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 potential implications for his policies of reports that the British High Commissioner to Mauritius’ phone conversations were leaked; and if he will review the effectiveness of negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The reported event occurred prior to the launch of negotiations in November 2022. This is the subject of an ongoing police investigation in Mauritius, and we are unable to provide further comment.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) report entitled Agency Opinion on the classification and labelling of lithium carbonate [1] lithium chloride [2] and lithium hydroxide [3], published in August 2013, whether the HSE plans to initiate the Article 37A process; and what discussions she has had with the HSE on that issue.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is considering whether to initiate the Article 37A process under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (GB CLP) following publication of the Agency Opinion on the classification and labelling of lithium carbonate [1] lithium chloride [2] and lithium hydroxide [3] in August 2023.

Under Article 37A, HSE, as the GB CLP Agency, may submit a proposal for a new or revised GB mandatory classification and labelling requirement when there is evidence of new scientific data or information that may lead to a new or revised mandatory classification and labelling for a priority hazard class, such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or reproductive toxicity.

There is no statutory time limit on HSE to prepare and submit a proposal. HSE regulatory and scientific specialists are investigating the evidence and new scientific data made available and, if necessary, seeking any additional information or consulting other departments or agencies. HSE is continuing to engage with stakeholders during this process.

No discussions have been held on this issue between the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and HSE.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to (a) ensure that children of British National (Overseas) passport holders (i) born in the UK and (ii) of Hong Kong descent will not be regarded as Chinese nationals by the People's Republic of China and (b) guarantee their protection under UK law.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

If you're a British national (overseas), your child is a British citizen if both: they were born in the UK, and you were a British citizen or settled in the UK (had 'indefinite leave to remain') when they were born. The FCDO provides consular assistance to British nationals abroad. In some cases, British Nationals of Hong Kong or Chinese descent may be considered Chinese by the Chinese authorities meaning the consular assistance we can provide may be limited. As per our nationality guidance, we advise seeking legal advice where appropriate for individual cases.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to (a) support the development of the UK’s lithium industry and (b) enhance battery manufacturing capabilities.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Domestic production of lithium will be increasingly important as demand for resilient and responsible sources of critical minerals grows. Government has supported several lithium projects through the Automotive Transformation Fund, and the UK recently celebrated the opening of the first lithium hydroxide demonstration plant by Cornish Lithium. in Government will continue to work closely with industry to maximise our potential for domestic lithium production.

The Autumn Budget committed over £2bn by 2030 for the automotive sector including the electric vehicle manufacturing sector and supply chain, including gigafactories. Alongside the National Wealth Fund, this will accelerate investment in our zero emission vehicle supply chain providing long-term certainty for industry.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of applying a weight of evidence approach when making decisions on the mandatory (a) classification and (b) labelling of chemicals.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) leads across government on the classification and labelling of chemicals and acts as the Agency for the assimilated Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures as amended in Great Britain (or the GB CLP Regulation).

HSE is responsible for the GB mandatory classification and labelling system (GB MCL) and its administrative procedures in accordance with a timetable set out in UK law.

The weight and strength of all the available scientific information relating to the hazardous properties of a chemical are used when making recommendations for mandatory classification and labelling of chemicals. The technical assessments and reports that underpin these recommendations follow the criteria in the GB CLP Regulation.

Ministers have made no assessment of the potential merits of applying a wider weight of evidence approach when making decisions on the mandatory (a) classification and (b) labelling of chemicals.

Found: Blair McDougall and Sir Iain Duncan Smith made representations.