To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Open Individual Export Licences: Saudi Arabia
Thursday 27th June 2019

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)

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.


Written Question
Export Controls: Saudi Arabia
Thursday 27th June 2019

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)

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.


Written Question
Standard Individual Export Licences: Saudi Arabia
Thursday 27th June 2019

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many Single Individual Export Licences where the end-user is Saudi Arabia remain extant.

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.


Written Question
Trade Agreements
Thursday 7th March 2019

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department makes assessments of countries' human rights records when negotiating trade deals with those countries.

Answered by George Hollingbery

The UK has long supported the promotion of our values globally and we are committed to upholding the UK’s high standards as we leave the EU, including on human rights. For our continuity trade agreements, we are seeking to continue the effect of the EU’s current approach. As we move forward to establish our approach for future trade agreements we are continuing to assess options to further our human rights agenda taking account of responses to the Government consultations.


Written Question
Oil and Natural Gas: Export Credit Guarantees
Wednesday 6th March 2019

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he plans to review UK Export Finance policy on awarding funds to support businesses involved in oil and gas schemes globally.

Answered by Graham Stuart

UKEF’s mission is to ensure no viable UK export fails for lack of finance or insurance from the private sector. Its support is available for UK exports from all sectors.

We have no plans to review UKEF’s remit to support UK exports.


Written Question
Developing Countries: Fossil Fuels
Monday 4th March 2019

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the UN Secretary General on UK funding of fossil fuel projects overseas.

Answered by Graham Stuart

My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade has not discussed UK financing of fossil fuel projects with the UN Secretary General.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Philippines
Monday 25th February 2019

Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Government plans to replicate the terms of the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus program for the Philippines when the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by George Hollingbery

Our first priority for the UK’s trade with developing countries is to deliver continuity in our trading arrangements on leaving the EU. The Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Act enables the UK to put in place a trade preferences scheme for developing countries that maintains the same level of access as the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences. Our intention is to provide the Philippines with the same level of access as it receives under the GSP+ tier of the EU’s GSP. As part of this we will expect beneficiary countries to continue to respect the conditions in GSP+.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 25 Feb 2019
Trade Remedy Measures: UK Interests

"Will the Secretary of State please explain to the House why the Trade Bill is taking so long to gain Royal Assent? Will he also list which trade unions he has included in his consultation on the trade remedies strategy?..."
Catherine West - View Speech

View all Catherine West (Lab - Hornsey and Friern Barnet) contributions to the debate on: Trade Remedy Measures: UK Interests

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 21 Feb 2019
Future Free Trade Agreements

"The Secretary of State’s reference to the sunny uplands of post-Brexit trade rather prompts the question why the Government Benches are not a little fuller today. Would my hon. Friend like to comment?..."
Catherine West - View Speech

View all Catherine West (Lab - Hornsey and Friern Barnet) contributions to the debate on: Future Free Trade Agreements

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 21 Feb 2019
Future Free Trade Agreements

"What a pleasure it is to speak in this debate with so many other antipodeans: the hon. Members for Mole Valley (Sir Paul Beresford), for Yeovil (Mr Fysh) and for Edinburgh North and Leith (Deidre Brock). The words “Australia” and “New Zealand” were in the longer title of the debate …..."
Catherine West - View Speech

View all Catherine West (Lab - Hornsey and Friern Barnet) contributions to the debate on: Future Free Trade Agreements