Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2025 to Question 83308 on Export Controls: Israel, whether his Department has considered introducing a formal (a) certification and (b) verification mechanism for importers to demonstrate that goods originating from Israel are not produced in illegal settlements.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law. Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences. Where there are doubts about the declared origin of goods, HMRC undertakes checks to verify the origin and ensure fiscal compliance. Separately, we are conducting a review of Responsible Business Conduct, focusing on the global supply chains of businesses operating in the UK, as outlined in our Trade Strategy.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to develop a national strategy to secure aluminium as a critical raw material for the economy.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Building on the UK Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre’s updated 2024 criticality assessment in which aluminium was designated a critical mineral due to supply chain risks and economic vulnerability, the Government has been working with industry to publish a new Critical Minerals Strategy this year. This will focus on securing vital materials for economic growth, national security, and the clean energy transition. The Strategy will refine our approach to domestic production and target UK strengths to support business resilience.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of requiring Israeli exporters to demonstrate their goods are not produced in illegal settlements before being imported into the UK.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law. The UK Government encourages accurate labelling of goods in order to avoid misleading consumers and promote transparency, including those goods produced in illegal settlements in Palestine. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the UK’s current trade agreements with the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Where there are doubts about the declared origin of goods, HMRC undertakes checks to verify the origin and ensure fiscal compliance.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department made of the (a) economic and (b) environmental impact of exporting aluminium scrap from beverage packaging to countries outside the European Union.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade has not conducted an assessment of the economic and environmental impacts of exporting aluminium scrap to non-EU countries.
However, the Government recognises the importance of a circular economy for aluminium and is actively listening to the perspectives of all involved parties.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on cooperation on aluminium scrap retention.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
To date, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and other ministers at the Department for Business and Trade have not held discussions with EU counterparts regarding co-operation on aluminium scrap retention.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits to (a) the environmental and (b) employment opportunities from introducing domestic aluminium rolling capacity.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
To date, the Department for Business and Trade has not assessed the environmental and employment opportunities potentially derived from the introduction of a UK aluminium rolling mill.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the ICJ Advisory Opinion entitled Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, published on 19 July 2024, if his Department will (a) bring forward proposals to prohibit trade with and (b) take steps to prevent (i) trade and (ii) investment relations that help to maintain Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK is fully committed to international law and respects the independence of the ICJ. We continue to consider the Court’s Advisory Opinion carefully, with the seriousness and rigour it deserves.
Israeli settlements in Palestine are illegal under international law. Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences. The overseas business risk guidance on gov.uk states there are clear risks to UK operators related to economic and financial activities in the settlements. We advise that those contemplating any economic or financial involvement in settlements should seek appropriate legal advice.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his planned timeline is for the rollout of innovation and growth hubs in London; what level of economic investment is expected to be allocated to those hubs in London over the next five years; and what criteria will be used to determine the location and focus of innovation and growth hubs in the UK.
Answered by Gareth Thomas
The government is supporting innovation clusters nationwide, including the Department for Science and Innovation and Technology (DIST) led £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, with at least £30 million allocated to London and additional funding available through competitive bidding for other regions.
The Department for Business and Trade provide core funding to 41 Growth Hubs across England, with £15 million (including £540,700 for Grow London Local) committed for 2025/26. These offer businesses support and advice across all sectors and stages.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK’s 2025 Trade Strategy on (a) economic growth and (b) employment in the North East.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Government published its Trade Strategy on 26 June, which was positively received by business. The Government will work closely with stakeholders on the implementation of the strategy, to ensure that resources are prioritised to deliver on key commitments to enhance economic growth and employment opportunities right across the UK including the North East, such as opening new export and market opportunities and strengthening our trade defence capabilities.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential economic impact of the UK-US trade deal on businesses in the North East.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The Prime Minister, Business Secretary and other Ministers across government have been engaging widely on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD) with business organisations and companies from across the economy, including in the North East.
This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK and almost 26,000 people in the North East in particular. The EPD provides much needed certainty and confidence, which is crucial for supporting a robust UK supply chain in these industries