Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the (a) level of greenhouse gas emissions that will be generated and (b) impact on the UK’s commitments on climate change as a result of the financial support provided by UK Export Finance to the natural gas project in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.
Answered by Mike Freer
We are unable to provide the information requested because UK Export Finance’s support for the Mozambique LNG project in Cabo Delgado is currently the subject of judicial review proceedings.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate she has made of the number of ivory items owned by or collated by her Department.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
We have not made any estimates of the number of ivory items owned by or collated in this Department or institutions owned or managed by the Government.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the remit of the Trade and Agriculture Commission includes fish and fishing products.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Trade and Agriculture Commission’s terms of reference allow the Commission to look across the agricultural and food industries, including the fisheries sector. The Commission is an independent advisory board and will determine its own priorities within the terms of reference, as its work evolves.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent the import of (a) chlorine or acid-washed chicken, (b) hormone-treated beef, (c) ractopamine fed pork, (d) dairy products from bovine somatotropin treated cows, and (e) eggs from battery caged hens; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The approach of HM Government to food standards in trade deals is clear. We remain firmly committed to upholding our high environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards.
As we take back control of our laws from the EU, we will decide how we set and maintain our own laws, standards and regulations. When the Transition Period ends, we will be a global leader in environmental protection and animal welfare standards, maintaining the high-quality of our produce for consumers at home and overseas.
The Hon. Gentleman will know that some standards, such as the ban on the use of growth-promoting hormones, are already in domestic legislation. Others, such as the ban on chlorine washing of poultry, will be brought onto our statute book through the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
The United Kingdom’s food standards, for both domestic production and imports, are overseen by the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland. These agencies provide independent advice to HM Government and the devolved administration in Scotland respectively. They will continue to do so in order to ensure that all food imports comply with the United Kingdom’s high standards.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate she has made of the proportional effect on Gross Domestic Product of the (a) beef, (b) poultry, (c) pig, (d) dairy and (e) egg farming sectors as a result of a free trade agreement with the US; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands
Free trade agreements can provide our farmers with a range of new opportunities including access to new markets, a reduction in US tariffs that may be as high as 26% on beef and over 25% on some cheese products, along with cheaper costs for UK agricultural inputs which will benefit our domestic producers.
Our analysis in our Scoping Assessment showed that a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US is estimated to deliver an increase in output (as measured by Gross Value Added) of between 0.05% and 0.5% for the UK’s agriculture sector.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many former Conservative Members of Parliament who were defeated at the 2017 general election and who now work in his Department were appointed after a publicly advertised and open recruitment process.
Answered by Greg Hands
No former Conservative Members of Parliament who were defeated at the General Election in 2017 are currently employed by the Department for International Trade.