Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government which specific legal obligations require them to notify the EU about planned legislative changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
HM Government is required to allow the EU to provide comments on notified proposed technical regulations in accordance with Article 94 of the Trade and Co-operation Agreement between the UK and the EU.
In discharging this obligation, the notification of planned legislative changes to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 was circulated to the World Trade Organisation Technical Barriers to Trade Committee on 9th February 2024.
In accordance with arrangements provided in the Windsor Framework notification of the European Commission is also required under Assimilated Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 Article 11 and Directive (EU) 2015/1535 Article 5(1) in respect of planned amendments to the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998.
The EU commission were notified under the Windsor Framework of the planned amendments to the Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) on the 8th of February 2024.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether diesel oil products imported into the UK are refined from Russian crude oil; and what assessment they have made of the impact of sanctions on such imports.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
UK sanctions targeting Russian oil revenues are designed in line with existing World Trade Organisation (WTO) non-preferential rules of origin. More specifically, if a good such as diesel is produced in two or more countries, it is subject to substantial processing requirements as stated in Section 17(3) of the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018. In line with these rules, where Russian oil and oil products have been refined in a third country, they will only be considered Russian if the products have not been substantially processed. All importers of oil and oil products into the UK must provide proof of origin to relevant enforcement authorities, to demonstrate that goods are not of Russian origin. Our approach is in line with that taken by our partners, including the US and the EU.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Statement of 8 January 2024 on Wine Quantities and Units of Measurement Update HCWS168, when retailers will be able to sell still and sparkling wine in the 200ml size.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is planning to introduce legislation in spring 2024 on the proposals for new prepacked wine quantities announced on 27 December. All new legislative changes are subject to parliamentary scrutiny and due process, including in this case the need to notify the World Trade Organisation. Once this legislative process is complete, the legislation is expected to come into force around Autumn 2024, permitting the sale of still wine in pre-packed 200ml formats. The sale of pre-packed sparkling wine in the 200ml size is already permitted.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the volume and value of cheese exports to Canada in each of the last five years, and what assessment they have made of the likely impact on those figures of not concluding a trade agreement with Canada.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Between 2018 and 2022 the UK exported between 1.5 and 2.2 kilotonnes of cheese to Canada each year, worth between £11 million and £18.7 million.
Prior to 1 January 2024, UK exporters could export cheese to Canada through a Canadian importer with a licence for Canada’s “EU” World Trade Organisation quota. As of 1 January 2024, the Canadian importer must have a licence for Canada’s “non EU” World Trade Organisation quota to import UK cheese.
Asked by: Lord Rooker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the consultation response to the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 on 17 January, when they will inform the WTO and EU Commission of the proposed changes, and how long each will have to make a response.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We are working to notify the World Trade Organisation (WTO) of the legislative changes to The Bread and Flour Regulations 1998 and Bread and Flour Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 in February. Notification to the EU Commission in respect of amendments in Northern Ireland will happen concurrently. The notification to WTO under the Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement involves a comment period of 60 days. Any comments received will be considered, following which measures can be adopted in Great Britain subject to parliamentary process. After notifying the EU Commission under Regulation (EC) No 1925/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council, for legislative changes in Northern Ireland, the Commission will provide an opinion on envisaged measures within three months. Measures can be adopted in Northern Ireland six months after notification provided the Commission’s opinion is not negative.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to help British cheese producers maintain levels of exports to Canada.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
As of 1 January 2024, U.K. exporters can export cheese to Canada tariff free if they do so through a Canadian importer with a licence for Canada’s “non-EU” World Trade Organisation quota. We continue to work closely with U.K. cheese exporters to monitor the impact of these changes.
We will also work closely with the sector to ensure that U.K. exporters are in a strong position to take advantage of the Canadian dairy quotas that the U.K. will be able to access through CPTPP.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the UK’s trading agreement with Canada on the British cheese industry.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
As of 1 January 2024, U.K. exporters can export cheese to Canada tariff free if they do so through a Canadian importer with a licence for Canada’s “non EU” World Trade Organisation quota.
These changes only came into effect at the start of the year, and it is too early to determine the full impact.
We will continue to work closely with U.K. cheese exporters to monitor the impact of the changes, including what this means for the relationships between Canadian import licence holders and exporters.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to alter trade policy to enhance economic growth, further to the recommendations made in the final report of the Economy 2030 inquiry, Ending Stagnation: A New Economic Strategy for Britain, published by the Resolution Foundation on 4 December.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government notes the report and is already working to deliver economic growth through our trade strategy. We are opening markets through trade agreements and bilateral relationships, protecting UK business, and working to strengthen the World Trade Organisation and global rulebook. We are focused on deepening economic relationships with high-growth countries and providing businesses with the right foundations to drive growth and raise living standards. Noting the recommendation on services, we continue to negotiate ambitious commitments in Free Trade Agreements to remove barriers to services trade, provide greater choice, innovation, competition, and deliver meaningful benefits to UK businesses and consumers.
Asked by: Neale Hanvey (Alba Party - Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the recommendations of the UK Trade and Business Commission's report entitled Trading our way to prosperity, published May 2023.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
His Majesty’s Government is getting on with the job of delivering economic growth for the whole of the UK. Our trade strategy is to trade our way to prosperity. We are driving prosperity by seeking to strengthen the World Trade Organisation, reform the global rulebook, protect UK business, and open markets by signing high-quality trade deals and removing trade barriers.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to extend the eligibility of British cheese producers to export cheese to Canada under the reserve for the European Union within Canada's World Trade Organisation Tariff Rate Quota until 31 December 2025.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Negotiations with Canada on this issue are ongoing. Our key aim is to ensure that we maintain current market access for the UK dairy sector. We have longstanding rights to this access at the World Trade Organisation, and a long-term solution is in the best interests of businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. We continue to make that clear to the Canadian government at Ministerial and official level.