Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent progress his Department has made on assessing the export application for Ukraine with ECO reference SIE2024/004708 and SPIRE document reference 4388747, submitted on 14 May 2024; and whether any further steps are required to bring this application to conclusion.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We rigorously assess every application on a case-by-case basis against strict assessment criteria, the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (the SELC).
We are reviewing this case with other government departments and we will conclude our assessment once we receive that advice.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the investor-state dispute settlement measures in the Colombia-UK Bilateral Investment Treaty on the upholding of (a) environmental and (b) human rights protections in Colombia.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer the Hon. Member for Arbroath and Broughty Ferry to my response to Question 12968 on 12th November 2024: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-11-06/12968
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the UK's commitments under investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms on (a) environmental and (b) human rights protections in partner countries.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK is party to 83 Bilateral Investment Treaties and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership that contain Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).
ISDS provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation. ISDS does not remove governments’ right to regulate in the public interest, including with respect to the environment and human rights.