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Written Question
TRIPS Agreement
Wednesday 20th April 2022

Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment has been made of supporting a temporary waiver that includes all forms of intellectual property, including (a) medical tools, (b) treatments and (c) diagnostics on TRIPS at the WTO.

Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

HM Government remains open to initiatives that could help with equitable vaccine distribution and their prompt administration. However, there is no evidence that waiving intellectual property protections would advance this objective. Rather, it would dismantle the framework which has and will continue to develop Covid-19 products, like vaccines, which are positively contributing to the global pandemic response, enabling vaccination of key workers like transport workers and medical staff both domestically and internationally.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Japan
Friday 16th October 2020

Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what effect the free trade agreement between the UK and Japan will have on businesses in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

UK exports to Japan have been growing by an average of 7.6% year-on-year over the previous five years and, with this free trade deal in place, our economic partnership will have even more opportunity. Potential benefits from a deal include better jobs, higher wages, more choice and lower prices for all parts of the UK.

Northern Ireland stands to benefit and build upon its strong exports to Japan, with Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector potentially benefiting from reduced export burdens. Last year Northern Ireland’s exports of agri-food to Japan were worth £6.5m.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Japan
Wednesday 14th October 2020

Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the differences are between the UK-Japan and EU-Japan trade deals with regards to the effect on goods imported to and exported from Northern Ireland.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK-Japan CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) applies to the whole of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland stands to benefit and build upon its strong exports to Japan, with Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector potentially benefiting from reduced export burdens. Last year Northern Ireland’s exports of agri-food to Japan were worth £6.5m.


Written Question
EU External Trade
Monday 5th October 2020

Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has made representations to the EU on enabling Northern Ireland-origin goods which can freely circulate within the EU single market to access EU trade agreements with third countries.

Answered by Ranil Jayawardena

Northern Ireland is and remains British, so will be part of the United Kingdom’s customs territory. As our recent business guidance makes clear, it will be HM Government - not the EU - that will negotiate and deliver trade deals on behalf of the United Kingdom as a whole. As a result, all British exporters will enjoy the same preferential access we secure with trading partners around the world, whether they are based in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.


Written Question
Riot Control Weapons: USA
Wednesday 10th June 2020

Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much (a) tear gas irritant ammunition, (b) tear gas riot control agents, (c) rubber bullets, and (d) riot shields were exported to the United States in the last year; and what recent assessment he has made of the likelihood of those exports being used in protests against police brutality in that country.

Answered by Ranil Jayawardena

My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade and I have been sorry to see the violence that has taken place in the United States of America.

All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (‘Consolidated Criteria’). In reaching a decision, the Department for International Trade receives advice from a number of Departments including the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Together, we draw on all available information, including reports from NGOs and our diplomatic missions. The Consolidated Criteria provides a thorough risk assessment framework and requires us to think hard about the impact of exporting any equipment. These are not decisions my Department takes lightly, and we will not license the export of items where to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.

Any licence granted by my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade may be subject to conditions. In addition, in line with the Consolidated Criteria, my Department is able to review licences – and suspend or revoke as necessary – when circumstances require. There are currently eight extant licences that may be linked to law enforcement agencies. Six are Open Individual Export Licences (‘OIELs’), which have potential end users that include law enforcement agencies. Two are Standard Individual Export Licences (‘SIELs’), which have numerous potential end users that include law enforcement agencies. There are also 15 Open General Licences (‘OGLs’) for which businesses can register that cover the export of anti-riot gear.

Much information is in the public domain already. We publish information on all export licences issued, refused and revoked on a quarterly and annual basis as official statistics on GOV.UK – at: gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data – and whilst data on actual exports is not required to be centrally held, the licences issued until the end of December 2019 are available.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: USA
Monday 8th June 2020

Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure that a US-UK trade deal is compatible with the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Our top priority remains protecting Northern Ireland’s (NI) place in our United Kingdom and preserving the gains from the peace process and the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. Economic growth is vital for preserving the peace in Northern Ireland. Hence, the UK Government will guarantee that NI businesses will benefit from the lower tariffs we deliver through a US-UK trade deal.


Written Question
EU External Trade: Australia
Monday 9th March 2020

Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the document entitled The Future Relationship with the EU: The UK’s Approach to Negotiations, published February 2020, if he will set out details of Australia's trade relationship with the EU.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The EU has a well-developed trading relationship with Australia. Australia does not have an FTA based trading relationship with the EU, but instead has a number of mutual recognition style arrangements in a few key areas, like fellow WTO members New Zealand and the US.

The European Commission website notes: “The EU is Australia's second-biggest trade partner. The EU and Australia conduct their trade and economic relationship under the 2008 EU-Australian Partnership Framework” and provides a range of additional information.