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Written Question
Department for International Trade: Vehicles
Wednesday 15th February 2023

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many (a) fossil fuel-, (b) electric- and (c) hybrid-powered road-legal vehicles their Department purchased in the last 24 months.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department has not purchased any road legal vehicles in the past 24 months. It uses the Government Car Service for vehicle provision. Cars provided to Departments by the Government Car Service will be included in the return for the Department for Transport.


Written Question
Russia: Sanctions
Wednesday 15th February 2023

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has he made of the effectiveness of sanctions against Russia in preventing UK companies from trading in Russia; and what steps she is taking to close loopholes in those sanctions.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK has wholly or partially sanctioned £20 billion of UK-Russia goods trade – 96% of 2021 values. Compared to before the invasion, UK goods imports from Russia have fallen by 99.1%, and goods exports to Russia have fallen by 80%. Additional sanctions on services trade will further erode Russia’s ability to keep pace with Western countries.

Sanctions are starving Russia of advanced technologies and degrading their military capabilities, especially as many high-precision weapons rely on Western components.


Written Question
Russia: Sanctions
Monday 13th February 2023

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether Agent Provocateur has been granted an exception or licence to sell luxury fashion items in Russia.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Between 14 April 2022 and 30 September 2022, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has not issued licences by exception for the export of luxury fashion items or cars for these specific companies to Russia. This is the latest period published in the Official Export Control Statistics.

Information on Russia Sanctions relating to luxury goods (as specified in Schedule 3A to the Regulations) can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/russia-sanctions-guidance/russia-sanctions-guidance

The Government takes the enforcement of sanctions very seriously, and any UK person or company anywhere in the world that is selling or exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, directly or indirectly, may be in breach of sanctions law and potentially faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.


Written Question
Russia: Sanctions
Monday 13th February 2023

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether Rolls-Royce has been granted an exception or licence to sell luxury cars in Russia.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Between 14 April 2022 and 30 September 2022, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has not issued licences by exception for the export of luxury fashion items or cars for these specific companies to Russia. This is the latest period published in the Official Export Control Statistics.

Information on Russia Sanctions relating to luxury goods (as specified in Schedule 3A to the Regulations) can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/russia-sanctions-guidance/russia-sanctions-guidance

The Government takes the enforcement of sanctions very seriously, and any UK person or company anywhere in the world that is selling or exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, directly or indirectly, may be in breach of sanctions law and potentially faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.


Written Question
Russia: Sanctions
Monday 13th February 2023

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether Paul Smith Limited has been granted an exception or licence to sell luxury fashion items in Russia.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Between 14 April 2022 and 30 September 2022, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has not issued licences by exception for the export of luxury fashion items or cars for these specific companies to Russia. This is the latest period published in the Official Export Control Statistics.

Information on Russia Sanctions relating to luxury goods (as specified in Schedule 3A to the Regulations) can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/russia-sanctions-guidance/russia-sanctions-guidance

The Government takes the enforcement of sanctions very seriously, and any UK person or company anywhere in the world that is selling or exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, directly or indirectly, may be in breach of sanctions law and potentially faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.


Written Question
Department for International Trade: Energy
Tuesday 20th December 2022

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which energy provider supplies energy to their Department; how much carbon dioxide was emitted by their Department in the latest period for which figures are available; whether the criteria their Department uses to select an energy supplier include how environmentally friendly that supplier is; and what recent steps their Department has taken to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its energy use.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department's energy usage and CO2 emissions are published in our Annual Report and Accounts. Please see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts (page 84) for the latest published figures.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) operates a centralised energy procurement strategy for central government and is responsible for selecting the gas and power supply companies on behalf of all departments. CCS is currently conducting its latest tender round on behalf of departments and the supplier environmental credentials will be part of the selection criteria.

The Government Property Agency (GPA) manage and maintain the Department's offices and are responsible for improving the energy efficiency of buildings under their control.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Israel
Monday 19th December 2022

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2022 to Question 80842 on Trade Agreements: Israel, whether it has always been the policy of the Government not sacrifice quality for speed in trade negotiations.

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

The Government is clear that in negotiations we will not sacrifice quality for speed, and this policy will remain unchanged. A new agreement will modernise and upgrade our current trade relations based on the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement to cover services, procurement, and digital trade. We will only sign once we are confident that the new agreement is in the best interest of the UK economy and British people.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Israel
Tuesday 15th November 2022

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to support Israel and Palestine relations during free trade negotiations.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK greatly values our bilateral trade relationships with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Although the focus of the UK-Israel Free Trade agreement is trade with Israel, we will continue to build upon our commercial links with the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including through the Trade Facilitation and Customs Support programme (Tasdeer). This is a 3-year, £15 million programme funded by UK ODA, seeking to improve trade performance In the Occupied Palestinian Territories with an integrated focus on gender and social inclusion, supporting inclusive growth.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Israel
Tuesday 15th November 2022

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, on which dates she has met Israeli representatives to discuss a free trade agreement between both counties.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Officials and Ministers are in regular contact with their Israeli counterparts regarding our existing free trade agreement and to discuss negotiations for the upgraded trade agreement.

UK negotiators travelled to Jerusalem for the first round of negotiations on 12 – 20 September. We look forward to the next round of negotiations in due course.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Israel
Tuesday 15th November 2022

Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the UK’s objectives are in their trade negotiations with Israel.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

On 20 July, negotiations were launched between the UK and Israel for an upgraded, innovation-focused Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that supported trade in services, digital and procurement. As part of this, our strategic approach to the negotiations was published on GOV.UK. This document sets out the UK’s key objectives in these negotiations.

An upgraded FTA with Israel will modernise our trade relations with a growing economy, whose services sector has grown by over 45% in the last decade, and whose total imports are expected to double by 2035.