Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Department will take to address the £120 million gap between allocations of research grants to universities and the commitments made by the Official Development Assistance programme.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The challenging financial situation we face due to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid spending target from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%. This means making difficult decisions when it comes to prioritising how we spend aid money to deliver the most impactful outcomes.
On 2nd December last year, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to the Chair of the International Development Committee setting out the Strategic Framework for UK ODA, which details the UK’s foreign aid spending priorities. In line with these priorities, he confirmed each Department’s total ODA settlement on 26th January.
The Government recognises the importance of supporting international research partnerships and supporting the UK research sector. My Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer committed to increasing UK investment in R&D to £14.6bn in 2021/22 in this recent Budget.
We are currently working with UKRI, and all our Global Challenges Research Fund and Newton Fund Delivery Partners, to manage the Financial Year 2021/22 ODA allocations. UKRI have written to their award holders to set out the process for reviewing ODA funding next year, and to explore options for individual programmes. Full details have been published on the UKRI website.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the reduction in funding to the Official Development Assistance programme on levels of employment at UK universities.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The challenging financial situation we face due to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid spending target from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%. This means making difficult decisions when it comes to prioritising how we spend aid money to deliver the most impactful outcomes.
On 2nd December last year, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to the Chair of the International Development Committee setting out the Strategic Framework for UK ODA, which details the UK’s foreign aid spending priorities. Specifically, these priorities include climate change and biodiversity, and tackling covid and global health issues, as you have outlined. This is in addition to tackling poverty, as all UK ODA does. In line with these priorities, he confirmed each Department’s total ODA settlement on 26th January.
The Government recognises the importance of supporting international research partnerships, and supporting the UK research sector. Our commitment to research and innovation has been clearly demonstrated by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Budget announcement of increasing investment in R&D across government to £14.6bn in 2021/22; and as has been set out in our Integrated Review ambitions, international collaboration is central to a healthy and productive R&D sector.
We are currently working with UKRI, and all our Global Challenges Research Fund and Newton Fund Delivery Partners, to manage the financial year 2021/22 ODA allocations. UKRI have written to many award holders setting out the next stage of the review of ODA funding next year, and to explore options for individual programmes. Full details have been published on the UKRI website.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reducing funds to the Official Development Assistance programme on the ability of universities in (a) the UK and (b) their partner universities overseas to tackle (i) climate change, (ii) global health and (iii) poverty.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The challenging financial situation we face due to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid spending target from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%. This means making difficult decisions when it comes to prioritising how we spend aid money to deliver the most impactful outcomes.
On 2nd December last year, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to the Chair of the International Development Committee setting out the Strategic Framework for UK ODA, which details the UK’s foreign aid spending priorities. Specifically, these priorities include climate change and biodiversity, and tackling covid and global health issues, as you have outlined. This is in addition to tackling poverty, as all UK ODA does. In line with these priorities, he confirmed each Department’s total ODA settlement on 26th January.
The Government recognises the importance of supporting international research partnerships, and supporting the UK research sector. Our commitment to research and innovation has been clearly demonstrated by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Budget announcement of increasing investment in R&D across government to £14.6bn in 2021/22; and as has been set out in our Integrated Review ambitions, international collaboration is central to a healthy and productive R&D sector.
We are currently working with UKRI, and all our Global Challenges Research Fund and Newton Fund Delivery Partners, to manage the financial year 2021/22 ODA allocations. UKRI have written to many award holders setting out the next stage of the review of ODA funding next year, and to explore options for individual programmes. Full details have been published on the UKRI website.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of a reduction in Official Development Assistance funding to the UKRI on (a) UK universities and (b) their partner universities overseas where (i) funding for research has already been confirmed and (b) research using that funding is already underway.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The challenging financial situation we face due to the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid spending target from 0.7% of GNI to 0.5%. This means making difficult decisions when it comes to prioritising how we spend aid money to deliver the most impactful outcomes.
On 2nd December last year, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary wrote to the Chair of the International Development Committee setting out the Strategic Framework for UK ODA, which details the UK’s foreign aid spending priorities. Specifically, these priorities include climate change and biodiversity, and tackling covid and global health issues, as you have outlined. This is in addition to tackling poverty, as all UK ODA does. In line with these priorities, he confirmed each Department’s total ODA settlement on 26th January.
The Government recognises the importance of supporting international research partnerships, and supporting the UK research sector. Our commitment to research and innovation has been clearly demonstrated by my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Budget announcement of increasing investment in R&D across government to £14.6bn in 2021/22; and as has been set out in our Integrated Review ambitions, international collaboration is central to a healthy and productive R&D sector.
We are currently working with UKRI, and all our Global Challenges Research Fund and Newton Fund Delivery Partners, to manage the financial year 2021/22 ODA allocations. UKRI have written to many award holders setting out the next stage of the review of ODA funding next year, and to explore options for individual programmes. Full details have been published on the UKRI website.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the commercial arbitration system is obliged to ensure that crimes identified during hearings are raised with the appropriate investigating authority.
Answered by Paul Scully
The general position is that in an English based arbitration, an arbitrator is not under a legal obligation to report to an appropriate investigating authority evidence of crimes arising in a hearing.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of making commercial arbitration procedures and findings public.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has not made an assessment of making arbitration procedures and findings public.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to tackle unsafe toys being sold online.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to ensuring that only safe products can be sold in the UK. Both Local Authority Trading Standards and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) have powers to take action against manufacturers, importers or distributors who sell unsafe consumer products, including through online markets.
We are currently conducting a review of the Product Safety framework, including the impact of new technologies and e-commerce, to ensure it remains one of the best in the world in both protecting consumers and enabling businesses to innovate and grow.
In the coming months officials will be engaging with stakeholders on the current and future challenges and opportunities in relation to product safety, to inform the review.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he plans to update consumer laws (a) to include terms and conditions applicable to consumers buying through online platforms and (b) for those terms to include warranties from online marketplaces on the quality and fitness for purpose of the products purchased.
Answered by Paul Scully
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, all goods sold by traders to consumers, including through online marketplaces, must be as described, of a satisfactory quality and fit for purpose. The Government keeps this legal framework under review to ensure consumers remain adequately protected.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department are taking to ensure that online marketplaces are (a) enforcing safety regulations for third-party products sold on their platform and (b) accountable for the sale of unsafe products on their platform.
Answered by Paul Scully
The UK’s national regulator, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), works to ensure that major online marketplaces protect UK consumers from unsafe goods. As part of this, the OPSS is developing a voluntary, new commitment through which we will ask online marketplaces to agree additional actions they will take to reduce the risks from unsafe products being sold online.
The Government is also conducting a wider review of the Product Safety framework to ensure it remains one of the best in the world in both protecting consumers and enabling businesses to innovate and grow. The review will consider the impact on product safety of new technologies and new business models, including e-commerce.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will introduce legislative proposals to give Trading Standards and the Office for Product Safety and Standards the power to (a) remove unsafe products from online marketplaces and (b) take additional action against platforms selling those products.
Answered by Paul Scully
The Government is committed to ensuring that only safe products can be sold in the UK. Both Local Authority Trading Standards and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) have powers to take action against manufacturers, importers or distributors who sell unsafe consumer products, including through online markets.
We are currently conducting a review of the Product Safety framework, including the impact of new technologies and e-commerce, to ensure it remains one of the best in the world in both protecting consumers and enabling businesses to innovate and grow.
In the coming months officials will be engaging with stakeholders on the current and future challenges and opportunities in relation to product safety, to inform the review.