Government work to promote and defend human rights globally.

The report assesses the situation in 30 countries, that the FCO has designated as its human rights priority countries. These are Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burma, Burundi, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Libya, Maldives, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

This year marks the 70th anniversary year of the universal declaration of human rights.

The report I have laid before Parliament today demonstrates that the principles and values enshrined in the universal declaration remain as crucial as ever.

It also serves as a reminder that ensuring universal respect for those principles remains a difficult task.

The UK Government will continue to play a significant part in this endeavour to protect the “inherent dignity” of

“all members of the human family”.

[HCWS858]

Trade Bill: Government Amendments on Report

Monday 16th July 2018 Written Statements

[The Minister for Trade Policy (George Hollingbery)]

The English votes for English laws process applies to public Bills in the House of Commons. To support the process, the Government have agreed that they will provide information to assist the Speaker in considering whether to certify the Bill or any of its provisions for the purposes of English votes for English laws. Bill provisions that relate exclusively to England or to England and Wales, and which have a subject matter within the legislative competence of one or more of the devolved legislatures, can be certified.

Report Stage Amendments

The memorandum, which I will place in the Libraries of both Houses, provides an assessment of Government amendments tabled to the Trade Bill, for the purposes of English votes for English laws, ahead of Report stage in the House of Commons. The Department for International Trade’s assessment is that the amendments do not change the territorial application of the Bill, for the purpose of Standing Order No. 83L of the Standing Orders of the House of Commons as set out in the explanatory notes to the Bill at introduction and as reproduced below. The above assessment is represented in tabular form below: