Lord Campbell of Pittenweem Portrait

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem

Liberal Democrat - Life peer

Became Member: 13th October 2015

Left House: 26th September 2025 (Death)


Lord Campbell of Pittenweem is not an officer of any APPGs
1 APPG Membership
United Nations Global Goals
4 Former APPG Officer Positions
Action on Conflict and Global Britain, Commonwealth Games, Olympic and Paralympic Games, Sport
International Relations and Defence Committee
28th Jan 2021 - 31st Jan 2024
National Security Strategy (Joint Committee)
6th Nov 2017 - 28th Jan 2021
Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Defence)
12th Oct 2017 - 29th Aug 2019
Foreign Affairs Committee
12th Jul 2010 - 30th Mar 2015
Draft Detention of Terrorist Suspects (Temporary Extension) Bills (Joint Committee)
15th Jun 2011 - 30th Mar 2015
Parliamentary Privilege (Joint Committee)
3rd Dec 2012 - 30th Mar 2015
Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament
13th Sep 2010 - 30th Mar 2015
Foreign Affairs Committee
21st Jan 2008 - 6th May 2010
Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament
24th Nov 2008 - 6th May 2010
Committee on Issue of Privilege (Police Searches on Parliamentary Estate)
13th Jul 2009 - 6th May 2010
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
2nd Mar 2006 - 15th Oct 2007
Leader of the Liberal Democrats
2nd Mar 2006 - 15th Oct 2007
Shadow Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs)
1st Jul 2001 - 2nd Mar 2006
Acting Leader, Liberal Democrats
5th Jan 2006 - 1st Mar 2006
Shadow Spokesperson (Defence)
1st Jan 1998 - 1st Jan 2001
Defence Committee
27th Apr 1992 - 1st Feb 1999
Shadow Spokesperson (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs)
1st Jan 1994 - 1st Jan 1999
Shadow Spokesperson (Defence)
1st Jan 1988 - 1st Jan 1994
Trade & Industry
15th Feb 1990 - 16th Mar 1992
Shadow Spokesperson (Culture, Media and Sport)
1st Jan 1987 - 1st Jan 1988


Division Voting information

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem has voted in 2046 divisions, and 12 times against the majority of their Party.

19 Oct 2016 - Investigatory Powers Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 3 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 74 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 82 Noes - 321
17 Oct 2016 - Investigatory Powers Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 3 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 68 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 78 Noes - 314
1 Feb 2012 - Welfare Reform Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 6 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 48 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 332 Noes - 266
1 Feb 2012 - Welfare Reform Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 4 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 43 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 328 Noes - 265
5 Sep 2011 - Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 2 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 40 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 210 Noes - 311
9 Dec 2010 - Higher Education Fees - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 21 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 27 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 323 Noes - 302
9 Dec 2010 - Higher Education Fees - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 21 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 27 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 323 Noes - 302
1 Apr 2009 - Nick Cousins - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 10 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 36 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 304 Noes - 103
1 Nov 2006 - Legislative Process - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted No - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 17 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 36 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 122 Noes - 354
5 Jul 2006 - Ambulances (County Durham) - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 21 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 26 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 409 Noes - 53
22 Feb 2022 - Procedure and Privileges Committee - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 13 Liberal Democrat No votes vs 29 Liberal Democrat Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 144 Noes - 133
5 Jul 2022 - Sitting Times - View Vote Context
Lord Campbell of Pittenweem voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 5 Liberal Democrat Aye votes vs 38 Liberal Democrat No votes
Tally: Ayes - 158 Noes - 124
View All Lord Campbell of Pittenweem Division Votes

All Debates

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Baroness Goldie (Conservative)
Shadow Minister (Defence)
(87 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Ministry of Defence
(160 debate contributions)
Home Office
(77 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(77 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Lord Campbell of Pittenweem's debates

Lords initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lord Campbell of Pittenweem, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.


Lord Campbell of Pittenweem has not introduced any legislation before Parliament

Lord Campbell of Pittenweem has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting


Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
4th Mar 2015
To ask the Attorney General, whether he has sought ministerial representations in a public interest consultation exercise under section 4(e) of the Protocol between the Attorney General and the Prosecuting Bodies with regard to any cases currently being dealt with by one of the prosecuting bodies.

