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Written Question
Overseas Trade: Pakistan
Tuesday 22nd November 2022

Asked by: Lord Wallace of Tankerness (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) tools, and (2) criteria, the Department for International Trade will use to monitor Pakistan's compliance with the human rights and labour provisions of the Developing Countries Trading Scheme.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government believes that secure and growing trading relationships can enable open conversations with partners on a range of issues, including human rights and labour rights. At the same time, the Government is committed to working with international partners and businesses to ensure global supply chains are free from the use of modern slavery and other human rights abuses.

Countries - including Pakistan - that will benefit from the Developing Countries Trading Scheme may have preferences suspended if they have engaged in serious and systematic violations of human rights and labour rights contained in 16 international conventions.

The tools to monitor compliance may include reports from international convention bodies, reports produced by international organisations and reporting from the Government’s diplomatic network.

The criteria the Government may consider include the nature, scale, impact, frequency and pattern of violations.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Faroe Islands
Monday 11th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Wallace of Tankerness (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any officials or ministers of the Scottish Government were directly involved in meetings between Her Majesty's Government and representatives of the governments of the Faroe Islands and Denmark about the negotiations of the UK–Faroe Islands Free Trade Agreement.

Answered by Baroness Fairhead

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has regular engagement with the devolved administrations (DAs) on all trade continuity agreements (TAC), including on the UK-Faroe Islands Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Engagement takes place on a regular basis both at Ministerial and official level, sharing progress and inviting the DAs to highlight particular agreements of importance or concern. We also already share the full treaty text; supporting Explanatory Memorandum and Parliamentary Report and welcome their view as progress is made.

DIT has agreed with DAs that further engagement would be appropriate. We have reflected on the process for agreeing continuity agreements and can confirm that it is our intention to share treaty texts with the DAs prior to them being signed. This complements our existing engagement.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Faroe Islands
Monday 11th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Wallace of Tankerness (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the devolved administrations about the negotiation of the UK–Faroe Islands Free Trade Agreement.

Answered by Baroness Fairhead

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has regular engagement with the devolved administrations (DAs) on all trade continuity agreements (TAC), including on the UK-Faroe Islands Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Engagement takes place on a regular basis both at Ministerial and official level, sharing progress and inviting the DAs to highlight particular agreements of importance or concern. We also already share the full treaty text; supporting Explanatory Memorandum and Parliamentary Report and welcome their view as progress is made.

DIT has agreed with DAs that further engagement would be appropriate. We have reflected on the process for agreeing continuity agreements and can confirm that it is our intention to share treaty texts with the DAs prior to them being signed. This complements our existing engagement.