Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Israel permitted funds to flow to the Hamas terrorist organisation from third party countries via Israel.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It is not appropriate for the Government to comment on unverified reports. The UK continues to work closely with our partners to identify opportunities to disrupt Hamas financial networks, including cutting off access to funding being used to carry out atrocities. Counter Terrorist Financing remains one of the UK's priorities under the National Security objectives set out in the UK's National Security Strategy. This work is ongoing alongside UK efforts to reach a long-term political solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are discussing with other countries amendments to the 1951 Refugee Convention to take into account the changed world circumstances.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is not discussing amendments to the Refugee Convention with other countries.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what preparations they are making for the review of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has already begun work to reset the relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties, secure a broad-based security pact and tackle barriers to trade. We want to look forwards by improving our trade and investment relationship with the EU, while recognising there will be no return to the single market, customs union, or freedom of movement.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consult the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive before they begin the review of the UK–EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government regularly consults the Northern Ireland Executive on implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. On 6 March, the Minister for Europe chaired the fifth meeting of the Interministerial Group on UK-EU Relations and the first since the restoration of the Stormont Executive. Discussions focused on UK government and devolved administrations' priorities ahead of the upcoming Partnership Council.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the upcoming review of the UK–EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement will involve an appraisal of the outworking of the Windsor Framework, and possible amendments to the Framework.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Article 776 of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) requires the UK and EU to jointly review the implementation of the TCA and supplementing agreements and any matters related thereto five years after the entry into force and every five years thereafter. This article does not apply to the Windsor Framework which forms part of the Withdrawal Agreement - a separate international treaty.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with EU institutions on the scope and timetable for the review of the UK–EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government regularly discusses implementation of the TCA with the EU through the framework of committees established by the agreement. The government has not discussed the scope or timetable for the review of the TCA with the EU.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of the Republic of Ireland about the defence of the Western Atlantic.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK and Ireland face a range of common threats to our security. We are committed to a close partnership and discuss a wide range of defence and security issues, including maritime security, underpinned by our Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding, signed in 2015. The Foreign Secretary hosted Micheál Martin, Ireland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence and for Foreign Affairs, in London in December.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether UK-based brokers are facilitating the insurance of vessels carrying Russian oil worldwide; and if so, whether they are planning to extend sanction regulations to prevent the Putin regime from funding its aggression in Ukraine assisted by UK based or controlled entities.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The oil price cap, implemented by a Coalition encompassing the UK alongside the G7 and Australia, operates globally by prohibiting UK and Coalition firms from providing services such as shipping, insurance and finance to facilitate the maritime transport of Russian oil and oil products, unless the oil was purchased at or below the price cap level. The UK has implemented a strong enforcement approach focused on prohibition, with the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) responsible for civil enforcement, and HMRC and the National Crime Agency jointly considering cases which may be appropriate for criminal prosecution. The Coalition has recently acted jointly to tighten price cap compliance rules and reserves the right to take further action to ensure its effectiveness if needed.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether diesel oil products imported into the UK are refined from Russian crude oil; and what assessment they have made of the impact of sanctions on such imports.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
UK sanctions targeting Russian oil revenues are designed in line with existing World Trade Organisation (WTO) non-preferential rules of origin. More specifically, if a good such as diesel is produced in two or more countries, it is subject to substantial processing requirements as stated in Section 17(3) of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018. In line with these rules, where Russian oil and oil products have been refined in a third country, they will only be considered Russian if the products have not been substantially processed. All importers of oil and oil products into the UK must provide proof of origin to relevant enforcement authorities, to demonstrate that goods are not of Russian origin. Our approach is in line with that taken by our partners, including the US and the EU.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 5 January (HL1333), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, what specific changes to the Windsor Framework they have negotiated with the European Union; and when they will be applicable.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
I refer the noble Lord to the reply of 5 January 2024 which said that the UK Government has held extensive talks with the Democratic Unionist Party on the Windsor Framework over the past eight months. As confirmed by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 19 December, the Government now stands ready to introduce a package of measures should the DUP reach a decision to proceed. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-12-19/hl1333.
We have nothing further to add.