Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she last held discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the sale of arms to Israel.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
To support her decisions on export licensing to Israel, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade regularly receives advice from the Foreign Secretary and FCDO.
We continue to monitor the situation in Israel and Gaza closely, and all of our export licences are kept under careful and continual review.
Correspondence Mar. 27 2024
Committee: European Affairs CommitteeFound: 27 March 2024, Letter to the Minister for Europe re: UK EU Trade in Electric Vehicles Correspondence
Mentions:
1: Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD - Life peer) For example, when we have signed an FTA with a Commonwealth country, not a single one has had a Commonwealth - Speech Link
2: Lord Marland (Con - Life peer) Two-thirds of the countries that have signed up to this agreement are Commonwealth countries. - Speech Link
3: Lord Johnson of Lainston (Con - Life peer) up CPTPP are Commonwealth members. - Speech Link
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with Cabinet colleagues on (a) suspending arms exports to and (b) reviewing trade agreements with Israel.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Government operates a robust and thorough assessment of all licence applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.
The UK's strategic partnership with Israel includes trade. As the Secretary of State for Business and Trade told the House on 7 March, Israel remains a part of the FTA programme, negotiations continue, and she has recently discussed with the Israeli Minister of Economy our existing trading relationship as well as how Israel is managing the challenges of working on an FTA while fighting a war.
May. 20 2024
Source Page: Overseas business risk: IranFound: From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Department for Business and Trade Published 20
Mentions:
1: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con - Life peer) For example, our trade was £539 million in 2022-23, which is a direct challenge to what is sometimes - Speech Link
2: Lord Collins of Highbury (Lab - Life peer) importance of civil society, particularly representation of workers in Zimbabwe, because international trade - Speech Link
3: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con - Life peer) He will be aware that several election observers were there, including from the Commonwealth. - Speech Link
4: Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con - Life peer) That shows the importance of the Commonwealth family. - Speech Link
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has shared legal advice from the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law with representatives of her workforce within (a) the Public and Commercial Services Union and (b) other unions.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
FCDO advice informs decisions made by the Department for Business and Trade Secretary of State as the decision-making authority. The content of this advice is confidential. Union membership is a matter for individual staff members and does not alter the manner in which teams work in the Civil Service.
Asked by: Richard Burgon (Labour - Leeds East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has received reports from the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law since January 29 2024.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
The Government periodically reviews advice on Israel's overall commitment to International Humanitarian Law, and Ministers act in accordance with that advice.
On 8 April 2024, following advice from the Foreign Secretary, the Business and Trade Secretary took the decision that our position on export licences would remain unchanged. This was consistent with the advice Ministers received. We are keeping all licences for Israel under careful review.
Mar. 04 2024
Source Page: Exporting to IranFound: Exporting to Iran A detailed guide for British businesses on developing their overseas trade
Mar. 04 2024
Source Page: Exporting to IranFound: Exporting to Iran A detailed guide for British businesses on developing their overseas trade