Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if the Government will stipulate the release of political prisoners held in Indonesia, such as Victor Yeimo, being a condition for negotiating any future trade agreements with that country.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government is committed to ensuring that our trade policy is consistent with our international obligations. We are clear that more trade need not come at the expense of our values.
The United Kingdom respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including the provinces of Papua and West Papua. We recognise challenges in the region and regularly discuss Papua with our Indonesian counterparts.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support her Department provides to UK companies seeking to develop international renewable energy projects to provide energy to the UK.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for International Trade (DIT) undertakes a range of promotional activities to help UK companies to access international opportunities. DIT has an established renewable energy team, an international network of trade and investment advisors, and a network of UK-based regional trade advisors who support UK-based companies to find export opportunities in renewables, including any that would supply energy to the UK. In addition, DIT works to encourage investments into the low carbon economy and support international ambitions to accelerate the global transition to net-zero.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to support UK businesses to develop energy projects in Morocco.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Department for International Trade teams work closely with UK companies to identify and highlight opportunities in the Moroccan energy sector, and with our Moroccan partners to showcase the expertise and value UK businesses can bring to energy projects.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to reports of up to 45,000 civilians displaced by Indonesian military operations in Nduga, West Papua, if the Government will stop the (a) sale of arms and (b) provision of training programmes to Indonesia.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government takes its export control responsibilities very seriously. All export licence applications are assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (the ‘Consolidated Criteria’).
The Consolidated Criteria takes into account our obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty and other relevant rules of international law. It provides a thorough risk assessment framework and requires us to think hard about the possible impact of providing equipment and its capabilities. These are not decisions we take lightly.
HM Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria, including where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression.
The United Kingdom supports counter-terrorism training for the Indonesian National Police, through the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC). This includes a broad range of counter terrorism investigation and analytical skills; essential equipment to enhance Indonesia’s forensic, surveillance and IT capabilities; and training on the post-terrorist incident response, including first aid training. All training requires rights and responsibilities to be upheld. We do not provide training to Papua based units but continue to monitor the situation in Papua closely. HM Government respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, which includes Papua and West Papua provinces.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effect of Investor-state dispute settlement cases during the covid-19 pandemic; and is she will take steps to restrict the use of such clauses in relation to matters concerning the Government’s response to the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government recognises the importance of strengthening international investment in response to COVID-19, and the important role played by both investment protection and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions in safeguarding British investors overseas, including pensioners across the country through their pension funds and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
We are clear that HM Government and our treaty partners retain the right to regulate in the public interest, including for public health purposes, and this is already recognised under international law. There has never been a successful ISDS claim against the United Kingdom, nor has the threat of potential claims affected our legislation.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she has taken to prevent the export of UK-manufactured crowd-control (a) equipment and (b) arms being used for internal repression in Chile.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
I have been sorry to see the unrest on the streets of Santiago. Arms and certain crowd control equipment require an export licence. I can assure that Hon. Gentleman that all export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (the ‘Consolidated Criteria’).
In reaching a decision, the Department for International Trade (DIT) receives advice from a number of Departments including the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Together, we draw on all available information, including reports from Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and our diplomatic missions. The Consolidated Criteria provides a thorough risk assessment framework and requires us to think hard about the impact of exporting any items.
Assessments under Criterion 2 in particular, include the respect of rights and freedoms in the country of final destination. A licence will not be issued if to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria, including where there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression.
We continue to global monitor developments closely and are able to review licences – and suspend or revoke as necessary – when circumstances require, in line with the Consolidated Criteria.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the current status is of export licenses to the US for anti-riot gear.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade and I have been sorry to see the violence that has taken place in the United States of America.
All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (‘Consolidated Criteria’). In reaching a decision, the Department for International Trade receives advice from a number of Departments including the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Together, we draw on all available information, including reports from NGOs and our diplomatic missions. The Consolidated Criteria provides a thorough risk assessment framework and requires us to think hard about the impact of exporting any equipment. These are not decisions my Department takes lightly, and we will not license the export of items where to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.
Any licence granted by my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade may be subject to conditions. In addition, in line with the Consolidated Criteria, my Department is able to review licences – and suspend or revoke as necessary – when circumstances require. There are currently eight extant licences that may be linked to law enforcement agencies. Six are Open Individual Export Licences (‘OIELs’), which have potential end users that include law enforcement agencies. Two are Standard Individual Export Licences (‘SIELs’), which have numerous potential end users that include law enforcement agencies. There are also 15 Open General Licences (‘OGLs’) for which businesses can register that cover the export of anti-riot gear.
Much information is in the public domain already. We publish information on all export licences issued, refused and revoked on a quarterly and annual basis as official statistics on GOV.UK – at: gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data – and whilst data on actual exports is not required to be centrally held, the licences issued until the end of December 2019 are available.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will revoke existing licences to export riot gear to the US.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade and I have been sorry to see the violence that has taken place in the United States of America.
All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (‘Consolidated Criteria’). In reaching a decision, the Department for International Trade receives advice from a number of Departments including the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Together, we draw on all available information, including reports from NGOs and our diplomatic missions. The Consolidated Criteria provides a thorough risk assessment framework and requires us to think hard about the impact of exporting any equipment. These are not decisions my Department takes lightly, and we will not license the export of items where to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.
Any licence granted by my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade may be subject to conditions. In addition, in line with the Consolidated Criteria, my Department is able to review licences – and suspend or revoke as necessary – when circumstances require. There are currently eight extant licences that may be linked to law enforcement agencies. Six are Open Individual Export Licences (‘OIELs’), which have potential end users that include law enforcement agencies. Two are Standard Individual Export Licences (‘SIELs’), which have numerous potential end users that include law enforcement agencies. There are also 15 Open General Licences (‘OGLs’) for which businesses can register that cover the export of anti-riot gear.
Much information is in the public domain already. We publish information on all export licences issued, refused and revoked on a quarterly and annual basis as official statistics on GOV.UK – at: gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data – and whilst data on actual exports is not required to be centrally held, the licences issued until the end of December 2019 are available.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the UK ban on exports of sodium thiopental to the US will be maintained after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Graham Stuart
If the UK leaves without a deal, Sodium Thiopental will be controlled by the proposed regulation retaining the relevant EU regulation, (EU) 2019/125, under the EU (Withdrawal) Act. This will be subject to both houses agreeing to the proposed retaining regulation.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make it his Department's policy to exclude health services from all future trade agreements.
Answered by George Hollingbery
I refer the Honourable Friend for Leeds North West to the answer I gave to the Member for Midlothian on 26 February 2019, UIN 224362.