Asked by: Baroness Helic (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what use they have made of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency in attempting to procure personal protective equipment for the NHS.
Answered by Lord Bethell
To date, seven allied and nine partner nations have requested international assistance through the NATO Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC). In chronological order of requesting, these are: Ukraine, Spain, Montenegro, Italy, Albania, the Republic of North Macedonia, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Colombia, Slovenia, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Tunisia and Iraq. Many of these requests were for personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical equipment. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also asked for airlift support. The United Kingdom has not requested assistance through the EADRCC but we have responded to a small number of requests, including from Ukraine, Georgia, North Macedonia and Moldova, where PPE and medical equipment has been supplied. In these cases, equipment has been procured locally in the country concerned and within the constraints of our domestic response.
As part of the COVID-19 PPE team seconded to work with the Cabinet Office on PPE procurement, teams from Defence Equipment and Support have been using the NATO Support and Procurement Agency framework to order PPE for the National Health Service.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government with which countries they (1) have made trade agreements since 1 January, and (2) are currently engaged in trade negotiations.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
HM Government launched negotiations on a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United Kingdom and the United States of America on 5th May 2020. We plan to launch negotiations with Japan this month and with Australia and New Zealand shortly after. We also continue to work to secure continuity agreements with all remaining countries that had a trade agreement with the EU on 31st January 2020. To date, HM Government has signed 20 agreements with 48 countries.
Agreements Signed to Date:
• Switzerland
• Liechtenstein
• Iceland, Norway
• Israel
• the Palestinian Authority
• Chile
• the Faroe Islands
• Eastern and Southern Africa states (Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe)
• The Pacific states (Fiji and Papua New Guinea)
• A series of CARIFORUM countries?(Barbados, Belize, The Commonwealth of Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, The Republic of Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago)
• Andean countries (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru)
• Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama)
• South Korea
• Lebanon
• Tunisia
• SACU+M
• Georgia
• Morocco
• Jordan
• Kosovo
Agreements yet to be Signed
• Algeria
• Albania
• Bosnia and Herzigovina
• Cameroon
• Canada
• Cote d’Ivoire
• East African Community (EAC)
• Egypt
• Ghana
• Mexico
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Ukraine
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which nations the UK has reciprocal pensions agreements with; when those agreements were signed; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK has reciprocal social security agreements covering pensions with the countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) listed in the table below. Social security and pension rights for people who have moved between the UK and the EEA countries and Switzerland are regulated by the EU social security coordination regulations. These regulations will remain in force until the end of the transition period, and will continue to apply after that period for individuals in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement.
Country | Date of Signature |
Barbados | 7 January 1992 |
Bermuda | 13 October 1969 (London) 23 October 1969 (Hamilton) |
Ireland1 | 1 February 2019 |
Israel | 25 April 1957 |
Jamaica | 12 November 1996 |
Mauritius | 22 April 1981 |
New Zealand | 1 November 1983 |
The Philippines | 27 February 1985 |
Turkey | 9 September 1959 |
USA | 13 February 1984 |
Former Yugoslavia2 | 24 May 1958 |
1 The agreement with Ireland maintains the social security and pensions rights associated with the Common Travel Area after the UK’s exit from the EU.
2 The agreement with Yugoslavia continues to be applied bilaterally, and with their consent, to the now separate republics – Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
Asked by: Lord Jopling (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the levels of defence spending as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (1) currently spent by members of NATO, and (2) spent by each member of NATO at the time of the 2014 Wales NATO summit.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
Please see the table below for levels of defence spending by % of GDP currently spent by members of NATO, and spent by each member of NATO at the time of the 2014 Wales NATO summit.
This information is according to the NATO press release (COMMUNIQUE PR/CP(2019)123) ‘Defence Expenditure of NATO Countries (2013-2019)’ published on 29 November 2019.
https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/pdf_2019_11/20191129_pr-2019-123-en.pdf
Defence expenditures as per cent of GDP - Based on 2015 prices and exchange rates
Nation | Defence expenditure as a % of GDP 2014 | Defence expenditure as a % of GDP 2019e (current) |
Albania | 1.35 | 1.26 |
Belgium | 0.98 | 0.93 |
Bulgaria* | 1.32 | 3.25 |
Canada | 1.01 | 1.31 |
Croatia | 1.84 | 1.68 |
Czech Republic | 0.95 | 1.19 |
Denmark | 1.15 | 1.32 |
Estonia | 1.93 | 2.14 |
France | 1.82 | 1.84 |
Germany | 1.18 | 1.38 |
Greece | 2.21 | 2.28 |
Hungary | 0.86 | 1.21 |
Italy | 1.14 | 1.22 |
Latvia | 0.94 | 2.01 |
Lithuania | 0.88 | 2.03 |
Luxembourg | 0.38 | 0.56 |
Montenegro | 1.50 | 1.66 |
Netherlands | 1.15 | 1.36 |
Norway | 1.55 | 1.80 |
Poland | 1.85 | 2.00 |
Portugal | 1.31 | 1.52 |
Romania | 1.35 | 2.04 |
Slovak Republic | 0.99 | 1.74 |
Slovenia | 0.97 | 1.04 |
Spain | 0.92 | 0.92 |
Turkey | 1.45 | 1.89 |
United Kingdom | 2.16 | 2.14 |
United States | 3.73 | 3.42 |
* Defence Expenditure does not include pensions.
e - Figures for 2019 are estimates
According to NATO’s latest spending figures, the UK’s Defence spending has increased year-on-year since 2017.
When looking at Defence spending, it is not appropriate to compare ‘like for like’ because the nature of Defence spending changes over time.
Defence spending is about assessing the threats we face and ensuring that we have the capabilities necessary to deal with them.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he has taken to enhance UK trade with Montenegro after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The whole Europe region remains a strategic priority for UK trade. Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Montenegro was £67m in 2018.
In August 2018, the Secretary of State launched the Export Strategy, the government’s plan to increase UK total exports as a proportion of GDP to 35% and make Britain a 21st century exporting superpower. The Export Strategy will encourage and inspire more businesses to export; inform businesses by providing practical assistance on exporting; connect UK businesses to overseas buyers and opportunities; and help provide finance through UKEF to enhance the HMG offer to UK exporters. Through this strategy we will also continue to promote the UK as a bilateral trading partner, reassuring Montenegro businesses that the UK remains open for business and remains an advocate for free trade and open markets.
Asked by: Lord Judd (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to review and strengthen the effectiveness of conflict resolution policies of the UK to address persistent and accelerating conflict, and flashpoints, particularly in (1) Myanmar, (2) Sri Lanka, and (3) Southern Philippines; and what steps they are taking with partners in the Commonwealth, the EU, and the UN to review equivalent policies.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government’s actions in respect of addressing conflict and unrest in the regions listed include:
Maintaining our provision of practical support to the Myanmar Peace Process, delivered through the multi-donor Joint Peace Fund (JPF), as well as technical advice and expertise. The UK is an active member of the JPF Governance Board which includes 11 other donors including the EU, Australia and Canada. We have played a pivotal role in maintaining high level UN attention to the ongoing conflict in Myanmar.
Playing a leading role, together with Core Group members Canada, Germany, Macedonia and Montenegro, in achieving a new Resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March. This continues Sri Lanka’s reconciliation and accountability commitments following the end of the civil war. We firmly believe that this is the best framework for establishing truth and achieving justice and lasting reconciliation. We will continue to refine our approach towards addressing conflict in Sri Lanka, working closely with local stakeholders and international partners including those in the Commonwealth, EU and UN.
We are spending £8.3m of Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) funding on interfaith dialogue, reconciliation, police reform and training, and demining in Sri Lanka. The CSSF is a cross government fund, which supports and delivers activity to tackle instability and to prevent conflicts which threaten UK interests. We regularly review and adapt our CSSF programmes to ensure they effectively contribute to post-conflict reconciliation.
