Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister’s speech in Warsaw on 23 April 2024, whether the commitment to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence by 2030 will be require additional funding streams other than through reductions to (a) the civil service and (b) research and development budgets.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
We have made a commitment to steadily increase defence spending, reaching 2.5% of GDP in 2030. We have also set out how we are fully funding this increase in defence spending.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister’s speech in Warsaw on 23 April 2024, whether his Department has (a) conducted an assessment of costings and (b) developed proposals for how to fund the commitment to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence by 2030.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
We have made a commitment to steadily increase defence spending, reaching 2.5% of GDP in 2030. We have also set out how we are fully funding this increase in defence spending.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to allocate at least £3 billion for military support to Ukraine in each year between 2024 and 2030.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government remains committed to supporting Ukraine to defend itself in response to Putin’s illegal invasion. This year we are providing an additional £500 million to Ukraine, on top of the £2.5 billion we have already announced. Our fully funded increase in defence spending enables us to commit to providing support to Ukraine at the current level for as long as required.Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister’s defence speech in Warsaw of 23 April 2024, whether the commitment to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence by 2030 has been incorporated into his Department's baseline budgets.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
We have made a commitment to steadily increase defence spending, reaching 2.5% of GDP in 2030. We have also set out how we are fully funding this increase in defence spending. We will set departmental budgets in the normal way at the next spending review.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Prime Minister’s defence speech in Warsaw of 23 April 2024, by how much each Department's research and development budget will be reduced to help fund the commitment to spend 2.5% of gross domestic product on defence by 2030.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
We have committed to increase government R&D spending by £2 billion, from £20 billion in 2024-25 to £22 billion in the next Parliament.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2023 to Question 694 on Russia: Defence Equipment, how many (a) allegations have been received, (b) investigations have taken place and (c) penalties have been issued in relation to UK sanctions against Russia since February 2022.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC has been enforcing sanctions against Russia since 2014. Since increased sanctions were announced on 24 February 2022, HMRC has implemented a number of measures which aim to prevent the exportation and importation of restricted goods and respond to breaches of those sanctions.
This includes increased border checks in collaboration with Border Force, trader awareness products and where appropriate the criminal investigation of any breaches, with a view to achieving an enforcement outcome such as a fine or prosecution.
HMRC is conducting multiple ongoing investigations into credible reports of sanctions and export control offences, including controls on the supply of defence equipment to Russia and other countries. These investigations can take a year or more to conclude. The department does not comment on individual investigations.
Since February 2022, HMRC has fined five UK companies through the Compound Settlement scheme for breaches of the UK’s trade sanctions on Russia. Three of these fines have been published in the Notice To Exporters and the other two will be published soon: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/notices-to-exporters#notices-to-exporters-2023.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many UK-based companies his Department has identified as having exported (a) military and (b) dual use capabilities to Russia in violation of UK sanctions since February 2022.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The UK has prohibited the export to Russia of thousands of products, including military and dual use items. Our trade with Russia is down over 96% on pre-invasion levels.
HMRC enforces customs controls on Strategic Exports and sanctioned goods, including arms exports. The department takes breaches of sanctions very seriously and investigates all credible allegations of sanctions offences within its customs remit.
NTE 2023/17: a compound settlement - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Due to the confidentiality element of Compound Settlements, HMRC is unable to disclose details of the types of goods or companies involved.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September to Question 40737 on Ukraine: Military Aid, how much funding is being provided by each Department; and how much of this funding comes from Departmental under spend in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Earlier this year, the UK provided £1bn in additional support to enhance and sustain Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion. This new funding came from contributions from UK government departments and the devolved administrations’ existing budgets.
All ministerial departments contributed capital from their 2022-23 budgets towards military aid for Ukraine. I refer the rt honourable member to the answer given by my predecessor (Simon Clarke MP) on 5th September 2022 to PQ UIN 14298 for the full list.
Most departments committed around 1.5% of their 2022-23 capital budgets.
These contributions will be formally confirmed at Supplementary Estimates, where revised departmental budgets will be published by HM Treasury in the usual way.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September to Question 40737 on Ukraine: Military Aid, how much each Department contributed; and how much of each contribution came from a departmental under spend for this financial year.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Earlier this year, the UK provided £1bn in additional support to enhance and sustain Ukraine’s resistance to the Russian invasion. This new funding came from contributions from UK government departments and the devolved administrations’ existing budgets.
All ministerial departments contributed capital from their 2022-23 budgets towards military aid for Ukraine. I refer the rt honourable member to the answer given by my predecessor (Simon Clarke MP) on 5th September 2022 to PQ UIN 14298 for the full list.
Most departments committed around 1.5% of their 2022-23 capital budgets.
These contributions will be formally confirmed at Supplementary Estimates, where revised departmental budgets will be published by HM Treasury in the usual way.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what debt relief the UK will provide to Ukraine to help ensure economic stability during winter 2022.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
On 20 July, the UK, as part of the Group of Creditors to Ukraine, announced a debt service suspension for Ukraine from 1 August 2022 to December 2023. This agreement means that Ukraine will face no repayments to these bilateral creditors over this period, which eases liquidity pressures and allows the government to focus its scarce resources on more urgent budgetary needs, thus helping to mitigate the economic impact of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.