Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent progress she has made on negotiation of a free trade agreement with Israel.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Since launching negotiations between the United Kingdom and Israel last summer for an upgraded, innovation-focused Free Trade Agreement (FTA) we held a first round of negotiations in September 2022 and held technical discussions on the financial services chapter in January this year. The Secretary of State since travelled to Israel in March to meet with the Israeli Economy Minister to evaluate progress towards a modern, ambitious agreement.
We are working towards hosting Round Two of negotiations with Israel in spring this year.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the benefit cost ratio is in the Cumbria County Council submission for the Bothel road scheme.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
I can confirm that the Department has assessed that the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) for the A595 Strategic Improvements (Bothel) scheme is 0.91, meaning the scheme represents poor value for money. This means it would return less than £1 of benefits for every £1 of taxpayers money invested.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much coking coal has been imported since 2018; and what the value was of the imports by country of origin.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available via their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.
The quantity and value of coking coal imported by country of origin from 2018 onwards appears in the table below.
Prior to 2022, the source of data for movements from the EU to the UK was Intrastat, this did not collect information on country of origin. The information on the country of dispatch has been given as an alternative.
Imports of Coking coal '27011210' from EU Member States by Country of Dispatch, 2018-2021 | |||
Year | Country of Dispatch | Statistical Value (£) | Net mass (kg) |
2018 | Ireland | 6,013,523 | 23,926,410 |
2019 | Ireland | 6,549,306 | 26,035,264 |
2020 | Ireland | 7,451,763 | 29,642,038 |
2020 | Poland | 10,279 | 17,354 |
2021 | Ireland | 6,099,655 | 24,252,668 |
2021 | Poland | 13,977 | 27,632 |
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| 26,138,503 | 103,901,366 |
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Imports of Coking coal '27011210' by Country of Origin, 2018-2022 | |||
Year | Country of Origin | Statistical Value (£) | Net mass (kg) |
2018 | Australia | 141,968,735 | 722,193,000 |
2018 | Japan | 55,241,352 | 176,000,000 |
2018 | Russia | 87,702,370 | 808,461,607 |
2018 | United States | 159,587,927 | 1,000,531,665 |
2019 | Australia | 105,663,842 | 507,541,670 |
2019 | Japan | 12,732,709 | 44,000,000 |
2019 | Russia | 80,538,472 | 783,977,229 |
2019 | United States | 121,656,062 | 827,660,496 |
2020 | Australia | 46,943,870 | 411,294,000 |
2020 | Russia | 51,751,791 | 792,601,202 |
2020 | United States | 91,348,179 | 918,790,529 |
2021 | Australia | 53,099,836 | 463,973,000 |
2021 | Brazil | 18,484,677 | 155,895,000 |
2021 | Russia | 57,298,064 | 557,418,494 |
2021 | United States | 102,420,594 | 796,150,720 |
2022 | Unknown | 10,340,349 | 26,014,912 |
2022 | Australia | 125,256,312 | 381,674,000 |
2022 | Canada | 13,898,412 | 38,500,000 |
2022 | Kazakhstan | 4,852 | 28,640 |
2022 | Russia | 14,639,058 | 80,642,000 |
2022 | Sweden | 17,356,927 | 157,638,000 |
2022 | United States | 303,375,807 | 999,093,710 |
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| 1,671,310,197 | 10,650,079,874 |
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| Grand Total | 1,697,448,700 | 10,753,981,240 |
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| Data source: Overseas Trade Statistics |
Note: |
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1. 'Unknown' country of origin has not been disclosed and is left blank on entry to the customs declaration data. | |||
2. Sanctions against imports from Russia began in February 2022 following Russian military action in Ukraine. | |||
3. Prior to 2022, the source of data for movements from the EU to the UK was Intrastat, this did not collect information on country of origin. | |||
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the impact of importing coking coal by ship on carbon emissions.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department does not intend to make any estimate of the impact of importing coking coal by ship on carbon emissions.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much coking coal was imported in each quarter of 2022 by country of origin; and what was the value of the imports by country of origin.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics (OTS), which is available on their dedicated website (www.uktradeinfo.com). From this website, it is possible to build your own data tables based upon bespoke search criteria.
The quantity and value of coking coal imported by country of origin in 2022 appears in the table found here: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/trade-data/latest-bulk-datasets/.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of reports that Iran Air is allegedly transporting armed drones from Iran to Russia.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has identified and raised the issue of Iran's deplorable support for the Russian military campaign in Ukraine repeatedly, including at the UN Security Council on 19 October and 19 December 2022. Regardless of the method of transport, the provision of these drones is in violation of UN Security Council resolution 2231. On 20 October and 13 December, the UK adopted new sanctions alongside the EU against Iranian individuals and entities involved in these transfers. We will continue to identify Iran's malign activity and hold the regime to account through our words and our actions.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in the West Bank, in the context of reports of Palestinian Authority arrests of Palestinians with alleged links to Hamas.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to closely monitor the security situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The UK continues to provide the Palestinian Authority (PA) with professional support in helping develop its security institutions. This provision includes training and other technical assistance to the PA Ministry of Interior and PA Security Forces (PASF), to support the development of capable, responsible security forces that respect human rights and are accountable to the Palestinian people.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the relationship between Iran and al-Qaeda on UK security interests.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is the longstanding policy of successive British Governments that we do not comment on intelligence matters. The UK Government closely follows the security situation in Iran and maintains a regular dialogue with international counterparts on this.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the local authority and (b) water undertakers on water fluoridation schemes in Cumbria; and whether he has undertaken a consultation under the Water Fluoridation (Consultation) (England) Regulations 2022.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
Departmental officials recently met with Cumbria County Council and United Utilities on water fluoridation schemes in Cumbria. No consultation has been undertaken under the Water Fluoridation (Consultation) (England) Regulations 2022.
Asked by: Mark Jenkinson (Conservative - Workington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the estimated cost of fluoridation schemes in Cumbria in (a) 2022 and (b) future years.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The estimates for 2022/23 have not yet been finalised. The forecasts for future years are not held centrally.