As a founding member of the International Contact Group, a hybrid mediation support initiative supporting the peace process in Southern Philippines, the UK took active interest in the January 2019 plebiscite, which paves the way for an autonomous region for Muslim Mindanao. UK development assistance to the reconstruction in Mindanao is through multilateral partners such as the World Bank and Asia Development Bank.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Common Security and Defence Policy (a) missions and (b) operations the UK contributes to; and which other countries participate in each of those missions.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
The UK deploys personnel to two military Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations (Operation ALTHEA and Operation SOPHIA), two military training missions in Mali and Somalia, and three civilian missions in Georgia, Kosovo and Ukraine. As an EU Member State, we also provide common funding for all CSDP operations and missions, both military and civilian.
Other countries contribute personnel, equipment and funding to all of the CSDP operations and missions in which we take part. We can provide a snapshot of contributions by other states for the week ending 5 May 2019:
Operation ALTHEA: Austria; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Greece; Spain; France; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Slovenia; Slovakia; UK; Albania; Switzerland; Chile; Northern Macedonia and Turkey.
Operation SOPHIA: Austria; Bulgaria; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Germany; Denmark; Estonia; Greece; Spain; Finland; France; Croatia; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Latvia; Malta; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Sweden; Slovenia and UK.
EU Treaty Mission (EUTM) Mali: Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Germany; Estonia; Greece; Spain; Finland; France; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Latvia; Netherlands; Portugal; Romania; Sweden; Slovenia; UK; Albania; Georgia; Montenegro and Serbia.
EUTM Somalia: Spain; Finland; Italy; Portugal; Romania' Sweden; UK and Serbia.
EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) Kosovo: Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Croatia; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Germany; Estonia; Greece; Spain; Finland; France; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Lithuania; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal' Romania; Sweden; Slovakia; Slovenia; UK and Switzerland.
EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) Georgia: Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; France; Germany; Estonia; Greece; Spain; Finland; Croatia; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Latvia; Malta; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Sweden; Slovakia; Slovenia and UK.
EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine: Austria; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Germany; Denmark; Estonia; Greece; Spain; Finland; France; Croatia; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Lithuania; Latvia; Netherlands; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Sweden; Slovakia; Slovenia; UK and Canada.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with relevant authorities, such as FIFA, and UEFA, to strengthen sanctions against racist behaviour in international football.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The racist abuse England players were subjected to in Montenegro was completely unacceptable and we supported the Football Association's call for UEFA to take strong and swift action. The FA represents English football's interests at the international level of the sport.
Whilst progress has been made here and abroad in tackling discrimination in football over the years, more needs to be done, and Government is continuing to work with the footballing authorities and other organisations to agree what action must be taken to stamp out all forms of discrimination at football events in this country.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What recent steps his Department has taken to support free and fair elections internationally.
Answered by Mark Field
We support elections by providing financial and technical assistance to international organisations that carry out election observations missions; in particular the European Union, the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe, and the Commonwealth. In 2018, the UK contributed observers to Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe missions in Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Montenegro, Macedonia (now North Macedonia) and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for each EU Member State, how many prisoners have been transferred (a) to and (b) from the UK under the EU Prisoner Transfer Directive.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Any foreign national who comes to our country and abuses our hospitality by breaking the law should be in no doubt of our determination to punish and deport them. More than 45,000 foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK since 2010, and in the last financial year almost 6,000 were removed from prisons, immigration removal centres, and the community.
The Early Removal Scheme is the principal method for removing foreign national offenders early from prison. In 2017/18, over 2,000 foreign national offenders were removed under this scheme. Prisoners may also be transferred to a prison in their own country under Prisoner Transfer Agreements. The principal compulsory prisoner transfer scheme is the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision (2008/909/JHA). In addition, compulsory transfer may take place under the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and a small number of bilateral prisoner transfer agreements.
