Baroness Curran

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world, continuing to champion universal human rights and global action to tackle labour, environment and climate issues. While trade deals are just one lever in our policy toolkit, the UK's FTAs include environment and labour provisions which protect, promote and enforce environmental and labour protections and standards, and workers' rights.

The Government is committed to working with partners to make trade more sustainable, and fair trade can play a critical role in driving support of the global transition to net zero and international labour rights.

The UK Government places a high priority on mining and mineral processing being carried out to the highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. We put ESG at the heart of our international approach to critical minerals and are using our multilateral and bilateral agreements to promote high standards globally. The UK is also reviewing its approach to responsible business conduct policy, focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK, including businesses who extract, import or use critical minerals.

I refer my noble Friend to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question HL2609.

The UK takes a strong stand against those promoting the destabilisation of Ukraine, including entities in Georgia that use Russia-aligned misinformation. It is our long-standing policy not to comment on the potential targets of future sanctions, as to do so could undermine their impact.

Settler violence is unacceptable, and settlements are illegal under international law. The Foreign Secretary has been clear with Israeli ministers that they must clamp down on settler violence and end settler expansion and has previously met with Palestinian communities in the West Bank to hear how they are affected. On 15 October, the Foreign Secretary announced sanctions targeting three illegal settler outposts and four organisations that have supported and sponsored violence against communities in the West Bank. These measures will help bring accountability to those who have supported and perpetrated such heinous abuses of human rights. As the Foreign Secretary said in Parliament on 1 April, we continue to keep these issues under review but the culture of impunity for those engaged in violence is intolerable.

The UK remains committed to investing internationally to build a safer world. As the Prime Minister has made clear we must increase our security and defence spending now. We remain committed to spending 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance (ODA) when the fiscal circumstances allow.

At 16 per cent of the global population, people with disabilities are among the world's most vulnerable, including in times of crisis, climate and humanitarian emergencies. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is committed to mainstreaming a disability inclusion and rights approach across our work and we will also drive stronger international coordination to advance global disability inclusion progress. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes. Equality impact assessments, which consider impacts on disability inclusion, are an essential part of how we make decisions, including on ODA allocations.

We fully recognise the horrific impacts and the understandable strength of feeling on the transatlantic slave trade across communities in the UK and the Commonwealth family. Ministers have had no discussions with Caribbean counterparts focused on the legacy of slavery since July 2024, and none are planned. If interlocutors raise reparatory justice, we make clear our position that we do not pay reparations. We are focused on working with Caribbean partners to tackle the most pressing challenges of today including security, growth, climate change and building partnerships for the future.

The slave trade was abhorrent. We recognise its horrific impacts, and the ongoing strength of feeling. The UK marked the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade on 25 March with other United Nations member states in the General Assembly in the usual manner.

The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, is the UK’s competent authority for the implementation of UK financial sanctions.

It is the responsibility of all UK persons, including companies, to comply fully with UK financial sanctions. OFSI does not routinely advise institutions on an individual basis of the consequences of non-compliance with UK financial sanctions.

OFSI does undertake regular industry engagement and publishes comprehensive guidance to ensure financial sanctions are understood and complied with effectively across a range of sectors, including the banking and financial sectors. OFSI will take proportionate enforcement action where it identifies breaches of UK financial sanctions.

There is no current engagement scheduled to take place between the Georgian business community in London and HM Treasury in relation to UK financial sanctions.

It is the responsibility of all UK persons, including companies, to comply fully with UK financial sanctions. OFSI undertakes regular industry engagement and publishes comprehensive guidance to ensure financial sanctions are understood and complied with effectively across a range of sectors. OFSI will take proportionate enforcement action where it identifies breaches of UK financial sanctions.

Economic growth is the central mission of this Government, as it is vital to raising prosperity and living standards across all parts of the UK.

The Government established the biannual Council of the Nations and Regions on 11 October 2024. This forum brings together ministers from the UK government and the devolved administrations, reaffirming a shared commitment to work collaboratively to unlock investment, support regional economies, and drive economic growth across the UK.

In addition to this forum, ministers and officials regularly engage with their counterparts in the Scottish and Welsh Governments to discuss the delivery of the growth mission.