It is my department’s usual policy not to comment on any live cases.

12th Feb 2015
To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2014 to Question 207315, whether a Shawcross exercise has been conducted in relation to Serious Fraud Office investigations since the date of that Answer; and if he will make a statement.

It is my department’s usual policy not to comment on any live investigation. In the period referred to there have been no Shawcross exercises in respect of any concluded SFO cases.

11th Feb 2015
To ask the Attorney General, whether he has issued a direction under 4(b) of the Protocol Between the Attorney General and the Prosecuting Departments to the Serious Fraud Office on a case under investigation by that office in the last four months; and if he will make a statement.

It would not be appropriate to give a running commentary on SFO investigations. I am aware of the provisions within paragraph 4(b)4 of the Protocol, which state that if any such direction were to be made then I would make a report to Parliament, so far as was compatible with national security.

21st Nov 2014
To ask the Attorney General, on how many occasions the prosecuting authorities have offered a company the opportunity to enter into Deferred Prosecution Agreement negotiations in the last five years.

Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) became available to prosecutors on 24 February 2014. The DPA Code of Practice sets out the procedure to be followed. Letters of invitation to a company to enter into DPA negotiations are confidential.

21st Nov 2014
To ask the Attorney General, how many requests the Serious Fraud Office has received for mutual legal assistance in relation to corruption from which countries in each of the last four years.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) does not receive Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests directly, but in appropriate cases the United Kingdom Central Authority (UKCA) will refer an MLA request to the SFO for execution. the table below details the number of requests for mutual legal assistance in relation to corruption have been referred to the SFO by the UKCA in each of the past 4 years.

2010 10

2011 9

2012 11

2013 14

A breakdown by country is not provided as it may lead to the identification of an individual MLA request and it is Government policy neither to confirm nor deny the existence, content or status of any individual MLA request.

21st Nov 2014
To ask the Attorney General, how many Suspicious Activity Report intelligence packs relating to corruption in which countries the Serious Fraud Office has received from the National Crime Agency in the last four years.

The National Crime Agency does not routinely disseminate Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) to the Serious Fraud Office.

The SFO has direct access to the SARs database through a secure online portal which it regularly searches to assist any investigation into financial crime including corruption.

29th Aug 2014
To ask the Attorney General, how many self-reports from companies have been made under (a) the Bribery Act 2010 and (b) other corruption legislation in the last 12 months.

Self-reports are not necessarily made relating to specific legislation, and it is for the prosecutor to determine the relevant legislation in each case when considering charging.

Further, given the small number and seriousness of cases investigated by SFO, it would not be desirable to provide a breakdown of this data because of the need to protect individuals and the risk of prejudicing investigations.

29th Aug 2014
To ask the Attorney General, how many Shawcross exercises have been conducted in relation to the SFO's investigations in the last two years.
15th Jul 2014
To ask the Attorney General, how many applications for a preliminary hearing for a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (a) the Director of Public Prosecutions and (b) the Serious Fraud Office have made since 24 February 2014.

No such applications have been made so far.

15th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the recent court judgment which found that they had acted unlawfully when awarding a contract to Public First, what steps they will now take to ensure that all contracts which they enter into are lawful.

The Government has already addressed procedural issues raised by this case, through the implementation of the recommendations made by Nigel Boardman’s review of COVID-19 communications contracts.

We have published updated guidance on the options available to contracting authorities when undertaking procurements in an emergency (PPN01/21) and the management of conflicts of interest in commercial environments (PPN04/21). Further updated transparency guidance is due to be published shortly.


The Government’s Procurement Green Paper sets out how we will reform public procurement to simplify processes, reduce bureaucracy and create a fair, open and competitive system.

Lord True
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
16th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the results of the inquiry into allegations of bullying of officials by the Home Secretary.

To protect the interests of all involved the Government does not comment on the specifics of ongoing process.

The Prime Minister will make any decision on the matter public once the process has concluded.

Lord True
Shadow Leader of the House of Lords
8th Jan 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the government of the United States relating to the current preparation of the UK national security strategy.

The US and UK are very close allies and partners, with a uniquely broad and deep security relationship. The Government engages regularly and at all levels with the US authorities on national security issues vital to the UK's security and prosperity, and will continue to do so.

