Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when his Department plans to publish the UK-Kazakhstan critical minerals agreement.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK-Kazakhstan Memorandum of Understanding on Critical Minerals Cooperation has not been published and there are no plans to do so. However, it is referenced in UK's Critical Minerals Strategy published in November 2025.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what the UK's negotiating objectives are with regard to discussions on investor-state dispute settlement reform led by the (a) OECD and (b) UN.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In line with the Trade Strategy, the UK continues to work with trading partners multilaterally, at the OECD and the UN, to pursue opportunities to improve ISDS practice, such as promoting transparency in ISDS proceedings. The proposals being discussed at the UN Commission for International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the OECD can be found on their respective websites.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what proposals UK negotiators have made on the transparency of investor-state dispute settlement arbitration at the (a) OECD and (b) UN.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In line with the Trade Strategy, the UK continues to work with trading partners multilaterally, at the OECD and the UN, to pursue opportunities to improve ISDS practice, such as promoting transparency in ISDS proceedings. The proposals being discussed at the UN Commission for International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the OECD can be found on their respective websites.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he expects to publish the findings of the responsible business conduct review.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Soon.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions his Department has had with their Colombian counterparts on the Colombia-UK Bilateral Investment Treaty in the last four years.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My Department regularly engages with Colombia to discuss trade and investment matters, primarily through the UK-Andean countries trade agreement committees which have been meeting annually since 2022 and the UK-Colombia Trade Dialogue. My Department has not received a formal approach by its Colombian counterparts to discuss the UK-Colombia Bilateral Investment Treaty.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what review processes does the Government have in place to assess the adequacy of its trade and investment treaty commitments for the UK-Russia Bilateral Investment Treaty.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s International Investment Agreements (IIAs) aim to enhance opportunities for UK businesses to expand overseas, with commitments that seek to limit the barriers they face, make it easier to navigate local rules, and ensure investments are treated lawfully, and protected against unfair or arbitrary action. There is no specific review process within this Agreement.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 89908 on Trade Agreements: Dispute Resolution, what assessment has the Government made of the likely costs of defending the arbitration being brought against it by Mikhail Fridman.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means for investors to resolve disputes with states where they believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation.
The UK has a longstanding track record of supporting foreign investment, including through fulfilling its obligations in the international investment agreements to which it is a party and has never faced a successful ISDS claim.
The Government maintains that it has acted consistently with domestic and international law obligations in the case of the legal challenges. In view of the ongoing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has the Government made of its overall exposure to further potential Investor-State Dispute Settlement cases over sanctions policy on Russia.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means for investors to resolve disputes with states where they believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation.
The UK has a longstanding track record of supporting foreign investment, including through fulfilling its obligations in the international investment agreements to which it is a party and has never faced a successful ISDS claim.
The Government maintains that it has acted consistently with domestic and international law obligations in the case of the legal challenges. In view of the ongoing proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2025 to Question 89908 on Trade Agreements: Dispute Resolution, under what arbitral rules were proceedings brought in those two active case.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The arbitral proceedings for HMG’s two active ISDS cases were brought under UNCITRAL (Mr Mikhail Maratovich Fridman) and ICSID (Woodhouse Investment Pte Ltd and West Cumbria Mining (Holdings) Limited) arbitral rules.
Asked by: Martin Rhodes (Labour - Glasgow North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, who the parties are in the two active Investor-State Dispute Settlement cases against the UK.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is a respondent in two active arbitrations, (1) Woodhouse Investment Pte Ltd and West Cumbria Mining (Holdings) Limited and; (2) Mr Mikhail Maratovich Fridman.
The Government maintains that it has acted consistently with domestic and international law obligations in the case of the legal challenges. In view of the ongoing proceedings, it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment further at this stage.