Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the relationship between the global wildlife food trade in China and the spread of COVID-19.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The origin of the Covid-19 virus is not yet clear, although it has been linked to viruses occurring in animals. Pandemics arise as a combination of events and are a global concern. The World Animal Health Organisation, of which the UK is a member, will be addressing wildlife trade at the next general session. It will be important to definitively establish Covid-19's origins in due course. On 24 February 2020 China announced a proposal prohibiting the trade and consumption of wildlife and we will continue to discuss this important issue with the Chinese government.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China about stopping the trade in global wildlife for human consumption.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Pandemics arise as a combination of events and are a global concern. The origin of the Covid-19 virus is not yet clear, although it has been linked to viruses occurring in animals. The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to regulate global trade in wild animals and my officials regularly raise our concerns with other governments, including China, and with international authorities. The World Animal Health Organisation, of which the UK is a member, will be addressing wildlife trade at the next general session in May 2020. On 24 February 2020, China's National People's Congress passed a law banning the wildlife trade and the consumption of wild animals.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likelihood of pandemics resulting from the trade of global wildlife in China.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The origin of the Covid-19 virus is not yet clear, although it has been linked to viruses occurring in animals. Pandemics arise as a combination of events and are a global concern. The World Animal Health Organisation, of which the UK is a member, will be addressing wildlife trade at the next general session. It will be important to definitively establish Covid-19's origins in due course. On 24 February 2020 China announced a proposal prohibiting the trade and consumption of wildlife and we will continue to discuss this important issue with the Chinese government.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what educational programmes they are supporting in Commonwealth countries to inform local people of any relationship between COVID-19 and other diseases and the trade in wildlife for food; and what steps they are taking to discourage such trade.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK recognises that strong health systems are vital to ensuring health security and we support the Commonwealth's ambition to move towards achieving Universal Health Coverage, enabling countries to prevent, detect and respond to global outbreaks like Coronavirus. The origin of the Covid-19 virus is not yet clear, although it has been linked to viruses occurring in animals. The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to regulate global trade in wild animals and my officials regularly raise our concerns with other governments and with international authorities. The Commonwealth secretariat has launched a Commonwealth Coronavirus Response Centre that aims to provide a wealth of information on COVID-19 and educational resources for Commonwealth countries. Separately, the UK has announced £210 million further funding to the international coalition to find a vaccine, bringing the total amount of UK aid spent to fight COVID-19 to £544 million.
The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to raise awareness and promote action to tackle the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT). We have continued to address IWT through bilateral discussions and in multilateral partners. Through this work we were able to successfully work with international partners to help secure strong IWT Resolution at last year's United Nations General Assembly. The UK has also announced a £220 million international biodiversity fund to protect and enhance global biodiversity, £30 million of which will go to tackle IWT.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK citizens working as crew on commercial vessels moving between EU countries will be able to remain within the Schengen area for more than 90 days in any 180 day period after December 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The EU has already legislated such that British nationals will not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in every 180-day period. British nationals who intend to stay or travel in the Schengen area for longer than 90 days in any 180-day period may need a visa or permit from the relevant Member State to do so.
The Schengen Area provision for 90 days access in any 180-day period does not apply to those undertaking paid work or providing a service in the Schengen Area. British nationals should check with the Embassy of the relevant Member State for what kind of visa or permit, if any, they will need.
As set out by the Prime Minister, the United Kingdom is seeking to agree reciprocal commitments with the EU on the temporary entry and stay of individuals, so that both British nationals and EU citizens can undertake short-term business trips to supply services in each others' territories. The detail of these mobility arrangements will be negotiated. Information about travelling to the EU to provide a service is available on GOV.UK. We will update these pages as further information is available.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK citizens working in the EU, whose role entails travelling between several EU countries, will be able to remain within the Schengen area for more than 90 days in any 180 day period after December 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
A frontier worker is a person who regularly works in one or more states in which they do not reside, irrespective of whether they also work in their state of residence. British nationals who are frontier workers in the EU before the end of the transition period are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. This means that British nationals working in an EU Member State and resident in the United kingdom or another Member State before the end of the transition period will be able to continue to work as they do now.