26th Apr 2017
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proposals they have for co-operation between the UK and other EU member states on joint procurement after Brexit.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

2nd Dec 2022
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation on 21 November (HCWS376), what proportion of the funding announced for the UK R&D sector they expect will be allocated to universities in Scotland; and what steps they are taking to ensure that universities in Scotland receive their full share of R&D funding.

The Government’s priority is to support the UK’s world class R&D sector. We have put in place this additional funding to shore up talent and invest in R&D infrastructure across the UK, while also aiming to secure the UK fusion sectors’ commercial leadership and capabilities.

We are committed to levelling up and where funding delivered via UKRI is England only, there will be an additional funding allocation for the Devolved administrations. The approach to funding distribution is being developed and my Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation has written to DA colleagues on this matter. Further details will be announced in due course.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
3rd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have for the improvement of productivity in business and manufacturing in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are strongly committed to supporting UK manufacturing, which plays a vital role in the UK economy by driving innovation, exports, job creation, and productivity growth.

We are also committed to ongoing engagement with industry to ensure?our manufacturers?have the support?they need to maintain production effectively. We have put in place an unprecedented package of Government support for businesses during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The Business Productivity Review announced a £56 million package of support and set out the steps we will take to boost business productivity, focusing on leadership and management skills, technology adoption, and external support. These measures will help businesses respond to and recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic..

Through our Business Basics Programme, we are also testing new ways of encouraging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including those in the manufacturing sector, to adopt tried and tested technology and management practices that can boost productivity.

Through the Made Smarter programme, we are investing up to £167 million to help UK manufacturers to adopt and innovate in industrial digital technologies that will make our firms more productive. We are investing up to £147 million for a Manufacturing Made Smarter Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund programme to develop innovative solutions to manufacturing challenges, as well as £20 million through our Made Smarter North West Pilot to support up to 3000 manufacturing SMEs to adopt and exploit digital technologies to increase their productivity. This could add £115 million to the North West economy and increase productivity by up to 25% by 2030.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
3rd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they are giving for research in artificial intelligence; and to which companies and institutions.

As of April 2019, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) investment in AI relevant research and innovation activities totals over £1bn. This breaks down as follows:

  • Training: £135m, including a £100m investment in UKRI AI Centres for Doctoral Training.
  • Research and Innovation: £530m, of which £129m funds ‘novel AI algorithms, tools and techniques’, and £401m funds ‘applications and implications of AI’.
  • Key Strategic Investments: £410m, which includes support for the Alan Turing Institute, the Hartree Centre, Health Data Research UK, and AI relevant activities across relevant investments made through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and Strategic Priorities Fund.

Businesses have matched £742m of Innovate UK and EPSRC investments by at least £265m cash and in-kind contributions. The Catapult network, supported by UKRI and additional third-party investments, also have a key role to play in this space in enabling AI and data capabilities across sectors and leveraging further private investment.

Almost 300 organisations receive funding from UKRI for AI research and innovation. Industry organisations receiving funding include, Five AI Ltd, Oxbotica Ltd, Nissan Motor Manufacturing, Westfield Sports Car Ltd, and Vivacity Labs Ltd. Our most active institutions in this area include; University College London, The University of Oxford, Imperial College London, The University of Manchester, and The University of Edinburgh.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
5th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the (1) aerospace, (2) aviation, and (3) automotive industries in the UK.

We are supporting the aerospace industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP) with £1.95 billion of funding for research and development (R&D), matched by industry, over 13 years up to 2026. UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) is also providing £125 million to the Future Flight Challenge for research on greener ways of flying through advances in electric and autonomous flight technology, which is expected to generate an additional £175 million of match-funding from industry. We are also co-investing in aerospace productivity improvement and innovation programmes to support small and medium-sized businesses backed with over £135 million of public funding.

In addition, aerospace companies are currently drawing upon the unprecedented £330 billion package of additional COVID-19 business support measures that the Government has put in place. We are in discussion with the sector, through the AGP, about how to best support the industry to recover.

Aviation is also an important sector for the UK’s economy, and businesses across the industry will also be able to draw on our package of economic measures. This includes a Bank of England scheme for firms to raise capital, two business interruption loan guarantee schemes for businesses of all sizes, Time to Pay flexibilities with tax bills, financial support for employees, and VAT deferrals.

