Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing trade remedies on imports of glass packaging from Turkey.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
On 5 March 2026 the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) opened a subsidy investigation on glass containers from Turkey.
The TRA submits evidence-based determinations to the Secretary of State, inclusive of an assessment of whether a measure would be in the UK’s economic interest. Where the TRA recommends a measure, the Secretary of State considers the evidence alongside relevant matters in the public interest before taking a decision.
The TRA is an independent arms-length body and as such it would not be appropriate to comment further. All TRA recommendations are published on its public file at the appropriate time.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what audit processes and compliance mechanisms HM Revenue and Customs plans to establish to verify the accuracy of origin declarations where importing businesses vouch that goods do not originate from illegal Israeli settlements, in preparation for the proposed import ban.
Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
Border Force and HMRC conduct both physical and documentary checks to verify that goods imported to the UK are not subject to sanctions or other forms of prohibitions and restrictions. These checks can be intelligence-led, risk-based or randomised. HMRC does not reveal specific details about its anti-smuggling or targeting methods, or compliance techniques. This is operationally sensitive information the disclosure of which could serve to undermine enforcement and compliance activity.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of the use of mandatory origin labelling in preventing goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements from entering the UK.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The measures announced by the Foreign Secretary on 8 September will restrict the import of goods originating in illegal settlements into the UK.
This restriction will be enforced through the UK sanctions regime and will be focused on ensuring that goods originating in illegal settlements are not allowed to be imported into the UK. As such, mandatory origin labelling will not be required as sanctioned goods will not be permitted to enter the UK.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to progress Marine Net Gain following the Department's consultation on the Principles of Marine Net Gain in December 2023.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our current priority is building the evidence base for marine recovery through our research and development programme, and this will inform consideration of next steps on Marine Net Gain.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a 15-year government-backed low-interest loan scheme for household solar and battery storage where monthly loan repayments do not exceed average monthly energy bill savings.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises that upfront costs can be a barrier to households installing clean energy technologies. Through the Warm Homes Plan, we are introducing the Warm Homes Loan Scheme, a government-supported scheme designed to make affordable finance more accessible for eligible home energy improvements. The Scheme will enable participating lenders to offer lower-cost finance for technologies including solar PV and battery storage, helping households spread the upfront cost over time. Participating lenders will remain responsible for product design, lending decisions and affordability assessments. The Government continues to consider how green finance can support households to invest in measures that can reduce their energy bills.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps her Department is taking to ensure compliance with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment regulations for legacy solar panels where the original equipment manufacturer or installer has ceased trading.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (as amended) are a matter for my Rt Hon friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
As set out in the Solar Roadmap published in June 2025, the Government has committed to maximising the use of resources and reducing waste by moving to a circular economy, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has convened a taskforce of experts from across government, industry, academia and non-governmental organisations to develop a Circular Economy Strategy.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 8 September 2026 to Question 26920 on Notice to Importers: imports from Israel into the United Kingdom, what estimate his Department has made of the number of illegal settlement expansions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 22 August 2025.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not maintain our own separate estimate of the number of settlement expansions in the Palestinian Territories. We use a range of sources to assess settlement activity and expansions. On 8 September, the Foreign Secretary announced a new sanctions regime designed to stop UK economic activity supporting the expansion of illegal settlements, including a ban on imports of goods from illegal Israeli settlements and new powers to target individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from illegal settlement activity.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to Question 26024 answered on the 1st September 2026, whether her Department has considered the potential benefits of issuing specific guidance for social housing providers on managing end-of-life solar photovoltaic panel disposal and recycling across large housing portfolios.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I refer my hon Friend to the answer given to her on 9 September 2026 to Question UIN 26024.
Legislation is in place to control the disposal of solar equipment at the end of its life, and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (as amended) are a matter for my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The Government will keep under review whether specific guidance for social housing providers managing large portfolios of solar panels would be beneficial.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Question 28731, whether his Department holds a formal policy assessment on the application of (a) Pillar 2 and (b) Pillar 3 of the UN Responsibility to Protect framework in relation to the human rights situation in Xinjiang.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer of 22 September to question 28731.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his department has made of the UK’s obligations under (a) pillar two and (b) pillar three of the UN Responsibility to Protect framework in relation to the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to stand firm on human rights in China, including in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim communities continue to face persecution and arbitrary detention. We raise our concerns directly at the highest levels, and in international fora such as at the UN Human Rights Council. In a statement on 8 September, the UK's Human Rights Ambassador noted that "China has yet to implement the recommendations of the Office of the High Commissioner's Xinjiang Assessment" and that "evidence of violations in Xinjiang and Tibet persists".