British nationals who are not protected by the Withdrawal Agreement as frontier workers because they are not frontier working in the EU prior to the end of the transition period may require a visa or work permit from the relevant Member State (s) in order to undertake paid work in the EU. The Schengen Area provision for 90 days access in any 180-day period does not apply to those undertaking paid work or providing a service in the Schengen Area. British nationals should check with the Embassy of the relevant Member State for what kind of visa or permit, if any, they will need.
As set out by the Prime Minister, the United Kingdom is seeking to agree reciprocal commitments with the EU on the temporary entry and stay of individuals, so that both UK nationals and EU citizens can undertake short-term business trips to supply services in each others' territories. The detail of these mobility arrangements will be negotiated. Information about travelling to the EU to provide a service is available on GOV.UK We will update these pages as further information is available.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will alert UK citizens travelling in the EU to new visa requirements that will apply to them after the end of the implementation period.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) will be communicating with UK travellers through a Public Information Campaign to alert them to future changes and provide advice on any actions they may need to take to travel to the EU after 31 December 2020.
The FCO will continue to provide advice on entry requirements for foreign travel within its travel advice on GOV.UK. Travel advice pages will be updated to reflect any future changes to visa policy for travelling to the EU after 31 December 2020.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK students intending to travel in the EU in 2021 will be able to remain in the Schengen area for more than 90 days in any 180 day period.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The EU has already legislated such that British nationals will not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in every 180-day period. This will apply from the end of the transition period to all British nationals travelling to and within the Schengen area for tourism, to visit friends or family, to attend cultural or sports events or exchanges, to attend business meetings, for journalistic or media purposes, medical treatment, for short-term studies or training and any similar activities.
Provisions for British nationals, including students, intending to stay in the Schengen area for longer than 90 days in any 180-day period will depend on the approach taken by the EU or by the relevant Member State(s). British nationals intending to stay in the Schengen Area for longer may need a visa or permit to do so. Member State rules vary and British nationals should check entry requirements with the Embassy of the relevant Member State.
Further information for British nationals currently studying or travelling, or intending to study or travel, in the EU is available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK citizens travelling by (1) mobile home, (2) yacht, (3) barge, or (4) bicycle, will be able to remain in the Schengen area for more than 90 days in any 180 day period after December 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The EU has already legislated such that British nationals will not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in every 180-day period. This will apply from the end of the transition period to all British nationals travelling to and within the Schengen Area for tourism, to visit friends or family, to attend cultural or sports events or exchanges, to attend business meetings, for journalistic or media purposes, medical treatment, for short-term studies or training and any similar activities. Further detail is available on the European Commission's website.
Provisions for British nationals intending to stay in the Schengen area for longer than 90 days in any 180-day period will depend on the approach taken by the EU or by the relevant Member State (s). British nationals intending to stay in the Schengen Area for longer may need a visa or permit to do so. Member State rules vary and British nationals should check with the Embassy of the relevant Member State for what type of visa or permit, if any, they will need.
The FCO's Travel Advice pages provide the most up to date information on entry requirements for travellers. We will update those pages if there are any changes for British nationals travelling to EU Member States.
Asked by: Lord Mawson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK citizens who own a second home in the EU will be limited to spending only 90 days in any 180 day period in the Schengen area after December 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The EU has already legislated such that British nationals will not need a visa when travelling to the Schengen area for short stays of up to 90 days in every 180-day period. This will apply from the end of the transition period to all British nationals travelling to and within the Schengen Area for tourism, to visit friends or family, to attend cultural or sports events or exchanges, to attend business meetings, for journalistic or media purposes, medical treatment, for short-term studies or training and any similar activities.
British nationals, including second homeowners, who intend to stay in the Schengen area for longer than 90 days in any 180-day period may need a visa or permit from the relevant Member State to do so. Member State rules vary, and British nationals should check with the Embassy of the relevant Member State for what type of visa or permit, if any, they will need.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Travel Advice pages provide the most up to date information on entry requirements for British Nationals staying in the EU. We will update those pages if there are any changes for British nationals travelling to EU Member States.