Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department plans to conduct and publish an independently verified impact assessment of any prospective trade deal with New Zealand, including its impact on the UK achieving its (a) climate and (b) environmental goals.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Following the conclusion of negotiations with Australia and those with New Zealand, full impact assessments will be published prior to scrutiny by Parliament. These independently scrutinised impact assessments will cover the economic and environmental impacts of the deals.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the independently verified impact assessment of the Australia Free Trade Agreement due to be published by her Department before the end of the year will include a comprehensive assessment of its impact on the UK achieving its (a) climate and (b) environmental goals.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Following the conclusion of negotiations with Australia and those with New Zealand, full impact assessments will be published prior to scrutiny by Parliament. These independently scrutinised impact assessments will cover the economic and environmental impacts of the deals.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of the UK joining the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Following extensive engagement, the United Kingdom is not seeking to join the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) negotiations. We continue to work closely with international partners, including the members of ACCTS, to advance trade and environmental matters, through multilateral and plurilateral fora such as the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) group at the World Trade Organisation, and through our bilateral dialogues.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the independently verified impact assessment of the Australia Free Trade Agreement due to be published by her Department before the end of the year will include a comprehensive assessment of its impact on farming and agriculture in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Following the conclusion of negotiations, a full impact assessment will be published prior to scrutiny by Parliament. This will present the results of economic impacts of the agreement, including on UK sectoral output and employment. It will provide an assessment of the potential implications for the UK nations and English regions.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of her time is allocated to her role as (a) COP26 Adaptation and Resilience Champion and (b) Secretary of State for International Trade.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
My Rt. Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade dedicates a significant proportion of her time to her roles as COP26 Adaptation and Resilience Champion and Secretary of State for International Trade. Her time is spent flexibly depending on the relative need of each role.
Recently, she has been heavily engaged with the G20, Global Investment Summit and the G7 in her capacity as Trade Secretary – at which she raised the importance of tackling climate change. In the approach to the COP26 Summit, she is increasing the proportion of her time dedicated to COP26 priorities, including participation in key events, meetings with key stakeholders, and bilateral partners whilst maintaining support for core DIT ministerial engagement.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make it her policy to integrate firm climate commitments into all future free trade agreements and aligned with (a) the Paris Agreement and (b) the UK’s climate and environmental goals.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government is committed to upholding our climate commitments in free trade agreements. We will seek to maintain the United Kingdom’s high levels of environmental protection and sovereign right to regulate in pursuit of net zero by 2050, and affirm our commitments to multilateral environment agreements, including the Paris Agreement. As an example, such provisions were recently agreed with Australia and set out at Agreement in Principle.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which Government Ministers will visit the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition being in London between 14 and 17 September 2021.
Answered by Graham Stuart
It is expected that Ministers from the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Trade will attend Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2021. Last minute diary changes may supersede any arrangements made. Details of the Ministers who attended will be available after 17 September 2021.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support the Government is providing to the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition being held in London from 14 to 17 September 2021; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government provides a range of support to Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI), including the provision of military assets and engagement by Government Ministers. The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) UK Defence and Security Exports Team invites a number of international delegates on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government including overseas ministers, senior Government officials and military staff. All invitations to overseas delegations follow a stringent process of scrutiny and approval involving both DIT and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which countries and territories UK Defence and Security Exports has invited to attend the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition in London on 14 to 17 September 2021.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The following countries have received official invitations to the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2021 from the Department for International Trade UK Defence and Security Exports Team:
Angola
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belgium
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iraq
Italy
Japan
Kenya
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithuania
Malaysia
Mexico
Morocco
Mozambique
NATO
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Ukraine
USA
Vietnam
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the risk that arbitration claims could be filed under the (a) Energy Charter Treaty and (b) other trade or investment treaties by the (i) concession holders and (ii) shareholders in the Cambo oil fields in the event that a future government decided to end the concession before 2050.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom has investment agreements with Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions with over 90 trading partners, including within the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). There has never been a successful ISDS claim brought against the United Kingdom, nor has the threat of potential claims affected decisions taken by HM Government.
HM Government cannot comment on potential implications of hypothetical action that may be taken by a successor Government in the future.