Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Faroe Islands on the practice of whale and dolphin slaughter; and what steps she will take through the UK's trade relationship with the Faroe Islands to discourage that practice.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
We are dismayed that the needless slaughter of cetaceans continues around the world. My noble friend, Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, has written to the Fisheries Minister of the Faroe Islands to express Britain’s opposition to the continued killing of cetaceans in their waters.
The United Kingdom will continue to advocate for the cessation of cetacean hunts around the world, at every appropriate opportunity, including those provided by our trade relationships.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to help small Fairtrade producers tackle climate change without making their produce unaffordable ahead of COP26.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are committed to addressing the challenges of climate change, whilst ensuring that developing countries benefit from of a global transition to low emission, sustainable land use and food systems. Ahead of COP26, the UK will be convening a global dialogue on trade in forest and agricultural commodities, to support producer countries in achieving their economic goals, while transitioning to more sustainable land use.
Through the Vulnerable Supply Chains Facility, the UK is working in partnership with the Fairtrade Foundation and Mondelēz International in Ghana to ensure cocoa farmers and their families are resilient to the pandemic, and to accelerate income diversification through climate-smart farming.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that fair trade goods continue to have access to UK markets under new trading arrangements.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK’s Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and Generalised Scheme of Preferences support developing countries to export agricultural products and other goods to the UK. We have secured EPAs with 30 African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries, covering £18bn of trade. We plan to deepen our EPA agreements and expand them to new countries in the future.
Independent certification schemes, such as Fairtrade, which set standards on social, economic and environmental issues for companies, continue to operate within the context of UK trading arrangements.
Asked by: Virginia Crosbie (Conservative - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
What steps her Department is taking to ensure that fair trade goods continue to have access to UK markets in new trade agreements.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Britain’s Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) support emerging markets around the world to export agricultural products – and more – to these shores. We have secured EPAs with 29 African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries, covering £18bn of trade. We plan to deepen our EPAs – and expand them to new markets in the future. From working in Ghana to ensure cocoa farmers and their families are resilient to the pandemic, and accelerating diversification through climate-smart farming, to Ethiopia where we are supporting people to help sell their unique wild coffee at a fair price and build resilience to climate change at the same time, Global Britain is delivering.