Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which Governments have asked the UK Government for concessions on human rights standards in talks on the conclusion of bilateral trade deals.
Answered by George Hollingbery
We are seeking to continue human rights provisions as the UK transitions existing EU free trade deals into a UK form. The government will lay a report in Parliament for each signed agreement laying out any changes from the original. These are largely technical changes.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, the concessions on human rights standards what have been requested by the Governments of other countries in talks with the UK Government on the conclusion of bilateral trade deals.
Answered by George Hollingbery
We are seeking to continue human rights provisions as the UK transitions existing EU free trade deals into a UK form. The government will lay a report in Parliament for each signed agreement laying out any changes from the original. These are largely technical changes.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many arms licences have been (a) granted and (b) refused to Saudi Arabia since 9 August 2018.
Answered by Graham Stuart
All export licence applications are considered on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
The Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) on export licences granted and refused on GOV.UK and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data
Currently this includes information up to 30 September 2018. Information covering 1 October to 31 December 2018 will be published on 16 April 2019 and information covering 1 January 2019 to 31 March 2019 will be published in July 2019.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what information his Department receives on the end use of UK arms exports.
Answered by Mark Garnier
Licence applicants are required to provide full details of the proposed end-use of the items to be exported. These are then assessed as part of the licence application process, which is considered against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Criteria. Post export, the Department receives information from a variety of sources, either directly or via other Government Departments, including from Non-Government Organisations and through diplomatic reporting.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2017 to Question 8329, on the UK Trade and Investment Defence and Security Organisation, how decisions are made on which countries should be designated as core or priority markets.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The Department for International Trade (DIT) undertakes an annual exercise to assess where it can best focus its resource to help UK exporters. DIT’s Defence and Security Organisation (DSO) consults with an extensive overseas network, other government departments and industry organisations to understand the international export opportunities available to UK companies, and to judge which markets present the most significant defence and security export opportunities.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which Government ministers visited the DSEI arms exhibition in London from 12 to 15 September 2017.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The following Government Ministers have visited Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI):
Secretary of State for Defence, The Rt Hon Sir Michael Fallon MP
Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Mark Lancaster TD MP
Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriet Baldwin MP
Minister for Defence, People and Veterans, The Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood MP
Minister of State for Defence, The Rt Hon Earl Howe
Secretary of State for International Trade, The Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP
Minister of State for Trade Policy, The Rt Hon Greg Hands MP
First Secretary of State, The Rt Hon Damian Green MP
Secretary of State for Wales, The Rt Hon Alun Cairns MP
Minister of State for Security Ben Wallace MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Lord Prior of Brampton
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Aviation, International and Security, Lord Callanan.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support the Government is providing to the DSEI arms exhibition in London from 12 to 15 September 2017; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The Government provides a range of support to Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI), including the provision of military assets. The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Defence and Security Organisation invites a number of international delegates on behalf of the Government, including overseas Ministers and senior Government officials and military staff. All invitations to overseas delegations follow a stringent process of scrutiny and approval involving both DIT and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how the review into the work of the Steering Board of the UK National Contact Point set up further to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises will consider the effectiveness of the Steering Board's oversight role in monitoring and addressing how the UK National Contact Point handles allegations of corporate abuse and rights violations against UK companies.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government recognises its commitments under the OECD Multi-National Enterprise Guidelines and maintaining a National Contact Point (NCP) which operates in line with international best practice. The NCP Steering Board contributes to this by oversight and monitoring of the effectiveness of the operation of the NCP, ensuring correct and fair procedures are followed in line with the established and published procedures for dealing with complaints.
The Steering Board was established in 2007 and has provided high quality expert advice and support to the NCP. Nevertheless, the Government believes that it is appropriate to undertake a light touch review of the composition and functions of the Board in light of experience. The UK NCP is also scheduled to undergo a peer review by the OECD during the second half of 2018, which will consider the effectiveness of the NCP’s structure and procedures.
Steering Board members, together with key stakeholder groups, including business and civil society, will be consulted as part of our review process. It is expected that the review will be completed in time to enable a new Steering Board to be appointed when the term of the current members expires in September 2017.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to consult key stakeholders before the terms of reference of the review of the work of the Steering Board of the UK National Contact Point, set up further to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, are agreed by relevant Ministers.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government recognises its commitments under the OECD Multi-National Enterprise Guidelines and maintaining a National Contact Point (NCP) which operates in line with international best practice. The NCP Steering Board contributes to this by oversight and monitoring of the effectiveness of the operation of the NCP, ensuring correct and fair procedures are followed in line with the established and published procedures for dealing with complaints.
The Steering Board was established in 2007 and has provided high quality expert advice and support to the NCP. Nevertheless, the Government believes that it is appropriate to undertake a light touch review of the composition and functions of the Board in light of experience. The UK NCP is also scheduled to undergo a peer review by the OECD during the second half of 2018, which will consider the effectiveness of the NCP’s structure and procedures.
Steering Board members, together with key stakeholder groups, including business and civil society, will be consulted as part of our review process. It is expected that the review will be completed in time to enable a new Steering Board to be appointed when the term of the current members expires in September 2017.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, who carries out external assessment of the work of the Steering Board of the UK National Contact Point set up further to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises; when such an assessment will be undertaken; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of any internal review of the effectiveness of that Steering Board in terms of its (a) capacity to consult stakeholders and (b) ability to undertake comprehensive scrutiny.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government recognises its commitments under the OECD Multi-National Enterprise Guidelines and maintaining a National Contact Point (NCP) which operates in line with international best practice. The NCP Steering Board contributes to this by oversight and monitoring of the effectiveness of the operation of the NCP, ensuring correct and fair procedures are followed in line with the established and published procedures for dealing with complaints.
The Steering Board was established in 2007 and has provided high quality expert advice and support to the NCP. Nevertheless, the Government believes that it is appropriate to undertake a light touch review of the composition and functions of the Board in light of experience. The UK NCP is also scheduled to undergo a peer review by the OECD during the second half of 2018, which will consider the effectiveness of the NCP’s structure and procedures.
Steering Board members, together with key stakeholder groups, including business and civil society, will be consulted as part of our review process. It is expected that the review will be completed in time to enable a new Steering Board to be appointed when the term of the current members expires in September 2017.