Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of a "G2", similar to the G20, between China and the United States, and what steps they are taking to influence the establishment of such a group.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We take a close interest in the relationship between the US and China as P5 members. We engage with the countries individually in pursuit of our interests. The US is an indispensable ally, and we are committed to the depth and breadth of the UK-US relationship across defence, intelligence and foreign policy. We will continue to work with the US on the basis of our shared values and interests. With China, we will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing our relations, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government to what extent pragmatic but stable engagement with China is integral to their foreign policy.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As G20 countries and members of the UN Security Council, the UK and China have a shared responsibility to work together. This Government will take a long-term, consistent and strategic approach to UK-China relations; cooperating where we can, competing where we need to and challenging where we must.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Overseas Territories are permitted to negotiate their own free trade agreements with third countries.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
In international law the Overseas Territories (OTs) are not sovereign states in their own right and have no separate international legal personality. As such, they cannot enter into international agreements directly (including Free Trade Agreements), unless expressly authorised to do so by the UK Government under an entrustment. Agreements entered into by the UK may provide for their application to the OTs, or be extended to the OTs at a later date.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any adverse implications of the current global freight shipping (1) disruptions, and (2) costs; and what assessment they have made of the risk that China will benefit from any preferential access to the Northern Arctic Sea route from Asia to Europe.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
While there may be some delays as supply chains adjust to current disruptions, shipping operators are working to mitigate any impact on consumers. The Government is working to equip UK businesses with the tools they need to deal with global supply chain issues and recently published the UK's first Critical Imports and Supply Chains Strategy. Although declining Arctic sea-ice could in future open new global shipping routes, the Arctic remains a harsh and challenging environment and current use of the Northern Sea Route remains limited and largely restricted to the summer months.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to promote British interests at Expo 2025 to be held in Osaka, Japan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
His Majesty's Government is committed to delivering a high-quality UK presence at Osaka Expo 2025. The UK Pavilion will promote the UK as a global science, tech and innovation superpower. It will also celebrate our deepening and highly productive strategic partnership with Japan, articulated in the historic Hiroshima Accord signed by Prime Minister Sunak and Prime Minister Kishida of Japan in May 2023.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support efforts to remove foreign mercenary groups from Libya.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is working closely with its international partners and United Nations to reinvigorate the political process in Libya. We support Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Bathily's efforts to outline a way forward to a unified Government. As UN Security Council penholder, the UK engages internationally to support SRSG Bathily's efforts, particularly with the region. The UK regularly calls for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries and works closely with Libyan interlocutors through the Security Working Group on disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of Libya's security actors.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Morocco regarding the withdrawal of its support for militia in the west of Libya.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is working closely with its international partners and United Nations to reinvigorate the political process in Libya. We support Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Bathily's efforts to outline a way forward to a unified Government. As UN Security Council penholder, the UK engages internationally to support SRSG Bathily's efforts, particularly with the region. The UK regularly calls for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries and works closely with Libyan interlocutors through the Security Working Group on disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of Libya's security actors.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Egypt regarding the withdrawal of its support for the militia in the east of Libya.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is working closely with its international partners and United Nations to reinvigorate the political process in Libya. We support Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Bathily's efforts to outline a way forward to a unified Government. As UN Security Council penholder, the UK engages internationally to support SRSG Bathily's efforts, particularly with the region. The UK regularly calls for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries and works closely with Libyan interlocutors through the Security Working Group on disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of Libya's security actors.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to bring about a unified government in Libya.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is working closely with its international partners and United Nations to reinvigorate the political process in Libya. We support Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Bathily's efforts to outline a way forward to a unified Government. As UN Security Council penholder, the UK engages internationally to support SRSG Bathily's efforts, particularly with the region. The UK regularly calls for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries and works closely with Libyan interlocutors through the Security Working Group on disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of Libya's security actors.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct a review of the UK's relationship with the overseas territories.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
At the November UK-OT Joint Ministerial Council, the UK Government agreed a Declaration with the elected Governments of the Overseas Territories (OTs), providing a new framework for our relationship with the OTs that is based on our shared values, and is fit for the 21st Century.
This refresh and modernisation of the relationships between UK and OTs will continue with the ongoing development, announced by the former Foreign Secretary in the Spring, of a new UK Strategy for the Overseas Territories, building on the 2012 White Paper.