Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the (a) implications for her policies of the capacity limits of container ports around the western Mediterranean and (b) impact of those limits on (i) inventory costs and (ii) the availability of components for (A) retailers and (B) manufacturers.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
Government is monitoring the disruption to shipping caused by Red Sea attacks and working with businesses to understand the current and potential future impacts on shipping.
Shipping operators are working to mitigate any potential impact on consumers, and the shipping and supply chain sectors are well practiced at putting contingencies in place to continue to meet their customer needs.
If UK businesses are facing issues as a result of actions in the Red Sea, they can access advice and report disruptions through the Export Support Service: https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the announcement on 19 March 2024 by China's Ministry of Defence of the establishment of the Information Support Force.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
On Friday 19 April, the eight-year-old People's Liberation Army (PLA) Strategic Support Force was broken up into three organisations (the Information Support Force, Aerospace Force and Cyberspace Force) as part of China's programme of military modernisation. These three organisations, alongside the pre-existing Joint Logistics Support Force, are now described as the "four arms" of the PLA alongside its "four services" (Ground, Navy, Air Force & Rocket Force).
The UK's Ministry of Defence routinely monitors military developments across the globe as part of its policy and strategy process. This includes developments in China.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what information his Department holds on the attendance at the 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium took place in Qingdao, China in April 2024. The Royal Navy was represented by the First Sea Lord, supported by three members of the Naval Staff.
Other Chiefs of Navy (or their representatives) attended from: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Fiji, France, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, the United States, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Ecuador, India, Mexico, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what progress his Department has made on halving the number of non-decent rented homes by 2030.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Everyone deserves to live in a safe and decent home. This is why we are introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time through the Renters (Reform) Bill.
We are also reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, which sets out the minimum requirements for all social housing.
Data on housing decency is published regularly via the English Housing Survey at local authority level.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent reports that flights to and from the UK may have been affected by alleged Russian jamming of GPS systems.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Aviation remains among the safest forms of travel. There are several safety protocols in place to protect aircraft navigation and loss or denial of global positioning should not directly affect the safety of an aircraft. Nonetheless we continue to work with the Civil Aviation Authority and industry to mitigate any risks posed to aviation.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is participating in the fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Ottawa that began on 23 April 2024.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Department participated in the fourth session of negotiations on a global plastics treaty in Ottawa. Officials from Defra attended the fourth session of negotiations to develop a global plastics pollution treaty, and I attended the high-level segment hosted by Canada ahead of the start of formal negotiations. The UK’s negotiating mandate covers the relevant policy from across Government departments and we continue to strongly support the active and meaningful participation of stakeholders, including UK businesses, at all stages of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process. As a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, the UK remains committed to securing an ambitious treaty by the end of 2024 that includes measures to address plastic pollution across the full lifecycle of plastic. We continue to work closely with other member states and stakeholders at, and beyond, the fourth session of the INC to advance negotiations and pave the way for a historic agreement.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking to help improve food security in (a) Sudan, (b) South Sudan and (c) Chad.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
In 2024/2025, (ODA) will include £89 million to Sudan and £111 million to South Sudan including assistance to address food insecurity. For instance, our ODA in Sudan will support UNICEF to provide emergency and life-saving food assistance to support people particularly in hard-to reach areas in Sudan, including nutrition, water and hygiene services for 500,000 children under 5. We will also continue to provide ODA assistance in Chad in 2024/2025.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of recent reluctance by Libyan stakeholders to establish elections in the country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The ongoing political impasse in Libya is unsustainable, and deeply damaging for ordinary Libyans. It leaves Libya extremely vulnerable to third state actors set on pursuing control over Libya's security, politics and economy. The UK continues to support the UN's efforts to broker a Libyan-owned and led political settlement, with the onus on Libya's leaders to fulfil their responsibilities. We note with regret the resignation by UN Special Representative of the Secretary General, Abdoulaye Bathily, and renew our full support to the United Nations and the key role it continues to play in Libya.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the report entitled The Great Reversal: Prospects, Risks, and Policies in International Development Association Countries, published by the World Bank on 15 April 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We welcome the report recently published by the World Bank. The White Paper on International Development, published in November 2023, recognised the challenges faced by our partners, including International Development Association countries. It sets out how the UK will work with our partners to respond to these challenges, through action on seven priorities. The UK is focusing our efforts where they are most needed and most effective, aiming to spend over 50 per cent of our bilateral Overseas Development Assistance in the Least Developed Countries.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent violence in Tripoli.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the recent clashes in Tripoli, and continue to monitor the situation on the ground closely. The UK calls for all parties to exercise restraint, and to avoid escalation or retaliatory action. Libyan actors must press forward in fulfilling their responsibilities to uphold peace and security across the country, by engaging meaningfully with the political process to deliver a Libyan-led political settlement. We continue to work with international partners to improve stability in Libya at the national and local level, including engaging with communities across Libya to solve local conflicts and build peace.