Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 a free trade agreement between the UK and Israel on the use of (a) surveillance and (b) cybersecurity technologies manufactured by UK businesses in Gaza.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Any export of controlled items requires approval under the UK's Export Controls regime - this is not affected by whether there is an FTA in place or not.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to prohibit the import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements under the terms of proposed UK-Israel free trade agreement.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the agreement between the UK and Israel, or in our agreement with the Palestinian Authority.
The UK will not compromise on any of our longstanding positions on the Middle East Peace Process through the FTA negotiation, including with respect to settlements.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether his Department has made an assessment of the competitiveness of the UK creative industry.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As set out in the Industrial Strategy Green Paper published in 2024, the UK's creative industries are world-leading, with the UK, according to UN Trade and Development statistics, being the third largest creative services exporter globally (behind Ireland and the United States).
While the Department for Business and Trade has not made a formal assessment of the competitiveness of the UK creative industry, in 2023, the UK, according to UN Trade and Development statistics, was the tenth largest exporter of creative goods and according to Department for Culture, Media and Sport statistics contributed an estimated £124 billion to the UK economy, accounting for 5.2 per cent of UK gross value added.
The forthcoming Industrial Strategy aims to leverage the sector's global comparative advantages to unlock private investment, boost exports and develop its highly skilled workforce.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
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 merits of allowing extended paternity leave when the mother has been through a traumatic birth and is medically unable to properly care for the child alone after the two weeks of paternity leave.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government is committed to ensuring that employed parents receive the best possible support in balancing their work and home lives. Eligible fathers or partners can plan to take a longer period of leave by using Shared Parental Leave or Unpaid Parental Leave. We recognise that parental leave can be improved. Work on this has already begun. The Employment Rights Bill will make Paternity and Unpaid Parental Leave 'day one' rights, accessible to all employees.
Government has also committed to a review of the parental leave system to ensure that it best supports working families. Planning work is already underway.