Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help ensure direct, tariff-free trade with Northern Cyprus.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" as an independent state. Several UN Security Council Resolutions and other multilateral agreements also limit links between UK and the north. However, within these constraints we support measures to reduce the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community, including through regular engagement with the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Commerce. Last month, HM Trade Commissioner visited Cyprus to discuss trade issues further. We continue to believe that a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus is the best means of resolving the difficulties caused by the division of the island.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential contribution of Turkish Cypriot Muslims in Northern Cyprus to the UK’s strategic position in the eastern Mediterranean.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" as an independent state. We do however engage with all parties, including Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriot communities, as well as faith communities, as part of the UK's commitment to stability and security in the region.
Asked by: Naz Shah (Labour - Bradford West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will take steps to help ensure that (a) athletes, (b) footballers and (c) teams from Northern Cyprus can participate in international sporting events.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” as an independent state.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to visit the sovereign base areas in (a) Akrotiri and (b) Dhekelia in the next six months.
Answered by James Heappey
The Secretary of State for Defence routinely visits UK Overseas Territories, including the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK military need to clear (a) RAF flights and (b) US Air Force flights taking off from RAF Akrotiri with central government in Cyprus.
Answered by James Heappey
As referenced in my answer to Question 3985, the Ministry of Defence routinely engages with the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) on matters relating to the Sovereign Base Areas. This includes where appropriate, informing the RoC of flights into and from RAF Akrotiri, although there is no formal requirement to do so.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of levels of Russian investment in the economy of the Republic of Cyprus.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK and Cyprus have a shared goal to reduce Putin's capacity to fund his illegal war in Ukraine. Following the 2022 invasion, Cyprus has joined the rest of the EU in adopting an unprecedented package of sanctions against Russia. We are committed to working with international partners to ensure sanctions are effective and to tackle sanctions evasion. The UK Government is working with Cypriot authorities to provide technical support for the creation of a new sanctions implementation unit, drawing on international best practice and lessons from the UK's own Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI).
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 2760 on Middle East: Armed Forces, how many UK troops were present in (a) Jordan, (b) Lebanon, (c) Oman, (d) Bahrain and (e) Cyprus in each year since 2010.
Answered by James Heappey
Additional time is required to access this information from the MOD archives. I will write to the right hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department holds information on the countries that will implement the OECD Pillar 2 minimum corporation tax measures from 31 December 2023; and what discussions he has had with (a) the OECD and (b) his counterparts in other countries on the implementation of that measure.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Countries that have committed to apply Pillar 2 from 31 December 2023 or 1 January 2024 include: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Vietnam. Japan are implementing for 1 April 2024.
Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Hong-Kong and Singapore have committed to implement for 1 January 2025.
There are many other jurisdictions that have taken steps towards Pillar 2 implementation.
There are regular multilateral discussions at Ministerial level, including at the level of the G20, on how to ensure swift and coordinated implementation of Pillar 2, as well as the support that can be provided to developing countries in that regard.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in which countries the extra UK military personnel deployed to Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean since 7 October 2023 are based; and how many personnel are deployed in each of those countries as of 27 November 2023.
Answered by James Heappey
It has not been possible to obtain the information in the time available. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is required to inform the Cypriot government of UK or allied missions flown from RAF Akrotiri.
Answered by James Heappey
As a trusted partner, the Ministry of Defence routinely engages with the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) on issues relating to the Sovereign Base Areas. This includes, where appropriate, informing the RoC of flights into and from RAF Akrotiri, although there is no formal requirement to do so.