Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Australian bush fires and the climate emergency, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of barring UK Export Finance from providing credit for businesses investing in fossil fuels.
Answered by Conor Burns
Tackling climate change and supporting the transition away from dependence on high greenhouse gas emitting energy sources is a priority for Government. As the world transitions to a low carbon economy, there remains a need for a mix of energy sources and technologies. UK companies have an important role to play in the transition away from fossil fuels and UK Export Finance (UKEF) will remain responsive to the evolving export financing needs of UK companies during this transition.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment he has made of compliance with arms export licence criteria of weapons sold to Turkey.
Answered by Graham Stuart
All export licence applications, including for Turkey, are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking into account all relevant factors at the time of the application, including how the goods will be used.
The Government continues to monitor the situation in Syria very closely and is considering the licensing position in the light of recent developments. No further export licences to Turkey for items which might be used in military operations in Syria will be granted while we do so.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the UN expert panel report which stated that British-made laser guidance missile systems were found at an air raid site in Yemen in a strike that breached international humanitarian law; and whether his Department plans to appeal the Court of Appeal ruling of 20 June 2019 on the application of Campaign Against Arms Trade.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government will take account of this report and other relevant evidence, information and reporting in making any decisions on the export licensing position under Criterion 2c of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. The Government will not grant a licence if there is a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
The Secretary of State has submitted a Notice of Appeal to the Supreme Court in respect of the Court of Appeal’s judgement of 20 June 2019. Without prejudice to this, work is underway on the process for retaking licensing decisions in accordance with the Order of the Court of Appeal of 20 June 2019.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many trade deals her Department is aiming to complete before 31 October 2019.
Answered by Conor Burns
The Government is committed to leaving the EU on 31st October and is seeking a new deal with the EU. At this late stage, we believe that it is still possible for the UK to leave the EU with a deal and will work to make this happen.
We have been making preparations in the event we choose to leave the EU without a deal. To date, the UK has signed or agreed in principle agreements with countries that account for 64% of the UK’s trade with all the countries with which the UK is seeking continuity in the event of a potential No Deal. That has moved from 28% since March. We continue to work intensively on remaining agreements to minimise disruption as far as possible.
A regularly updated list of agreements signed is available on GOV.UK and alongside a list of remaining agreements: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/existing-trade-agreements-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-without-a-deal/existing-trade-agreements-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-without-a-deal
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what human rights assessment was made before the approval of an export licence for telecommunications interception equipment to Hong Kong.
Answered by Graham Stuart
All export licence applications, including for Hong Kong, are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria taking into account all relevant factors at the time of the application, including how the goods will be used. There was one licence issued to Hong Kong for telecommunications equipment in the first quarter of 2019, for use in counter terrorism, counter narcotics, counter trafficking and search and rescue operations. We draw on a range of sources in making our assessments, including our overseas network. Risks around human rights violations or abuses are a key part of our assessment. We do not license equipment where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what criteria are used to assess whether to grant export licences to foreign governments for surveillance technology.
Answered by Graham Stuart
All export licence applications, including for Hong Kong, are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria taking into account all relevant factors at the time of the application, including how the goods will be used. There was one licence issued to Hong Kong for telecommunications equipment in the first quarter of 2019, for use in counter terrorism, counter narcotics, counter trafficking and search and rescue operations. We draw on a range of sources in making our assessments, including our overseas network. Risks around human rights violations or abuses are a key part of our assessment. We do not license equipment where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the use in Hong Kong of telecommunications interception equipment purchased from the UK; and will he make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart
All export licence applications, including for Hong Kong, are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria taking into account all relevant factors at the time of the application, including how the goods will be used. There was one licence issued to Hong Kong for telecommunications equipment in the first quarter of 2019, for use in counter terrorism, counter narcotics, counter trafficking and search and rescue operations. We draw on a range of sources in making our assessments, including our overseas network. Risks around human rights violations or abuses are a key part of our assessment. We do not license equipment where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2019 to Question 267763 on Standard Individual Export Licences: Saudi Arabia, what the estimated value is of the 57 export licences for Saudi Arabia under consideration on 20 June 2019.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Any applications being considered for the granting of licences have not been published as official statistics on GOV.UK and therefore information about those applications cannot be disclosed.
In addition, since no decision has been taken on these export licence applications, I am also withholding this information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and another State.
The data currently published on GOV.UK covers licences where a decision was made prior to 1 January 2019, with details of each licence correct as at 15 March 2019. Information from the period 1 January 2019 to 31 March 2019 will be published on 16 July 2019 and data covering the period 1 April 2019 to 30 June 2019 will be published in October 2019.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will publish all extant Open Individual Export Licences for which the end-user is Saudi Arabia stating in each case the (a) name of the Licensee, (b) goods annual report summary, (c) goods rating, (d) weapons type, (e) date on which the licence was granted and (f) length of time the licence has been granted for.
Answered by Graham Stuart
There are 295 extant Standard Individual Export Licences, where the end user is Saudi Arabia.
There were 57 applications for export licences under consideration on 20 June 2019.
Details of Open Individual Export Licences (OIEL) that were extant as at 24 June (9am) and these licences were granted prior to 31 December 2018, will be placed in the libraries of the House.
Any licences granted from 1 January 2019 onwards have not, as yet, been published as official statistics on GOV.UK and therefore information about those licences cannot be disclosed.
The data currently published on GOV.UK covers licences where a decision was made prior to 1 January 2019, with details of each licence correct as at 15 March 2019. Information from the period 1 January 2019 to 31 March 2019 will be published on 16 July 2019 and data covering the period 1 April 2019 to 30 June 2019 will be published in October 2019.
OIELs are generally valid for up to 5 years from the date of issue. However, OIELs covering the export to EU Member States of goods entered on the Military List are generally valid for up to 3 years.
Disclosure of the names of those exporters who have been granted Open Individual Export Licences would prejudice their commercial interests and therefore we will not be disclosing this information.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many applications for export licences for Saudi Arabia were under consideration on 20 June 2019.
Answered by Graham Stuart
There are 295 extant Standard Individual Export Licences, where the end user is Saudi Arabia.
There were 57 applications for export licences under consideration on 20 June 2019.
Details of Open Individual Export Licences (OIEL) that were extant as at 24 June (9am) and these licences were granted prior to 31 December 2018, will be placed in the libraries of the House.
Any licences granted from 1 January 2019 onwards have not, as yet, been published as official statistics on GOV.UK and therefore information about those licences cannot be disclosed.
The data currently published on GOV.UK covers licences where a decision was made prior to 1 January 2019, with details of each licence correct as at 15 March 2019. Information from the period 1 January 2019 to 31 March 2019 will be published on 16 July 2019 and data covering the period 1 April 2019 to 30 June 2019 will be published in October 2019.
OIELs are generally valid for up to 5 years from the date of issue. However, OIELs covering the export to EU Member States of goods entered on the Military List are generally valid for up to 3 years.
Disclosure of the names of those exporters who have been granted Open Individual Export Licences would prejudice their commercial interests and therefore we will not be disclosing this information.