Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2024 to Question 15265 on Shell: Nigeria, whether her Department has raised the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project during trade negotiations with Nigeria.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project was not part of the discussions with the Federal Government of Nigeria, when agreeing the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership (ETIP). The ETIP is a forward-looking and non-legally binding arrangement, which aims to cover issues both countries wish to work on, to resolve non-tariff market access barriers, and to boost mutual trade and investment.
However, the UK encourages a coordinated effort between the Nigerian Government, oil and gas companies, and communities to bring an end to all forms of oil contamination in Nigeria.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February to Question 13982 on Arms Trade: Israel, whether she has (a) amended, (b) suspended, (c) refused and (d) revoked any licences to export (i) arms and (ii) arms components to Israel since 12 February 2024.
Answered by Greg Hands
HM Government publishes data on export licensing decisions on a quarterly basis in the Official Statistics, including data on outcome, end user destination, overall value, type (e.g. military, other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data
Information about licences to Israel from 12th February 2024 has not yet been published as official statistics. Information regarding export licence decisions made between 1 January 2024 – 31 March 2024 will be published later this year.
In the event a decision was taken to amend, suspend or revoke any licences, we would contact the affected exporters directly and, where relevant, issue a Notice to Exporters which would be published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will review L3Harris’s licence to produce release systems for the F-35 combat aircraft in the context of the International Court of Justice's order relating to the case of the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v Israel), published on 26 January 2024.
Answered by Greg Hands
Decisions on export licensing are based on the UK's Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Government's export licences are kept under careful and continual review, and we can amend, suspend or revoke extant licences, or refuse new licence applications, where they are inconsistent with these criteria.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Environmental principles duty does not require the Government to maintain a comprehensive list of policies within scope of the duty.
The duty applies to all policies made from 1 November 2023, whether developed by a central department, or an arm’s length body, which are:
The environmental principles policy statement provides further information on what is considered policy in scope of the duty. Examples include strategies and frameworks.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5417 on Israel: Military Aid, whether she has carried out a review of L3Harris’s licence to produce release systems for the F-35 combat aircraft.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. We will not issue an export licence for any material to any destination where to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria.
Licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard and we are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences, or refuse new licence applications, as circumstances require.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has had recent discussions with (a) L3Harris on and (b) other UK-based companies using the open general export license for exports for the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II in the period since 7 October 2023.
Answered by Greg Hands
Since the events of 7 October 2023, the Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The Department has not engaged with users of Open General Licences since 7 October 2023 in relation to the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard and we are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences as circumstances require. In the event such decisions were taken for any licences, we would inform exporters via a ‘Notice to Exporters’.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5417 on Israel: Military Aid, whether she has carried out a review of the licences for components for military equipment provided to Israel.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. We will not issue an export licence for any material to any destination where to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria.
Licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard and we are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences, or refuse new licence applications, as circumstances require.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5417 on Israel: Military Aid, whether she has carried out a review of the licences for military technology provided to Israel.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. We will not issue an export licence for any material to any destination where to do so would be inconsistent with the Criteria.
Licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard and we are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences, or refuse new licence applications, as circumstances require.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5417 on Israel: Military Aid, whether any licences are in place that allow UK manufactured (a) military equipment and (b) components for military equipment to be sent to Israel.
Answered by Greg Hands
HM Government publishes data on export licensing decisions on a quarterly basis in the Official Statistics on GOV.UK, including data on outcome, end user destination, overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.
The most recent publication was on 30th August 2023, and covered the period 1st January – 31st March 2023. Information regarding export licensing decisions made after 31st March 2023 cannot be released at this stage as that information has not yet been published as official statistics.
The government does not publish statistics on extant licences.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will publish the details of any licences for export of military goods to Israel (a) that have been issued since 7 October 2023 and (b) which remained extant after 7 October 2023.
Answered by Greg Hands
HM Government publishes data on export licensing decisions on a quarterly basis in the Official Statistics, including data on outcome, end user destination, overall value, type by these licences. This data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.
The most recent publication was on 30th August 2023, and covered the period 1st January – 31st March 2023. Information covering 1st April – 30th June 2023 will be published on 16th January 2024.
Information regarding export licences granted between 7 October and end of December 2023 will be published after April 2024.
Licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard and we are able to amend, suspend or revoke extant licences, as circumstances require.
In the event such decisions were taken, for any licences, we would issue a Notice to Exporters, which would be published on gov.uk.