Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, a) how many mutual legal assistance requests relating to the enforcement of civil fraud judgments have been made to the United Arab Emirates since 2022; b) in how many cases those requests have resulted in enforcement action; c) and whether mutual legal assistance has been sought in relation to the High Court judgment in Njord Partners SMA-Seal LP & ors v Astir Maritime & ors [2024].
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK Central authority within the Home Office leads on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. This question would be for the Foreign Process Section at the Royal Courts of Justice who are the Central Authority for mutual legal assistance in civil matters.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, a) what assessment he has made of the average time required to secure the recognition and enforcement in the United Arab Emirates of civil fraud judgments of the High Court of England and Wales; and b) what representations he has made to his UAE counterparts since September 2025 regarding enforcement cooperation in such cases, including Njord Partners SMA-Seal LP & ors v Astir Maritime & ors [2024].
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK regularly engages with the UAE authorities on a range of judicial and legal cooperation issues through established bilateral channels. As a longstanding policy, the Government does not comment on individual legal cases.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, a) what role the enforceability of UK court judgments plays in the Government’s assessment of financial services cooperation and market access discussions with the United Arab Emirates; and b) whether the non-enforcement to date of the High Court judgment in Njord Partners SMA-Seal LP & ors v Astir Maritime & ors [2024] has been raised in that context.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury takes a range of factors into account when discussing financial services cooperation and market access with overseas jurisdictions, including the regulatory framework in those jurisdictions and the competitiveness of the UK market. HM Treasury has not discussed with the UAE in that context the High Court judgment in Njord Partners SMA-Seal LP & ors v Astir Maritime & ors [2024].
Civil and commercial judgments from courts in the UK may be enforceable in other countries if permitted by the domestic law of the country concerned. Additionally, by joining the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention, the Government took an important step in strengthening the UK’s framework for the recognition and enforcement of such judgments.
The Convention entered into force for the UK on 1 July 2025 and may provide greater certainty, reduced costs and quicker resolution in relevant cross‑border disputes. Being Party to the Convention offers a clearer route to the enforcement of in-scope UK civil judgments, including those based on fraud, in other Contracting Parties.
The UAE is not Party to the 2019 Hague Convention. Whether a particular UK civil judgment is enforceable in the UAE is therefore determined by UAE domestic law.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, a) what assessment she has made of the potential impact on the international competitiveness of UK financial and legal services of instances in which High Court fraud judgments are not enforced overseas; and b) whether her Department has considered the potential implications of the High Court judgment in Njord Partners SMA-Seal LP & ors v Astir Maritime & ors [2024] for investor confidence in cross-border enforcement.
Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury takes a range of factors into account when discussing financial services cooperation and market access with overseas jurisdictions, including the regulatory framework in those jurisdictions and the competitiveness of the UK market. HM Treasury has not discussed with the UAE in that context the High Court judgment in Njord Partners SMA-Seal LP & ors v Astir Maritime & ors [2024].
Civil and commercial judgments from courts in the UK may be enforceable in other countries if permitted by the domestic law of the country concerned. Additionally, by joining the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention, the Government took an important step in strengthening the UK’s framework for the recognition and enforcement of such judgments.
The Convention entered into force for the UK on 1 July 2025 and may provide greater certainty, reduced costs and quicker resolution in relevant cross‑border disputes. Being Party to the Convention offers a clearer route to the enforcement of in-scope UK civil judgments, including those based on fraud, in other Contracting Parties.
The UAE is not Party to the 2019 Hague Convention. Whether a particular UK civil judgment is enforceable in the UAE is therefore determined by UAE domestic law.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, a) how many asset recovery cases involving cooperation with the United Arab Emirates have resulted in funds being returned to UK victims since 2020; b) what metrics are used to measure the operational effectiveness of the UK–UAE illicit finance partnership; and c) whether that partnership is being applied to support recovery in cases including the High Court judgment in Njord Partners SMA-Seal LP & ors v Astir Maritime & ors [2024].
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK–UAE Partnership to Tackle Illicit Financial Flows is focused on strengthening how we work together on illicit finance, fraud and asset recovery, including the return of the proceeds of crime.
Since it was established in 2021, the UK and the UAE have worked closely to improve cooperation between our law enforcement agencies, to share information more effectively, and to put in place stronger arrangements to support joint operational work.
The effectiveness of the partnership and these objectives are kept under regular review through established operational and governance arrangements that support this cooperation.
Decisions on asset sharing are taken on a case‑by‑case basis. Asset sharing allows recovered funds to be shared with other jurisdictions where there has been joint effort to recover criminal proceeds, and helps to encourage continued international cooperation in this area.
The UK publishes annual statistics on domestic and international asset recovery through the Asset Recovery Annual Statistical Bulletin, which includes data on completed international asset sharing arrangements. The Home Office is not able to comment on, or make assessments in relation to, individual cases.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to her Department's guidance entitled Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, published on 19 February 2026, for what reason the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund will not be launched as a standalone scheme in England until 2027; and for what reason payments will be made through the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme in financial year 2026-27.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme is an established scheme that is popular with stakeholders in England –and will enable us to deliver funding as soon as possible. Using this scheme will maximise the level of support available to the fishing and seafood sector in the first year of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she will raise with President Tinubu of Nigeria the safeguarding of democratic institutions and ensuring free and fair elections in Nigeria in 2027 during the his forthcoming state visit.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The State Visit will provide an important opportunity to strengthen the UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership across growth, security, migration, and foreign policy. As the largest democracy in Africa, Nigeria has an important role to play in upholding democratic norms, including ensuring a free, fair and credible Presidential election in 2027. The UK is supporting key legislative and institutional reform processes in the Nigerian National Assembly, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Judiciary and other key institutions to strengthen Nigeria's democracy.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will set out when her Department's timetable for when (a) the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund will open for applications; and (b) details of the (i) eligibility, (ii) application process and (iii) assessment for that Fund will be published.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In its first year the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund will be delivered in England through the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme. We expect the scheme to open in April and will publish details on eligibility, application and assessment processes at the time of launch. Future updates to the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme will be published on https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fisheries-and-seafood-scheme.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's White Paper entitled A New Vision for Water, published on 20 January 2026, if she will set out what (a) working groups were established to consult on that paper and (b) which organisations were included in each working group.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A wide range of stakeholders were consulted on reforms through the Independent Water Commission’s Call for Evidence, which received over 50,000 responses.
Whilst there was not a formal working group for the White Paper, ahead of publication we engaged with stakeholders across the water system, including investors, water companies, consumer groups, regulators and environmental groups.
We will continue to work constructively with interested parties on reforms and consult on specific measures as needed.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much of the total value of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund will be allocated to England in the 2026-27 financial year.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The total investment announced in the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund was £360m over 12 years. The fund has been devolved with funding allocated using the Barnett formula. In the 2026-27 financial year, £22.6 million is allocated to England.