Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with which EU member states the UK has concluded a reciprocal agreement on the right of each other's citizens to (a) vote and (b) stand as candidates in local elections after the UK leaves the EU; and with which EU member states are discussions ongoing.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK has approached all EU Member States to offer bilateral agreements which protect the right to vote and stand in local elections for UK Nationals in the EU, and EU citizens in the UK after exit day.
We have reached agreements with Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg to secure the right for UK nationals in EU member states and EU citizens in the UK to vote and stand as candidates in local elections. This is a positive step and we hope this will encourage similar agreements with other Member States.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the guidance entitled, Procurement policy note 03/14: measures to promote tax compliance, published on 6 February 2014, how many suppliers were allocated contracts by his Department as a result of complying with (a) one and (b) more than one of the mitigating circumstances after not meeting the tax compliance questions.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
No suppliers have been excluded from bidding for contracts due to not meeting the criteria in Procurement Policy Note 03/14 since the Department was created in 2016.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many suppliers have been excluded from bidding for contracts as a result of not complying with the criteria set out in the guidance entitled, Procurement policy note 03/14: promoting tax compliance, in each year since the creation of his Department.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Department have not directly excluded any suppliers from bidding for contracts on the basis of PPN 03/14.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the classification of sanitary items for VAT purposes within the context of the EU withdrawal negotiations.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The Government has continued to press at EU level for the flexibility to apply a zero rate of VAT to women’s sanitary products so that this can be introduced in the UK at the earliest opportunity.
In January 2018, the European Commission brought forward a legislative proposal to enhance Member States’ flexibility to apply reduced and zero rates of VAT.
This proposal remains under discussion and, if agreed to by Member States, would give the UK the legal ability to zero rate women’s sanitary products.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the withdrawal of Rules of Origin trade exemptions contained within current EU Free Trade Agreements on the competitiveness of UK medicines manufacturing and supply to third countries when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
As we move into the second phase of negotiations we are confident of agreeing a bold and ambitious economic partnership with the EU that is of greater scope than any such existing agreement.
The role of preferential or non-preferential Rules of Origin in any deal, and our approach to minimising administration and friction, will depend on the precise nature of the agreement between the UK and the EU.
We have been working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Office for Life Sciences to understand the needs of the pharmaceutical industry. Our Ministers also have regular engagement with a variety of Life Sciences companies and trade bodies, including the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry and the BioIndustry Association through the cross-government Life Sciences Steering Group.