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Written Question
Saudi Arabia: Human Rights
Monday 20th July 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to her Written Statement HC WS339, whether she will publish the assessment that evaluated if Saudi Arabia had broken International Humanitarian Law; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Ranil Jayawardena

HM Government have no plans to publish the assessments to which the Rt Hon. Gentleman refers. Such assessments use all available sources of information – including some that are necessarily confidential and sensitive – so we are not able to provide details of the assessments.


Written Question
Ports: Smuggling
Thursday 16th July 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the ability of the UK's ports to cope with smuggling at the end of the transition arrangements with the EU; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Ranil Jayawardena

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) are already tackling smuggling and they will continue to do so through intelligence-led targeting; the Department for International Trade (DIT) will not be making a statement on this issue. My Department continues to work closely with HMRC to make sure that the United Kingdom’s trade policy will be effectively operationalised at the border after the transition period ends.

Border controls on controlled goods will continue regardless of whether imports come from the European Union or Rest of the World countries. To ensure compliance with new customs procedures and controls at the border after transition period ends, my Rt Hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster recently announced a new infrastructure funding package that includes £470m to build the necessary infrastructure required.


Written Question
Riot Control Weapons: Saudi Arabia and USA
Friday 26th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the (a) value and (b) amount was of goods listed in export licences granted for the export of (i) rubber bullets, (ii) tear gas, (iii) riot equipment and (iv) other small arms to (A) the US and (B) Saudi Arabia in each of the last five years.

Answered by Ranil Jayawardena

HM Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) about export licences granted, refused and revoked to all destinations on GOV.UK and these reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences.

The reports can be found at: gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.

The data currently provides details of licences up to 31st December 2019. Information about the period 1st January to 31st March 2020 will be published in July 2020 and data covering the period 1st April to 30th September 2020 will be published in October 2020


Written Question
Export Controls: USA
Friday 26th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many export licences were granted for export to (a) the Minneapolis Police Department, (b) the New York Police Department, (c) the Los Angeles Police Department and (d) other US law enforcement agencies in each of the last five years.

Answered by Ranil Jayawardena

Our records show that no export licences were granted for export to the Minneapolis Police Department nor the Los Angeles Police Department. One Standard Individual Export Licence was granted for export to the New York Police Department in 2016.

The number of export licences that may have been granted to all other law enforcement agencies in the United States of America over the last five years can only be provided at disproportionate cost, due to the way in which licences are worded and information is held, which makes it generally possible to find the information only where a named end user is specified.

For completeness, it is important to note that – for some licences – the exports are to stockists, who then supply end users within that country. On others, specific end users are not listed, but they might instead have conditions that restrict exports to the armed forces and the police, for example.


Written Question
Riot Control Weapons: Saudi Arabia and USA
Friday 26th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many export licences have been granted for the export of (a) rubber bullets, (b) tear gas, (c) riot equipment and (d) other small arms to (i) the US and (ii) Saudi Arabia in each of the last five years.

Answered by Ranil Jayawardena

HM Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) about export licences granted, refused and revoked to all destinations on GOV.UK and these reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences.

The reports can be found at: gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.

The data currently provides details of licences up to 31st December 2019. Information about the period 1st January to 31st March 2020 will be published in July 2020 and data covering the period 1st April to 30th September 2020 will be published in October 2020


Written Question
Department for International Trade: Renewable Energy
Friday 26th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines her Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of the last five years.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department does not have any solar panels or wind turbines installed on its buildings and has not had any installed since its inception in 2016.


Written Question
Department for International Trade: Energy
Tuesday 23rd June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much energy her departmental buildings have used in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2020 to date.

Answered by Ranil Jayawardena

The Department for International Trade was formed in 2016 and only holds information relating to the financial years 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20, which is provided in the table below.

Energy consumption by type (MWh)

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

Electricity non renewable

0

0

0

Electricity renewable

1,766

1,928

1,989

Gas

483

538

619

Other Energy Sources

144

227

162

Total energy consumption

2,393

2,693

2,771

The figures relate to our 55 Whitehall and 3-5 Whitehall Place buildings. Information for other buildings occupied by the Department, but where we are not the main occupier (including overseas), are not reported by the Department.

Details of energy consumption for the Department’s buildings for 2017/18 and 2018/19 can also be found in its Annual Reports and Accounts which are published on GOV.UK (and, for completeness, the energy consumption details included in the 2018/19 Annual Report & Accounts differ from the above table because they were based on estimates that were available at the time of publication.)

Figures for 2020/21 to date are not currently available.


Written Question
Department for International Trade: Carers
Monday 22nd June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will place in the Library a list of the workplace benefits that her Department provides to its staff with caring responsibilities.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for International Trade is committed to supporting those members of our workforce with caring responsibilities. Building a diverse and inclusive department continues to be a key priority. For carers specifically we have adopted the Civil Service Carers Passport and aligned our policies to the Civil Service Carers Charter developed by Cabinet Office. We also have policies to support flexible working and provide access to special leave and career breaks. All employees have access to our Employee Assistance Programme and we have active employee networks for carers.

A library deposit has been made with a list of workplace benefits provided to the department’s staff with caring responsibilities.


Written Question
Department for International Trade: Carers
Monday 15th June 2020

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff in her Department had caring responsibilities in each of the last five years.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for International Trade is committed to supporting those members of our workforce with caring responsibilities. Building a diverse and inclusive department

continues to be a key priority. For carers specifically we adopted the Civil Service Carers Passport and aligned our policies to the Civil Service Carers Charter developed by Cabinet Office. We also have policies to support flexible working and provide access to special leave and career breaks. All employees have access to our Employee Assistance Programme and we have active employee networks for carers and parents.

We do not hold data centrally on how many staff in the department have a specific caring responsibility as arrangements are managed locally between the individuals and their line manager.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Sri Lanka
Monday 26th February 2018

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Government plans to negotiate a trade agreement with Sri Lanka that replicates the existing agreement between that country and the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Sri Lanka exports to the UK under the EU's unilateral trade arrangement, the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+). The Government intends to provide continuity and stability whilst leaving the EU, which includes maintaining the effects of our trading relationships as we leave. This includes the EU's GSP scheme, and our trading terms with Sri Lanka, including on human rights. When the UK has left the EU, we can look to improve on those trading agreements.