Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate she has made of the additional annual cost to UK food and drink manufacturing businesses of the application of the published UK global tariff.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Global Tariff (UKGT) is tailored to the UK economy and balances the interests of UK consumers and producers. It is a lower tariff regime than the EU’s Common External Tariff. In designing the UKGT, we assessed all available evidence submitted during the public consultation in depth and considered a range of factors, such as the five principles set out in the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018.
The UKGT eliminates tariffs on imports where the UK has limited domestic production, which may lower cost pressures for UK households and businesses.
We will publish more analysis in the Taxation Information and Impact Note (TIIN) alongside the legislation, as is standard practice.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what information she holds on the potential effect of the application of the published UK global tariff on the average weekly family grocery purchase.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Global Tariff (UKGT) is tailored to the UK economy and balances the interests of UK consumers and producers. It is a lower tariff regime than the EU’s Common External Tariff. In designing the UKGT, we assessed all available evidence submitted during the public consultation in depth and considered a range of factors, such as the five principles set out in the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018.
The UKGT eliminates tariffs on imports where the UK has limited domestic production, which may lower cost pressures for UK households and businesses.
We will publish more analysis in the Taxation Information and Impact Note (TIIN) alongside the legislation, as is standard practice.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much her Department spent on (a) opinion polling and (b) focus groups in each month since January 2019.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The information requested is not held centrally by the Department for International Trade and therefore can only be provided at disproportionate costs.
All the Department’s contracts of over £10,000 can be found on the Government Contracts Finder web-site at https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Trade etc. in Dual-Use Items and Firearms etc. (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, what analysis he has carried out of the effect of those regulations on businesses.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Trade etc. in Dual-Use Items and Firearms etc. (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 were made to address inoperabilities and deficiencies of retained EU law arising from the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU and to ensure the legislation operates effectively after exit. We have proposed the creation of a general online licence that would permit the export of the majority of dual-use items to the EU.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Trade etc. in Dual-Use Items and Firearms etc. (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, on what basis the Government will determine what constitutes a human rights violation.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
After EU Exit export licence applications will continue to be assessed in the same way as they are now, on a case-by-case basis against the eight criteria set out in the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
Criterion 2 covers the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country for international humanitarian law. A licence would not be granted if to do so was inconsistent with the Criteria.
The Criteria are statutory guidance issued under section 9 of the Export Control Act 2002 as most recently announced to Parliament in a Written Ministerial Statement on 25 March 2014. After the UK leaves the EU, the Criteria will remain in force until such time as any new or amended guidance is announced to Parliament.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether existing licences that have been granted under the current EU exports control regime will continue to apply once the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal export licences granted by the UK would continue to be valid for export from the UK. Licences granted by the UK would no longer be valid for export from other EU Member States, and licences granted by the other Member States would no longer be valid for export from the UK.
If the UK ratifies the draft Withdrawal Agreement licences granted under the EU export control regime would continue to be valid throughout the EU until the end of the Implementation Period.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to Part 3 (3)(d) of the Trade etc. in Dual-Use Items and Firearms etc. (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, how the Government plans to work with the EU in respect of administering brokering licences.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
If we leave the EU without a deal the UK would no longer be able to participate in the EU’s formal information exchange and cooperation mechanisms. In such a scenario the creation of any future UK-EU cooperation and dialogue mechanisms would be subject to negotiation.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to Part 3 (3)(d) of the Trade etc. in Dual-Use Items and Firearms etc. (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, whether the Government plans to continue formal dialogue with the EU on restricted exports.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
If we leave the EU without a deal the UK would no longer be able to participate in the EU’s formal information exchange and cooperation mechanisms. In such a scenario the creation of any future UK-EU cooperation and dialogue mechanisms would be subject to negotiation.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Trade in Torture etc. Goods (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, how the government plans to report on (a) the success of those measures and (b) proposals for improvement.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
These Regulations are made to address inoperabilities and deficiencies of retained EU law arising from the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU and to ensure EU-derived domestic export control legislation operates effectively post-exit.
The retained version of the Regulation requires the Secretary of State to prepare and publish an annual activity report, providing information on the number of applications received, on the goods and countries concerned by these applications, and on the decisions taken on these applications.
Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Trade in Torture etc. Goods (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, what the Government’s proposed penalties are for breaching those regulations.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
These Regulations are made to address inoperabilities and deficiencies of retained EU law arising from the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU and to ensure EU-derived domestic export control legislation operates effectively post-exit. Maximum penalties for breaches of retained Regulation 2019/125 would continue to be the same as the penalties for breaches of the existing EU regulation, namely 10 years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.