Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of imposing sanctions on any British company operating in the illegal settlement activity in the West Bank.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are deeply concerned by the levels of settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank and continue to urge the Government of Israel to stop settlement expansion and take action to hold violence to account. Settlements are illegal under international law.

On 20 May the UK imposed sanctions on three individuals, two illegal settler outposts and two organisations supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. On 10 June the UK, acting alongside partners Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, imposed sanctions on Israeli government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich in their personal capacity, in response to their repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

The UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Israeli settlements, as part of Israel. Goods imported from the settlements are therefore not entitled to benefit from trade preferences under the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement. The UK also supports accurate labelling of settlement goods, so as not to mislead the consumer.

Sanctions can be used to achieve a range of foreign and security policy objectives. We use sanctions when they complement other tools as part of a wider strategy.  It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact. We have been clear that we keep these issues under close review.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help tackle exploitative employers that target immigrant workers.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Fair Work Agency will bring existing labour market enforcement functions together into one place, so employment rights for all workers are enforced more effectively and efficiently.

In addition, the White Paper ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System’ set out measures for targeting exploitation of migrant workers including reforms to the sponsorship system, putting more responsibility and accountability on effective and responsible sponsors. This will include exploring making it easier for workers to move between licensed sponsors, reducing the risk of exploitation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will ask the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation to publish guidance on what constitutes terrorism in the event of an attack by a hostile state.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

To declare an attack as a terrorist incident is an operationally independent decision for the Police, taken in line with the definition of terrorism as set out in Section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether existing (a) insurance and (b) reinsurance mechanisms cover (i) subsea cabled and (ii) other off-shore assets in the event of a terrorist attack.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The owners or operators of subsea cables and other off-shore assets are responsible for the insurance of their assets.

There is a wide variety of insurance products available in the UK market, including from speciality insurers. The government would always recommend the companies shop around, or engage the services of a specialist broker, to ensure they can access the cover they need at the best price.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) insurance and (b) reinsurance market for businesses affected by cyber-attacks.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government recognises that cyber insurance is an important tool for businesses' economic resilience. HM Treasury works closely with industry, regulators, other government departments and relevant stakeholders to monitor insurance markets, including cyber. Cyber insurance is widely offered in the UK insurance market and the government would encourage businesses to shop around, or employ the services of a broker, to find the most appropriate cover, at the best price.

Found: Gill Furniss David Baines Sir Andrew Mitchell Lorraine Beavers Helen Hayes Dr Danny Chambers Neil Coyle