Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to limit any disruption to EU–UK trade flows that may arise from a no-deal Brexit.
Answered by Lord Bates
The Government is committed to supporting businesses and recognises the importance of trade fluidity for goods through the UK’s borders.
HMRC are introducing temporary easements for a no deal scenario making it easier for businesses to import goods from the EU using Roll on Roll off locations. Once registered, businesses will be able to transport goods into the UK without having to make full declarations at the border, and will be able to postpone paying import duties for a short period.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they (1) have given, and (2) plan to give to Ghana that its current duty free and quota free access to UK markets for agricultural products will continue until 1 January 2021 regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations; and whether there are any other such countries to which similar assurances (a) have been, and (b) will be made.
Answered by Baroness Fairhead
As the UK leaves the EU, we seek to replicate the effects of seven EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, including with Ghana. We are working with partners to conclude and implement agreements from 29 March 2019 or as soon as possible thereafter in the event of a “no deal” exit.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the objectives of the Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance developed by the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance; what steps they will take to promote the principles within the Commonwealth; and whether they will advocate for their consideration at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda in 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to tackling intimidation and violence against journalists wherever it occurs, including in Commonwealth countries, and to challenging impunity for such crimes. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our determination to address this issue on the International Day to End Impunity for Attacks Against Journalists on 2 November, announcing our intention to put the resources of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) behind the cause of media freedom and to hold an international conference on this issue, in 2019. We welcome the attention UNESCO has given to this problem.
We support the work of the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance on Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance, and their continued efforts to prepare them for consideration at the Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda in 2020. Officials from the FCO and Cabinet Office have offered advice and support to members of the Working Group, most recently on 12 November 2018. The Working Group was given the opportunity to brief all member states on the proposed principles at senior official level, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018. However, there was no consensus amongst member states for the principles to be formally included on Heads' agenda or in their official communiqué. We have discussed the principles with the Commonwealth Secretariat on several occasions since the Heads of Government Meeting. We continue to encourage the Working Group to work with member states and the Secretariat to build consensus towards adoption of the principles.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they were aware of the development of the Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance by the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in 2018; and what steps they took to support the principles at the summit.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to tackling intimidation and violence against journalists wherever it occurs, including in Commonwealth countries, and to challenging impunity for such crimes. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our determination to address this issue on the International Day to End Impunity for Attacks Against Journalists on 2 November, announcing our intention to put the resources of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) behind the cause of media freedom and to hold an international conference on this issue, in 2019. We welcome the attention UNESCO has given to this problem.
We support the work of the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance on Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance, and their continued efforts to prepare them for consideration at the Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda in 2020. Officials from the FCO and Cabinet Office have offered advice and support to members of the Working Group, most recently on 12 November 2018. The Working Group was given the opportunity to brief all member states on the proposed principles at senior official level, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018. However, there was no consensus amongst member states for the principles to be formally included on Heads' agenda or in their official communiqué. We have discussed the principles with the Commonwealth Secretariat on several occasions since the Heads of Government Meeting. We continue to encourage the Working Group to work with member states and the Secretariat to build consensus towards adoption of the principles.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Commonwealth Secretary-General about the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance’s 2018 report on Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to tackling intimidation and violence against journalists wherever it occurs, including in Commonwealth countries, and to challenging impunity for such crimes. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our determination to address this issue on the International Day to End Impunity for Attacks Against Journalists on 2 November, announcing our intention to put the resources of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) behind the cause of media freedom and to hold an international conference on this issue, in 2019. We welcome the attention UNESCO has given to this problem.
We support the work of the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance on Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance, and their continued efforts to prepare them for consideration at the Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda in 2020. Officials from the FCO and Cabinet Office have offered advice and support to members of the Working Group, most recently on 12 November 2018. The Working Group was given the opportunity to brief all member states on the proposed principles at senior official level, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018. However, there was no consensus amongst member states for the principles to be formally included on Heads' agenda or in their official communiqué. We have discussed the principles with the Commonwealth Secretariat on several occasions since the Heads of Government Meeting. We continue to encourage the Working Group to work with member states and the Secretariat to build consensus towards adoption of the principles.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the UNESCO Director-General's 2018 Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity which found that 104 journalists were killed in eight Commonwealth countries between 2006 and 2015, and that in none of these cases the perpetrators were brought to justice.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to tackling intimidation and violence against journalists wherever it occurs, including in Commonwealth countries, and to challenging impunity for such crimes. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our determination to address this issue on the International Day to End Impunity for Attacks Against Journalists on 2 November, announcing our intention to put the resources of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) behind the cause of media freedom and to hold an international conference on this issue, in 2019. We welcome the attention UNESCO has given to this problem.
We support the work of the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance on Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance, and their continued efforts to prepare them for consideration at the Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda in 2020. Officials from the FCO and Cabinet Office have offered advice and support to members of the Working Group, most recently on 12 November 2018. The Working Group was given the opportunity to brief all member states on the proposed principles at senior official level, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018. However, there was no consensus amongst member states for the principles to be formally included on Heads' agenda or in their official communiqué. We have discussed the principles with the Commonwealth Secretariat on several occasions since the Heads of Government Meeting. We continue to encourage the Working Group to work with member states and the Secretariat to build consensus towards adoption of the principles.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the exposure of universities to illicit financial flows through university engagement with philanthropic sources of funding.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department has not made any assessment of illicit flows of funding to universities. However, as a result of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017, the Office for Students (OfS), as the market regulator, will act swiftly and decisively where the interest of the student and the taxpayer is at risk at any registered provider of higher education. OfS will have a range of powers that it will employ at a sector and individual provider level, as appropriate and proportionate, both to prevent fraud and to act when fraud is suspected.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish the draft bill for their proposed register of the beneficial owners of overseas companies owning property in the UK.
Answered by Lord Henley
On 11 December the Government published its new Anti-Corruption Strategy. In the Strategy we have committed to publish a draft bill in this session of Parliament for the establishment of a public register of beneficial ownership of overseas legal entities.
The Department ran a call for evidence on this policy earlier in 2017. We will publish a response to the call for evidence early in 2018 and will also set out more detail on the timeline for publishing the legislation.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the investigation being conducted under the French judicial system that has identified 200 million euros worth of assets held in France belonging to Teodorin Obiang, the Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea, and allegedly acquired with embezzled funds; and what steps, if any, they are taking to ascertain whether Mr Obiang holds any such assets in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
It is government policy to neither confirm nor deny the existence of a mutual legal assistance request.
The UWO provisions in the Criminal Finances Act 2017 are not yet commenced. When commenced, we expect that operational agencies will consider their use in appropriate cases when investigating the assets of individuals held in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to make early and extensive use of the new Unexplained Wealth Orders, in the light of the Obiang case in France in which the Vice-President of Equatorial Guineas is alleged to have committed embezzlement, corruption and extortion in that state.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
It is government policy to neither confirm nor deny the existence of a mutual legal assistance request.
The UWO provisions in the Criminal Finances Act 2017 are not yet commenced. When commenced, we expect that operational agencies will consider their use in appropriate cases when investigating the assets of individuals held in the UK.