Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with her Israeli counterpart on the application of the UK-Israel Free Trade Agreement to the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK’s position on settlements within the Occupied Palestinian Territories is clear: they are illegal under international law and undermine the prospect of a two-state solution.
Under the existing UK-Israel trade agreement, goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the agreement between the UK and Israel, or the agreement between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.
This will not change in the Israel FTA. The UK will maintain its long-standing foreign policy positions throughout this negotiation, including with respect to settlements.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has (a) requested and (b) received legal advice on allowing imports from illegal Israeli settlements.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK’s position on settlements within the Occupied Palestinian Territories is clear: they are illegal under international law and undermine the prospect of a two-state solution.
Under the existing UK-Israel trade agreement, goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the agreement between the UK and Israel, or the agreement between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.
This will not change in the Israel FTA. The UK will maintain its long-standing foreign policy positions throughout this negotiation, including with respect to settlements.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the impact of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on levels of trade.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) ensures that UK businesses can trade with the EU tariff-and quota-free. The EU remains a vital export destination for British businesses. In the 12 months to June 2023 total exports to the EU were up 21% on pre-pandemic (2018) levels in current prices.
The UK is now more open to the world. We're using our post Brexit-freedoms to unlock fresh export opportunities. We have already secured trade deals with 73 countries plus the EU that accounted for £1.1 trillion of UK bilateral trade last year.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the UK's departure from the EU on businesses.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement is a comprehensive FTA that enables tariff-and quota-free trade in goods for UK businesses with the EU.
This Government is committed to using our post-Brexit freedoms to help businesses expand, create more jobs and grow the UK economy. We have already secured trade deals with 73 countries, plus the EU, that accounted for £1.1 trillion of UK bilateral trade last year. Our total exports to the world increased by 29% in current prices since 2018, whilst our exports to the EU have increased by 21% in current prices.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the impact of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on the services sector.
Answered by Greg Hands
The services sector is the main driver of the UK economy - contributing around 80% of UK GDP every year and employing around 80% of the workforce. GDP for the services sector has grown around 5% in real terms (inflation adjusted) since 2018.
The UK is the second largest exporter of services in the world (behind the United States) and exports from the UK services sector are at a record high - reaching £463 billion in the latest ONS figures - 13% higher than 2018 levels (inflation adjusted).
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what her Department's policy is on negotiating a geographically explicit territorial clause in any free trade agreement with Israel.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of Israel.
Under the existing UK-Israel trade agreement, goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the agreement between the UK and Israel, nor the agreement between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.
The Government can confirm that this will not change in the upgraded Free Trade Agreement.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress her Department has made negotiating a free trade agreement with Israel.
Answered by Greg Hands
The third round of negotiations between the UK and Israel for an upgraded, innovation-focused Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took place in Israel in July this year.
Both sides remain committed to strengthening our £6.6bn trading relationship, and we are engaging regularly with our Israeli counterparts to progress our FTA negotiations.
We look forward to holding the fourth round of negotiations with Israel in due course.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including a Guest Beer Agreement similar to that in the Tied Pubs (Scotland) Act 2021 in the Pubs Code for England and Wales.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Government is currently considering publicly available evidence and the views of stakeholders to inform the second statutory review of the operation of the Pubs Code.
As required by the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, a report on the conclusions to the review and whether there should be any revisions to the Code will be published by my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and laid before Parliament as soon as practicable.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she plans to publish the Government's response to the second statutory review of the Pubs Code and the Pubs Code Adjudicator.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Government is currently considering publicly available evidence and the views of stakeholders to inform the second statutory review of the operation of the Pubs Code.
As required by the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015, a report on the conclusions to the review and whether there should be any revisions to the Code will be published by my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and laid before Parliament as soon as practicable.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department is taking steps with (a) people with lived experience of (i) Parkinson's and (ii) other disabilities and (b) employers to help create more inclusive workplaces.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Department speaks regularly with organisations representing people with disabilities and employer groups on a range of issues, including creating more inclusive workplaces.
For example, Scope represents disability groups on the Flexible Working Taskforce, alongside business representative associations and organisations like Carers UK. The Taskforce works with Government to promote more and better flexible working practices, which can be a key component of inclusive workplaces.
In December 2022, the Government published its response to the consultation “making flexible working the default”[1]. This committed to make changes to the Right to Request Flexible Working to boost availability, several of which are being taken forward through the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill[2].
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/making-flexible-working-the-default
[2] https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3198