If businesses across these sectors face severe and urgent financial difficulties due to COVID-19 following the Government’s cross-economy wage and financial interventions, we remain open to discussions about bespoke financial support as a last resort. Any intervention would need to protect the interests of taxpayers. Requests may be made formally, in writing, to the Business Secretary.

Furthermore, the Government has a long-standing programme of support to maintain the competitiveness of the UK automotive sector. Through our landmark Automotive Sector Deal, we have secured joint investment and long-term commitments to develop world-leading battery technologies, positioning the UK as the location of choice for the development and deployment of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies.

The Government, alongside industry, has jointly committed almost £1.5 billion through the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Faraday Battery Challenge to research, develop, and commercialise low-carbon automotive innovations. In October last year, we announced up to £1 billion of new money to support R&D to support electric vehicle manufacture.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
28th Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria they use to appoint members to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

SAGE is not a membership body. The participants of SAGE depend on the nature of the emergency. There are roughly 20 scientists at each meeting, but they will not be the same people at every meeting. Expert participation varies depending on the subjects being discussed.

The Government Chief Scientific Adviser and Chief Medical Officer will decide who or what expertise is needed for each meeting, typically drawing from leading experts from within government and from the fields of academia and industry. As SAGE responds to emergencies the capacity for participants to respond quickly is also a factor.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
16th Sep 2020
ARM
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to assess if the proposed acquisition by NVIDIA of Arm would be contrary to the national interest; and if so, how.

The Government monitors acquisitions and mergers closely. When a takeover may have a significant impact on the UK we will not hesitate to investigate further and take appropriate action. We are examining this deal carefully to understand its impact on the UK.

Baroness Barran
Shadow Minister (Education)
3rd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will conduct a review into the role being played by Huawei in the extension of 5G coverage in the UK.

The final conclusions of the Government’s Telecoms Supply Chain Review in relation to high risk vendors were announced on 28 January. The Government has been clear, however, that as risks, threats and technology changes we need to keep the position under review. On the 15th May the US Department of Commerce announced that they were taking further action against Huawei. The National Cyber Security Centre is considering what the impact of the US sanctions might be.

Baroness Barran
Shadow Minister (Education)
21st Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to counter the effects of fake news about the causes of COVID-19.

DCMS stood up the Cross-Whitehall Counter Disinformation Unit on 5 March 2020, bringing together cross-government monitoring and analysis capabilities. Its primary function is to provide a comprehensive picture of the extent, scope and impact of disinformation and misinformation on the response to Covid-19. Where misinformation and disinformation is identified, the Unit works with partners to ensure appropriate action is taken on this, including direct rebuttal on social media. We are working closely with social media platforms to help them identify and remove incorrect claims about the virus, in line with their terms and conditions, as well as promote authoritative sources of information. The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport held a roundtable with major platforms earlier this month to explore how they can further limit the spread of misinformation.

Government is also running a counter disinformation campaign, “Don’t feed the Beast” which aims to increase audience resilience by educating and empowering those who see, inadvertently share and are affected by false and misleading information. The campaign promotes the SHARE checklist, providing the public with five easy steps to identify false content, encouraging users to stop and think before they share content online.

Baroness Barran
Shadow Minister (Education)
9th Oct 2017
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they anticipate announcing the result of the current application regarding the merger of Sky with 21st Century Fox.

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport formally referred the merger of Sky with 21st Century Fox to the Competition and Markets' Authority (CMA) for a Phase 2 investigation on 20 September. From the point of referral the CMA has 24 weeks in which to report to the Secretary of State; the statutory deadline for this report is 6 March 2018. Following receipt of the CMA's report the Secretary of State has 30 days in which to come to a final decision on the merger.

12th Oct 2016
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to reinstate direct funding of the BBC monitoring service and the BBC World Service.

The World Service is one of BBC's most distinctive services and it is a vital part of UK's soft power influence around the world. The government has protected licence fee funding for the​ World Service at £254m a year for the next five years, with additional Exchequer funding of £34m in 2016/17 and £85m per year for the following three years.

​BBC Monitoring provides a valuable service to the Government in monitoring and recording media output around the world. It is important that BBC has full editorial and managerial independence and integrity in the provision of BBC Monitoring, and this includes funding decisions. However, BBC Monitoring must be provided in accordance with the Monitoring Agreement agreed between BBC and the Cabinet Office.

