Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the current status of the proposed free trade agreement with the Maldives.

Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)

The previous Government, of which the noble lord was a member, launched a public consultation into a potential UK/Maldives FTA in 2023. The Department for Business and Trade has subsequently evaluated its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) programme and decided not to progress a UK-Maldives FTA at this time. It would be inappropriate to speculate on what might or might not be included in an FTA which we are not pursuing.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the free trade agreement with the Maldives will include specific provisions that prioritise tuna caught by low impact methods over industrially caught tuna.

Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)

The previous Government, of which the noble lord was a member, launched a public consultation into a potential UK/Maldives FTA in 2023. The Department for Business and Trade has subsequently evaluated its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) programme and decided not to progress a UK-Maldives FTA at this time. It would be inappropriate to speculate on what might or might not be included in an FTA which we are not pursuing.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what safeguards for the marine environment they plan to include in any free trade agreement with the Maldives.

Answered by Lord Stockwood - Minister of State (HM Treasury)

The previous Government, of which the noble lord was a member, launched a public consultation into a potential UK/Maldives FTA in 2023. The Department for Business and Trade has subsequently evaluated its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) programme and decided not to progress a UK-Maldives FTA at this time. It would be inappropriate to speculate on what might or might not be included in an FTA which we are not pursuing.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what communication, if any, they have had with the government of New Zealand concerning reports in October 2024 that officials at its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade advised the government of that country that plans to repeal a ban on the exploration of offshore oil and gas sources would potentially be inconsistent with its obligations under the UK–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

The UK continues to engage with New Zealand through established channels under the Free Trade Agreement, including regular committee meetings and working groups, to ensure the Agreement is implemented effectively and in accordance with its provisions. The UK raised the issue of oil and gas developments with New Zealand in the lead up to, and following, the Environment and Climate Change Sub-Committee meeting in May 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 17 November 2022 (HL3491), whether any further consideration has been given to publishing the Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability on Ethiopia from 2022 either in part or in whole.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

I refer the Noble Lord to the response he was given to Question HL9366 on 14 July 2025.

Further to that response, on 12 December, the UK issued a formal statement alongside international partners calling for any tensions or disputes to be resolved peacefully and diplomatically. We maintain close coordination with international partners to ensure alignment on human rights actions, including at the Human Rights Council. Recommendations from the Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability are being translated into concrete actions measures or actions to strengthen accountability, reinforce mechanisms for monitoring and investigation, and improve documentation of international human rights and humanitarian law violations. We continue to help victims organise, prepare and be ready to participate fully when the transitional justice process resumes. And we continue actively supporting multilateral efforts to promote peace and stability in Ethiopia, engaging with the African Union and backing implementation of the African Union-led Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, including funding monitoring and compliance mechanisms.

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