Our departure from the European Union will have implications on prisoner transfers to the EU. If we leave the EU without a ‘deal’, we will lose access to the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision. This will mean falling back on the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and its Additional Protocol, which we believe to be a less effective mechanism than the EU agreement. Therefore, under a ‘no deal’ scenario we should be prepared to see a decline in the number of transfers to and from the EU.
The tables below provide information for England and Wales, taken from Management Information. In relation to British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales, Management Information does not distinguish between prisoners transferred under the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision and the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Transfer may therefore have taken place on either a voluntary or compulsory basis. Please note that transfers have not taken place to several countries listed in the tables below as the UK either does not hold nationals from those countries in our prisons, or because there are concerns that prisons might be in breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The transfer of prisoners into and out of Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.
Table 1: Transfer under the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision (EU PTFD) | ||||
Country | Date country ratified the EU PTFD | Number of foreign national prisoners transferred from England and Wales | Number of British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales | |
1 | Austria | 01/01/2012 | -- | 1 |
2 | Belgium | 18/06/2012 | 17 | 3 |
3 | Bulgaria | Not ratified | -- | -- |
4 | Croatia | 01/07/2013 | -- | 1 |
5 | Cyprus | 23/05/2014 | 1 | 5 |
6 | Czech Republic | 01/01/2014 | 12 | 3 |
7 | Denmark | 05/12/2011 | 1 | 6 |
8 | Estonia | 01/01/2015 | 1 | -- |
9 | Finland | 05/12/2011 | -- | 1 |
10 | France | 05/08/2013 | -- | -- |
11 | Germany | 25/07/2015 | 2 | 9 |
12 | Greece | 15/11/2014 | -- | 2 |
13 | Hungary | 01/01/2013 | -- | 1 |
14 | Italy | 05/12/2011 | 9 | 9 |
15 | Ireland (Republic) | Not ratified | -- | -- |
16 | Latvia | 01/07/2012 | 15 | -- |
17 | Lithuania | 01/04/2015 | 28 | -- |
18 | Luxembourg | 05/12/2011 | -- | 2 |
19 | Malta | 03/02/2012 | 1 | 1 |
20 | Netherlands | 01/11/2012 | 141 | 6 |
21 | Poland | 01/01/2012 | 35 | -- |
22 | Portugal | 17/12/2015 | 9 | 7 |
23 | Romania | 26/12/2013 | 56 | -- |
24 | Slovakia | 01/02/2012 | 17 | 2 |
25 | Slovenia | 20/09/2013 | -- | -- |
26 | Spain | 11/12/2014 | 9 | 40 |
27 | Sweden | 01/04/2015 | 3 | 1 |
Total | 357 | 100 | ||
Table 2: Transfer Under the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons This table does not include EU Member States which have ratified the Additional Protocol as transfers take place under the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision. Please note: the date of entry into force has been taken as the date the UK ratified the Additional Protocol or the date of ratification by the named country, whichever is the later date. | ||||
Country | Date the Additional Protocol entered into force | Number of foreign national prisoners transferred from England and Wales | Number of British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales | |
1 | Bulgaria | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
2 | Georgia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
3 | Iceland | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
4 | Lichtenstein | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
5 | FRY Macedonia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
6 | Moldova | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
7 | Montenegro | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
8 | Norway | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
9 | Russia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
10 | Serbia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
11 | San Marino | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
12 | Switzerland | 01/10/2014 | -- | -- |
13 | Turkey | 01/09/2016 | -- | -- |
14 | Ukraine | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
Table 3: Bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreements | ||||
Country | Date the Bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement came into force | Number of foreign national prisoners transferred from England and Wales | Number of British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales | |
1 | Albania | 11/06/2013 | 24 | 2 |
2 | Ghana | 06/07/2017 | -- | -- |
3 | Libya | 29/04/2009 | -- | -- |
4 | Nigeria | 29/09/2014 | 1 | -- |
5 | Rwanda | 23/11/2010 | -- | -- |
6 | Somaliland | Not Available | -- | -- |
Total | 25 | 2 | ||