15th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Review of Sexual Abuse in Schools and Colleges by Ofsted, published on 10 June, what steps they are taking to discourage sexual harassment of young people in schools and colleges.

The department has already introduced the new compulsory Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum. From next term we expect the RSHE curriculum to be implemented in full. School leaders have been asked to dedicate time from INSET days to consider how best to do this.

The department is updating statutory guidance for Keeping Children Safe in Education for this September. This will ensure schools have even clearer guidance on how to deal with reports of sexual abuse. It will support teachers and other school staff to spot the signs of abuse and to respond quickly, sensitively, and appropriately to children and young people.

We will also be investing additional money to further test the impact of support and supervision models for designated safeguarding leads in up to 500 more schools.

3rd Jun 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of home schooling made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our latest guidance on remote education during COVID-19 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19

The department is continuing to assess the impact of school closures on children and young people’s education. We are working closely with educational providers, sector organisations, international institutions and across government to understand the risks to education attainment and wellbeing, and identify how best to support children and young people make up for time spent out of school.

We are committed to ensuring that all children can continue to learn remotely in a number of ways during these very difficult circumstances, and are supporting sector-led initiatives such as the Oak National Academy. This brand-new enterprise has been created by 40 teachers from schools across England and is providing 180 free video lessons each week, across a broad range of subjects for every year group from Reception through to year 10. By 24 May, over 2.3 million users had visited the Oak Academy site and over 8.6 million lessons had been accessed.

Additionally, the Government has committed over £100 million to boost remote education, including by providing devices and internet access for those who need it most, ensuring every school that wants it has access to free, expert technical support to get set up on Google for Education or Microsoft’s Office 365 Education, and offering peer support from schools and colleges leading the way with the use of education technology.

It is up to each school to determine how to deliver education to its pupils and we recognise that many schools have been working hard to share resources – both online and printed resources – for children who are at home.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

28th Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that vulnerable children attend school during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have both made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by Covid-19.

Our latest guidance on supporting vulnerable children is set out below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

Attending school is a strong protective factor for many vulnerable children and young people and educational establishments remain open for them. We are closely monitoring the attendance of vulnerable children and are encouraging attendance where that would be in their best interests. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has written to leaders of all education settings and directors of children’s services in England to encourage attendance for these children.

69,000 vulnerable children were attending educational settings on Thursday 7 May, compared to 58,000 on Thursday 30 April.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has also stressed the need for schools, local authorities and social workers to maintain contact and support services for vulnerable children and young people throughout this period. Officials from the department, and re-deployed Ofsted inspection teams, are working with local authorities directly to ensure that the systems and processes for maintaining contact with vulnerable children are robust in every local authority in England. We have also issued detailed guidance for education settings on how they can support vulnerable children, including how to monitor and encourage attendance.

These are rapidly developing circumstances and we will continue to keep the situation under review and to keep Parliament updated accordingly.

22nd Feb 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will clarify the circumstances in which the UK will respect the remit of the European Court of Justice post-Brexit, as referred to in the Prime Minister's speech at the Munich Security Conference in February.

At the Munich Security Conference, the Prime Minister outlined her vision of the UK continuing to cooperate with the EU on security and law enforcement and proposed a new UK/EU treaty on internal security.

To be fully effective, this treaty must be respectful of both the UK and EU’s sovereign legal orders. For example, when participating in EU agencies the UK will respect the remit of the European Court of Justice and a principled but pragmatic solution will be needed to respect the UK's status as a third country with our own sovereign legal order.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
21st Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they have provided to support the government of Iran to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 upon its citizens.

The E3 (the UK, France and Germany) have provided a EUR 5 million package of financial and material assistance to Iran via the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UN bodies to help with the response.

