Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
What plans she has to maintain employment and environmental protections in the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
Answered by Greg Hands
There is no Government plan to reduce workers’ rights or environmental protections, and the UK’s high standards have never been dependent on EU membership. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement meets the Government’s fundamental objective of ensuring that the EU has no control over our rules, while meeting our manifesto commitments to get a Free Trade Agreement with the EU, and to make no compromises to our high labour, environment and climate standards provided by our laws and regulations.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he plans to suspend the sale and export to the US of UK manufactured (a) public order equipment and (b) equipment used for law enforcement.
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 (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-Governmental 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 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: www.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: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she will bring the Government’s negotiating objectives before Parliament in advance of future trade discussions; and whether hon Members will have a meaningful vote on the objectives for those trade discussions.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government is committed to the principle of effective parliamentary scrutiny. We have provided extensive information to Parliament on our negotiations, including publishing our objectives prior to the start of talks and holding open briefings for MPs and Peers at the launch of US and Japan talks.
We will continue to keep Parliament updated on negotiations as they progress, including close engagement with the International Trade Committee and the Lords International Agreements Committee.
This approach strikes the right balance between respecting the UK constitution, ensuring that Government can negotiate in the best interests of the UK; and ensuring that Parliament has the information it needs to effectively scrutinise our trade policy.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to prevent a potential increase in drug purchasing costs for the NHS in future trade deals.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government has been clear that the NHS will remain free at the point of need.
When HM Government is negotiating trade agreements, we have been clear that the NHS will not be on the table. The price the NHS pays for drugs will not be on the table. The services the NHS provides will not be on the table. The NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or at home.
This position was reaffirmed in our negotiating objectives for a Free Trade Agreement with the United States of America, published on 2nd March 2020.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether it is the Government's policy to exclude investor-state dispute settlement courts from any new trade deals.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The precise details of any future Free Trade Agreement are a matter for formal negotiations, and we would not seek to pre-empt these discussions.
The United Kingdom has negotiated investment agreements with Investor-State Dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions with over 90 existing treaty partners and recognises the important role that investment protection standards can play in reassuring our investors abroad. For example, these provisions can ensure that the assets of British investors are not expropriated without compensation, and that they are not treated in a discriminatory or arbitrary manner.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Government plans to include the involvement of investor-state dispute settlement courts in future trade deals.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The precise details of any future Free Trade Agreement are a matter for formal negotiations, and we would not seek to pre-empt these discussions.
The United Kingdom has negotiated investment agreements with Investor-State Dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions with over 90 existing treaty partners and recognises the important role that investment protection standards can play in reassuring our investors abroad. For example, these provisions can ensure that the assets of British investors are not expropriated without compensation, and that they are not treated in a discriminatory or arbitrary manner.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure that the NHS remains in public ownership and free at the point of use in the event that new trade deals are agreed.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government has been clear that the NHS will remain free at the point of need.
When HM Government is negotiating trade agreements, we have been clear that the NHS will not be on the table. The price the NHS pays for drugs will not be on the table. The services the NHS provides will not be on the table. The NHS is not, and never will be, for sale to the private sector, whether overseas or at home.
This position was reaffirmed in our negotiating objectives for a Free Trade Agreement with the United States of America, published on 2nd March 2020.