Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what measures are in place to ensure that UK-origin controlled goods comply with licensing requirements when transiting third countries.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK assesses every export licence application on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (the SELC). This includes an assessment on the risk of diversion of products to or through destinations subject to UK sanctions or arms embargoes.
Where an export transit or tranships other countries or territories en route to its final destination, compliance with each countries’ legislation and regulation is a matter for the exporter and their freight forwarder. The scope and application of transit and transhipment controls is a matter for each country’s own authorities.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department plans to conduct a compliance investigation into the companies involved in the seizure of UK-origin military goods in Belgium.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We do not routinely comment on individual licensing cases for reasons of commercial sensitivity.
The UK assesses every export licence application on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. Extant licences also are kept under continual review.
Compliance with Belgian transit policies is a matter for Belgian authorities.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Government has authorised any export licences for military equipment or dual-use items to Pakistan that could be used in drone operations or internal security actions in Balochistan.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK remains deeply concerned by reports of human rights abuses in Pakistan, including in Balochistan. Advocating for civil and political rights is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement with Pakistan. To that end, the Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan has raised human rights issues on several occasions with Ministers in Pakistan. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan in accordance with its constitution and international standards.
All export licences for military and dual-use equipment are assessed on a case-by-case basis against our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. Once granted, all our licences are kept under close and continual review and can be revoked or suspended if necessary.
As our most recent data on export licences show, last year licences have been refused to Pakistan both where there has been a risk of diversion for an undesirable end use, and due to concerns the items may be used to commit or facilitate internal repression.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
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 level of the risk that UK-supplied equipment could contribute to human rights violations in Balochistan.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK remains deeply concerned by reports of human rights abuses in Pakistan, including in Balochistan. Advocating for civil and political rights is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement with Pakistan. To that end, the Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan has raised human rights issues on several occasions with Ministers in Pakistan. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan in accordance with its constitution and international standards.
All export licences for military and dual-use equipment are assessed on a case-by-case basis against our Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. Once granted, all our licences are kept under close and continual review and can be revoked or suspended if necessary.
As our most recent data on export licences show, last year licences have been refused to Pakistan both where there has been a risk of diversion for an undesirable end use, and due to concerns the items may be used to commit or facilitate internal repression.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the average time taken was for the Insolvency Service to investigate civil offences in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The average time taken by The Insolvency Service to investigate corporate civil misconduct, in the 6-months to 30 September 2025, was 188 days from allocation to an investigator to the investigation being completed.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
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 merits of taking legislative steps to include IVF in the (a) Employment Rights Act 2010 and (b) Employment Rights Act 1996.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is committed to improving the wellbeing and work-life balance of all workers, including those navigating the difficult journey of fertility treatment. We are introducing measures through the employment rights bill to make flexible working available to more people, more easily. This change could help employees and employers agree arrangements that support attendance at medical appointments, including those for IVF.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take legislative steps to tackle human right abuses in business practices.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Secretary of State for Scotland
The UK has a range of measures in place to promote responsible business conduct and supports voluntary due diligence approaches taken by UK businesses to identify and prevent human rights abuses across their operations and supply chains, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. We will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of the UK's existing measures, alongside the impacts of new policy tools that are emerging, to ensure we can best promote responsible business practices and take action where appropriate.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the former Chief Executive of the Insolvency Service sought advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments before accepting the position of Executive Director of the Centre for Public Interest Audit.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Chief Executive of the Insolvency Service’s submitted his notice of resignation on 12th February 2025 and his last day will be 12th May 2025. The Department for Business and Trade determined that the conditions for making an application to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments were not met in this case.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress the Insolvency Service has made in their civil investigation of P&O Ferries.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Insolvency Service’s civil investigation into the circumstances surrounding the redundancies made by P&O Ferries remains ongoing. No further comment or information can be provided at this time.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his planned timetable is for bringing forward secondary legislation under the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill once enacted.
Answered by Justin Madders
The Bill will give us the powers we need to make necessary changes to the product regulation framework. Secondary legislation is subject to the Bill receiving Royal Assent and subsequent parliamentary time in passing any secondary legislation. It is too early to commit to a detailed timetable for secondary legislation, but we will continue to work with stakeholders as this develops.