4th Mar 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the UK is taking to promote good governance and anti-corruption initiatives in (a) Jordan, (b) Gaza and the West Bank, (c) Turkey, (d) Nigeria, (e) Tunisia and (f) Mali.

a) The UK is supporting political and economic reform in Jordan through the Arab Partnership, including support to committees in parliament to improve the quality of legislation and support improvements to parliamentary procedures. We are also working with different groups across Jordanian governorates to build concepts of good governance, including forming counsels from the local communities that work to monitor the performance of local governance institutions against its roles and responsibilities.

b) The UK is helping the Palestinian Authority (PA) to build strong institutions and deliver essential services. Our support is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding which reaffirms the PA’s commitment to non-violence and a negotiated two-state solution, as well as its respect for human rights and delivering clean and accountable governance in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We are also helping deliver institutional reform and improve public financial management, and working with civil society to help citizens become more effective at holding the PA to account.

c) DFID does not does not have any anti-corruption or good governance programmes in Turkey.

d) The UK promotes good governance and anti-corruption in Nigeria through a range of technical assistance programmes which support democratisation, better use of Nigerian resources, improved transparency in the oil sector, increased capacity of civil society and more robust enforcement of anti-corruption legislation. No UK aid money goes directly to the Government of Nigeria to ward against corruption.

e) Since the revolution, UK funded programmes in Tunisia have supported the development and application of a code of conduct for public servants, have strengthened risk management, audit practices and the development of a whistle blowing framework, and have enhanced transparent public procurement. The UK has also supported the development of an anti-corruption strategy and strengthened the role of the National Anti-Corruption Agency.

f) DFID and FCO have developed a cross-governmental strategy to support effective, prioritised and coordinated action at the international and multilateral level to strengthen governance in Mali and the wider Sahel region. Our objective is to ensure that Sahelian States, including Mali, have governments that are politically inclusive, able to deliver basic services, enable growing prosperity and cooperate regionally.

4th Mar 2015
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what work her Department's Governance and Fragile States department has undertaken to promote better governance in fragile and conflict-affected states.

The Prime Minister has consistently said that there is a Golden Thread of conditions that enables open economies and open societies to thrive: the rule of law, the absence of conflict, the absence of corruption, the presence of strong property rights and institutions. In fragile and conflict-affected states, DFID funds programmes on peace, governance and growth, working on issues such as preventing conflict, fighting corruption, improving the enabling environment for businesses, reducing barriers to trade, and giving women more voice in political processes. DFID is also working closely with other UK Government departments to ensure a whole of government approach to international peace and security. By January 2015, DFID’s programmes globally supported millions of women and men to vote in thirteen countries; supported 81 million people to have choice and control over their own development and to hold decision-makers to account; improved access to security and justice for 10 million women and girls; and helped 5.5 million people secure their land and property rights.

21st Nov 2014
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answers of 21 October 2014 to Questions 210509 and 23 October 2014 to Question 211186, what measures are in place for oversight of her Department's aid allocation.

DFID requires partners to set key targets to measure the performance of their programmes and report achievements at regular intervals throughout the year. Partners’ ability to monitor their programming is of critical importance to DFID and DFID makes funding available for these systems. In areas accessible to DFID (currently most of Turkey, and Jordan, and parts of Iraq and Lebanon) DFID humanitarian advisers conduct field visits to observe partner programming on the ground and fact check reporting. In areas that are inaccessible to DFID (namely inside Syria) DFID conducts a more rigorous assessment of partner monitoring systems and has frequent engagement with these partners to assess performance. In 2015 DFID plans to commission an independent monitoring facility that will visit programmes in areas inaccessible to DFID, expanding our capacity to monitor and assess the performance of our programmes.

15th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a trade agreement with Australia on agriculture in Less Favoured Areas.

The UK produces high quality, premium produce that is globally sought after and this Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will create new export opportunities for British farmers and businesses.

The Scoping Assessment, carried out before negotiations began, found that Wales and Scotland and all English regions benefit in all modelled scenarios from a UK-Australia FTA. A full impact assessment will be published prior to implementation of the agreement.

Defra and the Department for International Trade are working in lockstep with partners like the National Farmers Union (NFU), the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and the Food and Drink Federation to deliver tailored support on the ground for these farmers and food producers through schemes such as our Open Doors programme, helping them to capitalise on the enormous global demand for British food and drink and benefit from new trade deals.

15th Jun 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they have for the reform of the World Trade Organisation.

The UK champions rules-based multilateral trade, and strongly supports the Director-General of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) efforts to drive forward reform. WTO reform has been a central aspect of this year’s G7 Trade Track discussions, which are seeking to build momentum and common ground ahead of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference. We are actively participating in discussions through bilateral, plurilateral and multilateral channels, including the G20 and Ottawa Group.

