Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has taken recent steps to reduce the tariff on fish feed imported from the Faroe Islands.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK and the Faroe Islands met in February for the UK-Faroe Islands Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Joint Committee. Officials discussed implementation of the FTA and remain in contact on a number of areas of trade, including the possibility of further liberalisation of fish feed imports from the Faroe Islands.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) his counterpart in the Falkland Islands government and (b) banks in the UK on the provision of banking services to people on the Falkland Islands.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has ongoing discussions with political leadership in the Falkland Islands across a range of issues affecting the Islands, including the provision of banking services. Banking services on the Falkland Islands are regulated by the Falkland Islands Government as a self-governing UK Overseas Territory. Standard Chartered offer the only on-island retail banking option via their branch in Stanley, alongside other providers who offer other online financial services such as Square and Wise. The FCDO are working with other UK Government departments to ascertain how to ensure UK retail banking services are kept available to residents in the UK Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
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 adequacy of access to modern banking services on the Falkland Islands.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Banking services on the Falkland Islands are regulated by the Falkland Islands Government as a self-governing UK Overseas Territory. Standard Chartered offer the only on-island retail banking option via their branch in Stanley, alongside other providers who offer other online financial services such as Square and Wise. The FCDO are working with other UK Government departments to ascertain how to ensure UK retail banking services are kept available to residents in the UK Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of extracting (a) oil and (b) gas from around the Falkland Islands on the economy of the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK supports the right of the Falkland Islanders to develop their natural resources for their own economic benefit. This is an integral part of their right of self-determination. However, while there is an oil production project under active consideration, it is yet to be seen whether fossil fuel projects there will progress to production. This is a commercial decision for the companies involved, following the relevant regulatory requirements in the Falkland Islands.
Policy on hydrocarbons development – and its impact on the Territory (including its economic impact) - is a matter for the Falkland Islands Government.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of extracting (a) oil and (b) gas from around the Falkland Islands on (i) the UK's and (ii) the Falkland Islands' energy security.
Answered by Graham Stuart
UK energy security remains dependent on having access to international oil and gas markets. It is within this context that any Falklands production would contribute to domestic security of supply.
Assessing the extent to which any locally produced hydrocarbons might contribute to the security of energy supply of the Falkland Islands is something the Government will leave to the Falkland Islands Government.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in which overseas countries are there no resident diplomatic staff from (a) his Department and (b) other Departments.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
(a) The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has a network of 281 officially designated overseas Posts. It does not currently have diplomatic staff permanently resident in the countries listed below. However, the list includes countries in which we have officially designated Posts which are temporarily suspended and diplomatic staff operate elsewhere for political or operational reasons (Afghanistan, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Yemen) or do not have diplomatic staff in permanent residence (Haiti, Burundi). Locations defined as UK territories are excluded. Information about the FCDO overseas network is available at [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-foreign-office-posts]
(b) The reporting of other government departments overseas staff locations is not the responsibility of the FCDO.
Afghanistan |
Andorra |
Benin |
Bhutan |
Burkina Faso |
Burundi Cape Verde |
Central African Republic |
Comoros |
Congo |
Dominica |
East Timor |
Equatorial Guinea |
Gabon |
Guinea-Bissau |
Haiti |
Honduras |
Kiribati |
Liechtenstein |
Marshall Islands |
Federated States of Micronesia |
Monaco |
Nauru |
Nicaragua |
North Korea |
Palau |
St Kitts and Nevis |
San Marino |
Sao Tome and Principe |
Sudan |
Suriname |
Syria |
Togo |
Tuvalu |
Yemen |
Asked by: Lord Strathcarron (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are their specific reasons for planning to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius; and what assessment they have made of China’s intentions for the Chagos Islands given their relationship with Mauritius.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Mauritius have reiterated that any agreement between our two countries will ensure the continued effective operation of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which plays a vital role in regional and global security. The UK will only enter into an agreement that protects our national interests and those of our partners, including from any malign actors in the Indian Ocean.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
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 implications for (a) his policies and (b) the Falkland Islands of the election of Javier Milei as the President of Argentina.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I [Minister Rutley] join the Foreign Secretary in congratulating President-elect Javier Milei on his election victory. As fellow G20 members, we look forward to developing a stronger and more constructive relationship. The UK and Argentina have worked well together on many shared priorities, among them climate change, science and innovation and human rights, and we are keen to develop and improve such collaboration with President-elect Milei's administration.
The UK has no doubt about its sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and is committed to proactively upholding the Falkland Islanders' rights, including their right of self-determination.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the value of trade was between the UK and (a) Vanuatu, (b) Solomon Islands and (c) Tuvalu in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 22 November is attached.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he plans to make official visits to (a) Papua New Guinea, (b) Solomon Islands and (c) Tuvalu.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are no immediate plans for an FCDO Minister to visit the countries listed. The former Foreign Secretary visited Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands in April, where he met with heads of government and made clear the UK's intention to develop partnerships with Pacific Island Countries that deliver on their priorities. The Minister for the Indo-Pacific attended the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in November, and our accredited High Commissioner visited Tuvalu in August. The UK is committed to sustained and long-term engagement with Pacific Island Countries through senior ministerial engagement and our High Commissions in the region.