Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to (a) review or (b) update his Department's guidance to UK businesses on trade with entities based in the West Bank following the Government’s recognition of the State of Palestine.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Overseas Business Risk service provides information on various risks in overseas markets. The Government keeps this advice, available on gov.uk, under constant review. We intend these pages to support and guide businesses alongside other sources of information, and the UK government does not advise on or undertake due diligence for individual companies.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that UK technology companies working with Israeli companies in the (a) defence and (b) surveillance sectors comply with UK (i) human rights and (ii) export control policies.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Where an item, including technology, is specified in the UK’s Strategic Export Control list, its export or transfer by electronic means is subject to export control. Exporters of such items must seek an export licence from the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU), who assess applications against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.
These criteria include ‘respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms’, and consideration of where there is a clear risk an export may be used to commit or facilitate internal repression, or a serious breach of international humanitarian law.
All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. We are able to suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the seriousness of the fire risk posed by lithium batteries in e-scooters.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has established a safety study to understand the risks presented by e-bikes and e-scooters. This includes understanding available data, investigating incidents, enforcement action when needed, targeting unsafe products at the border, and providing public safety information on safe use and charging.
OPSS commissioned Warwick Manufacturing Group, part of Warwick University, to conduct research examining the safety of the lithium-ion batteries within Personal Light Electric Vehicles.
These activities form part of cross Government work involving the Home Office, Department for Transport and OPSS, which is part of the Department for Business and Trade.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she plans to answer Question 153796 tabled by the hon. Member for Cambridge on 27 February 2023..
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
I refer the Hon. Member for Cambridge to the answer I gave him today, UIN: 153796.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when she plans to answer Questions 146998, 146999 and 14700 tabled by the hon. Member for Cambridge on 17 February 2023 for answer on 22 February.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
I refer the Hon. Member for Cambridge to the answer I gave him today, UIN: 146998, UIN: 146999, UIN: 147000.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when (a) she and (b) her predecessors held discussions with Ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices in the last 12 months.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
Since the creation of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) there have been no such discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices nor food security.
Information on meetings that pre-date DBT is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when (a) she and (b) her predecessors held discussions with Ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on food security in the last 12 months.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
Since the creation of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) there have been no such discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices nor food security.
Information on meetings that pre-date DBT is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when Ministers in her Department held discussions with Ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices in the last 12 months.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
Since the creation of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) there have been no such discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices nor food security.
Information on meetings that pre-date DBT is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when Ministers in her Department held discussions with Ministers in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on food security in the last 12 months.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake
Since the creation of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) there have been no such discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on international food prices nor food security.
Information on meetings that pre-date DBT is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.