Examples of specific proposals include our co-sponsorship of a proposal at the WTO Council for Trade in Goods to enhance WTO monitoring and transparency requirements, co-sponsorship of the Ottawa Group’s Trade and Health proposal, and submission of textual proposals to the E-Commerce Joint Initiative negotiations.

16th Sep 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many orders have been placed by foreign governments for the Type 31e frigate.

There have been no orders from foreign companies for the Arrowhead 140 (T31) yet. UK Defence and Security Exports is currently supporting Babcock in their campaigns to export UK built ships, as well as the sale of the design to overseas customers.

12th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many open general export licences have been granted in the last five years to Commonwealth countries; and to which countries.

Open General Export Licences (OGELs) are not granted for specific exports to specific destinations, rather they are pre-published licences that permit the export of specified items to a range of specified countries, following an online registration. They remove the need for exporters to apply for individual licences, providing the exporters can meet the terms and conditions set out in the licence.

There are also EU General Export Authorisations (EUGEAs) under the dual-use regulations. These permit the export of certain specified dual-use items to specified destinations, subject to the terms and conditions of the licences. They are equivalent to OGELs and are available for use by any exporter within the EU, as well as the United Kingdom for now.

At the end of the transition period, the EUGEAs will be retained as part of the retained Dual-Use Regulation. They will be renamed as “Retained General Export Authorisations” and will be available for use by exporters based in the United Kingdom, to export from the United Kingdom.

In total, there are 65 OGELs and six EUGEAs currently available. To provide actual registrations over the last five years can only be provided at disproportionate cost, as my Department would have to review each live and archived OGEL/EUGEA, which will include reviewing country additions/removal dates and analysing specific registrations over each period.

12th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many open general export licences have been granted in the last five years to African countries not in the Commonwealth; and to which countries.

Open General Export Licences (OGELs) are not granted for specific exports to specific destinations, rather they are pre-published licences that permit the export of specified items to a range of specified countries, following an online registration. They remove the need for exporters to apply for individual licences, providing the exporters can meet the terms and conditions set out in the licence.

There are also EU General Export Authorisations (EUGEAs) under the dual-use regulations. These permit the export of certain specified dual-use items to specified destinations, subject to the terms and conditions of the licences. They are equivalent to OGELs and are available for use by any exporter within the EU, as well as the United Kingdom for now.

At the end of the transition period, the EUGEAs will be retained as part of the retained Dual-Use Regulation. They will be renamed as “Retained General Export Authorisations” and will be available for use by exporters based in the United Kingdom, to export from the United Kingdom.

In total, there are 65 OGELs and six EUGEAs currently available. To provide actual registrations over the last five years can only be provided at disproportionate cost, as my Department would have to review each live and archived OGEL/EUGEA, which will include reviewing country additions/removal dates and analysing specific registrations over each period.

12th May 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many open general export licences have been granted in the last five years to the United States.

Open General Export Licences (OGELs) are not granted for specific exports to specific destinations, rather they are pre-published licences that permit the export of specified items to a range of specified countries, following an online registration. They remove the need for exporters to apply for individual licences, providing the exporters can meet the terms and conditions set out in the licence.

There are also EU General Export Authorisations (EUGEAs) under the dual-use regulations. These permit the export of certain specified dual-use items to specified destinations, subject to the terms and conditions of the licences. They are equivalent to OGELs and are available for use by any exporter within the EU, as well as the United Kingdom for now.

At the end of the transition period, the EUGEAs will be retained as part of the retained Dual-Use Regulation. They will be renamed as “Retained General Export Authorisations” and will be available for use by exporters based in the United Kingdom, to export from the United Kingdom.

In total, there are 65 OGELs and six EUGEAs currently available. To provide actual registrations over the last five years can only be provided at disproportionate cost, as my Department would have to review each live and archived OGEL/EUGEA, which will include reviewing country additions/removal dates and analysing specific registrations over each period.

21st Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many licences were granted for the export of military equipment to each member state of the Arab League in each of the last five years for which records are available.

The Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) about export licences on GOV.UK. The number of licences granted for the export of military equipment to each of the countries in each of the last five years is attached.

21st Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many licences were granted for the export of military equipment to each EU member state in each of the last five years for which records are available.

The Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) about export licences on GOV.UK. The number of licences granted for the export of military equipment to each of the countries in each of the last five years is attached.

21st Jan 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish the report into the issuing in error of export licences for arms or military equipment to Saudi Arabia in breach of their undertaking given to the High Court on 20 June 2019.

Preparations to publish the outcome of the investigation are underway.

Earl of Courtown
Opposition Deputy Chief Whip (Lords)
9th Oct 2018
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking together with other members of the European Union to mitigate the effects of the imposition of sanctions on UK companies doing business in Iran.

We are working closely with the EU Commission and other member states to mitigate the impact of US sanctions on businesses continuing to trade with Iran. This involves delivering a special purpose vehicle to support European companies engaged in legitimate trade with Iran, raising with the US the need to make allowance for trade in humanitarian goods, and updating the Blocking Regulation.

9th Oct 2017
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take regarding the tariffs proposed by the Department of Commerce of the United States in relation to aircraft partly manufactured in the UK by Bombardier.

The Government is robustly defending the investigation by the US Department of Commerce and have made clear that Boeing’s case is unjustified. This is reflected in the comprehensive response to Boeing’s petition we have provided. The statements by the US Commerce Department on the 26 September and 6 October are only the initial findings. A further determination is expected in December.

We will continue to vigorously defend the interests of the UK aerospace industry and our aerospace workers. We continue to raise this issue with Boeing and with the U.S. Government at the highest levels.

26th Apr 2017
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to promote sales of Typhoon aircraft to other countries.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

5th Sep 2017
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure continued access for airlines based in the UK to EU member states, once the UK has left the EU.

The Government is considering carefully all the potential implications arising from the UK’s exit from the EU, and plans to negotiate the best possible relationship between the UK and EU in the field of aviation with a smooth and orderly transition.

Securing liberal market access to EU markets is a very high priority for the Department for Transport. The importance of air services to the health of the UK economy is recognised across Government.

We will work closely with the international aviation community to ensure that this global industry continues to be a major success story for the UK economy.

Lord Callanan
Shadow Minister (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
28th Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure cancer and heart disease patients are able to access hospital treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Health Service has continued to provide urgent and emergency services throughout the outbreak and has run the ‘Open for Business’ media campaign to encourage people with potentially serious health issues to continue to seek medical advice, particularly those with symptoms of cancer, heart attack and stroke.

NHS trusts and Cancer Alliances are working to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer so that they can deliver cancer surgery and treatment at cancer hubs, which have been set up to treat patients in non-COVID-19 environments. Full use is also being made of independent sector hospital and diagnostic capacity.

Referrals for cancer treatment from general practitioners (GPs) to hospital continue to go ahead and the NHS is working hard to increase these to pre-COVID-19 levels.

To ensure patients with heart disease are given the care they need, hospitals are prioritising capacity for cardiac surgery, cardiology services and neuroradiology. Secondary care is prioritised for patients with heart failure, valve disease and arrhythmia services.

Further cardiac and stroke services continue to operate throughout the COVID-19 response and GPs continue to refer into these services.

21st Apr 2020
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they have provided to companies, institutions, and any other organisations, in the UK which are engaged in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

On 21 April 2020, the Government announced a total of £42.5 million to support clinical trials for the vaccines being developed at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London. This funding is in addition to the £4.7 million previously granted to the University of Oxford, Imperial College London and Public Health England for vaccine research through the joint UK Research and Innovation – Medical Research Council and the Department, via the National Institute for Health Research ‘Covid-19 Rapid Response Research Call’. This follows the Government’s £250 million pledge to develop a vaccine, and announcement of a new Vaccines Taskforce, putting the United Kingdom at the forefront of international efforts to fight the virus.

3rd Nov 2021
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of the United States of America regarding its review of its nuclear arms policy.

Nuclear cooperation remains an important element of the enduring special relationship between the US and the UK. The Foreign and Defence Secretaries hold regular discussions with their US counterparts on a range of issues, including on security policy. These discussions are reflected and supported by daily cooperation at official level on arms control, nuclear deterrence policy, counter proliferation and strategic stability between the UK and the US, as well as by wider cooperation with NATO Allies. We will continue to work closely with the US on security policy, including nuclear deterrence policy.