Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times tax information has been exchanged with (a) the People’s Republic of China and (b) Hong Kong under (i) Common Reporting Standard and (ii) Exchange of Information on Request agreements in the past year.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
In accordance with the confidentiality rules in the relevant international treaties, HMRC does not release statistics on the number of exchanges with individual jurisdictions. All tax information exchange agreements contain secrecy provisions restricting the disclosure and use of data to tax purposes.
Before jurisdictions can receive financial data under the Common Reporting Standard they are subject to rigorous confidentiality and data safeguards assessments by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information. There are circumstances where information is not exchanged with jurisdictions, for example individuals who consider their human rights are at risk if their Common Reporting Standard data is exchanged can apply to HMRC to have their information redacted at IEIM406120_application.pdf (hmrc.gov.uk). Financial institutions have been reminded of the redaction process and HMRC will further engage on this with financial industry representatives.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what protective measures are in tax information exchange agreements to safeguard the financial data of UK-based diasporas at risk of transnational repression.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
All tax information exchange agreements contain secrecy provisions restricting the disclosure and use of data to tax purposes. Financial data exchanged by the UK under the Common Reporting Standard relates to tax residents of the receiving jurisdiction, not tax residents of the UK, and before jurisdictions can receive any such financial data they are subject to rigorous confidentiality and data safeguards assessments by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information. Nevertheless, individuals who consider their human rights are at risk if data is exchanged can apply to HMRC to have their information redacted at IEIM406120_application.pdf (hmrc.gov.uk). Financial institutions have been reminded of the redaction process and HMRC will further engage on this with financial industry representatives.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the steps taken by the US Government to sanction (a) GCL-Poly, (b) Longi Solar, (c) Hongyuan New Material Co. and (d) Tongwei Solar.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to tackling the issue of Uyghur forced labour in supply chains and is taking robust action. We have previously imposed sanctions on a range of Chinese actors responsible for the human rights violations in Xinjiang, in coordination with international partners. Sanctions are just one tool at our disposal, and we have also taken wider action including providing guidance to business, introducing enhanced export controls, announcing penalties under the Modern Slavery Act, and mobilising international support to hold China to account. The Government will continue to impress upon China the need to end serious human rights violations.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure that private Chinese companies operating in the life sciences sector are adhering to UK ethical standards.
Answered by George Freeman
The Life Sciences sector in the UK is key to both the health and economic growth of our country and, through our new Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, this Government is committed to placing the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advances.
All life sciences companies operating in the UK must adhere to UK ethics standards, research codes of conduct and associated legal obligations. We will shortly publish our new UK Biological Security Strategy, under the umbrella of my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Integrated Review, which will outline our approach to preventing biological threats as science and technology develops.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what regulatory framework is in place for foreign parties that access and utilise human genetic resources when operating in the UK.
Answered by George Freeman
Organisations which hold human genetic data are subject to the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, Genomics England, UK Biobank and NIHR BioResource actively consider national security in decision making about partnerships with companies overseas. These organisations consulted with security personnel on a regular basis to ensure partnerships are aligned with our national security interests.
The Human Tissue Authority, a non-departmental body of the Department for Health and Social Care, is the independent regulator of organisations that remove, store and use human tissue for research, medical treatment, post-mortem examination, education and training, and display in public. It enforces the Human Tissue Act 2004 which regulates the removal, storage and use of human tissue.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the new land use framework will be published.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
As stated in Government’s response to the House of Lords Land Use Committee’s report ‘Making the most out of England’s land’, we are currently preparing a Land Use Framework for England. We announced in the Food Strategy that we would publish the Framework in 2023.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will publish a breakdown of the investments allocated to each of the four recipient companies of the Government’s Life Sciences Innovation Manufacturing Fund grants by proportion of public and private sector for each investment.
Answered by George Freeman
The first four grant recipients of the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund were announced on 28th March 2023, which saw £277 million in joint government and industry backing to help Life Sciences companies grow and innovate.
Government grants have been supported by private investment from the successful companies. The proportion of the funding for each of the investments is as follows:
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of reports that Republika Srpska will end diplomatic relations with the US and UK.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
On 17 March and on the back of false claims, President of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Dodik, announced a non-legally binding RS government decision to prevent all contact with the British and US Embassies. He has also pushed retrograde legislative moves in the RS. His authoritarian actions move BiH away from its Euro-Atlantic path. Together with our allies, we continue to support alternative voices and to strengthen BiH's democracy.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she plans to complete pre-legislative scrutiny on the bill to ban conversion therapy in this parliamentary term.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government will publish a draft Bill setting out our approach to banning conversion practices (also known as ‘conversion therapy’) for pre-legislative scrutiny by joint committee in this parliamentary session. It is the Government's intention to complete pre-legislative scrutiny in the current parliamentary session.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, when the Government will begin pre-legislative scrutiny for the proposed ban on conversion therapy.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government will publish a draft Bill setting out our approach to banning conversion practices (also known as ‘conversion therapy’) which will go for pre-legislative scrutiny by joint committee in this parliamentary session.