Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether compliance with the technical arrangements of the EU-Israel Association Agreement is replicated in the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement which will enter into force at the end of the transition period.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
All committee decisions made within the framework of the European Union-Israel Association Agreement were carried across into the United Kingdom-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement, which will enter into force after the end of the Transition Period on 1st January 2021.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May to Question 42243 on Overseas Trade: Israel, what processes her Department has put in place to exclude from the trade and investment promotion activities, businesses (a) operating and (b) investing in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom does not treat the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of Israel. The settlements are not covered by the EU-Israel Association Agreement nor by the United Kingdom-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement. Products produced in the settlements are, therefore, not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment.
The Department for International Trade does not provide direct support to business activity in the settlements and my officials work closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to encourage companies to put rights and responsibilities at the centre of everything they do.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2020 to Question 26894 on Imports: Israeli Settlements, whether goods imported into the UK that originate in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are excluded from (a) import duty relief and (b) other preferential benefits under (i) the EU-Israel Association Agreement and (ii) the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom does not treat the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of Israel. The settlements are not covered by the EU-Israel Association Agreement nor by the United Kingdom-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement. Products produced in the settlements are, therefore, not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment.
The Department for International Trade does not provide direct support to business activity in the settlements and my officials work closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to encourage companies to put rights and responsibilities at the centre of everything they do.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of carbon emissions from UK Economy and Finance’s investment in oil and gas projects abroad.
Answered by Graham Stuart
I am unaware of any organisation called UK Economy and Finance.
UK Export Finance (UKEF) is committed to high standards of environmental, social and human rights (ESHR) risk management. It rigorously follows the requirements of the OECD Common Approaches and Equator Principles, which set the framework for export credit agencies and international financial institutions in managing such risks and impacts.
UKEF’s specialist ESHR risk management team reviews relevant projects prior to UKEF taking a decision on whether to support. ESHR monitoring takes place throughout the lifetime of UKEF’s support for such projects.
Asked by: James Murray (Labour (Co-op) - Ealing North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she takes to assess the environmental impact of projects receiving funding from UK Economy and Finance.
Answered by Graham Stuart
I am unaware of any organisation called UK Economy and Finance.
UK Export Finance (UKEF) is committed to high standards of environmental, social and human rights (ESHR) risk management. It rigorously follows the requirements of the OECD Common Approaches and Equator Principles, which set the framework for export credit agencies and international financial institutions in managing such risks and impacts.
UKEF’s specialist ESHR risk management team reviews relevant projects prior to UKEF taking a decision on whether to support. ESHR monitoring takes place throughout the lifetime of UKEF’s support for such projects.