Asked by: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2023 to Question 218 on Audit: Reform, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of her Department's work on legislative proposals on reform of audit and corporate governance since the publication of the Restoring trust in audit and corporate governance white paper, CP382.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Department does not have an estimate of the cost of the Department’s work on reform of audit and corporate governance. Information on internal costs is not broken down in this way.
Asked by: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the letter from civil society organisations to the Prime Minister entitled, excluding investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) as a condition of UK accession to the CPTPP, published 23 October 2023; and if she will take steps to negotiate a side-letter with the CPTPP that removes access to ISDS provisions for UK investors.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is a comprehensive agreement that provides investors with investor protection provisions that seek to guarantee the treatment they can expect to receive when accessing and operating in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership markets.
The agreement contains a modern, transparent investor-state dispute settlement mechanism for investors to seek independent legal redress should they not receive this treatment.
These provisions play an important role in protecting UK investors abroad and levelling the playing field. At the same time, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership protects states’ right to regulate proportionately, fairly and in the public interest.
Asked by: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what is her Department's planned timescale on introducing the draft Audit Reform Bill.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Minister without Portfolio
The Government has not set out a timescale for introducing legislation relating to audit reform. The Government is committed to legislating when Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had (a) with the European Union and (b) at the Trade Specialised Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures on the resumption of exports of seed potatoes.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The Government has consistently raised this issue with the European Commission, including most recently at the third TCA Trade Specialised Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on 11 October 2023. We remain committed to finding a solution that will allow a resumption in trade in seed potatoes between Great Britain and the European Union.
Asked by: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has held discussions with the devolved Administrations on trade negotiations with the US; and whether she plans to include the devolved Administrations in future negotiations.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
As set out in my letter to Devolved Administrations on 15 June, the UK and U.S. are expanding the work we do together across the full spectrum of our economic, technological, commercial and trade relations through the Atlantic Declaration. Discussions with the U.S. on next steps under this first-of-its-kind agreement are ongoing.
The UK Government and the Devolved Administrations have recently adopted a wider and deeper approach to close collaboration on trade policy. As part of this, the Department for Business and Trade continues to engage regularly with the Devolved Administrations on the Atlantic Declaration and wider U.S. trade policy.
Asked by: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of officials in his Department on temporary contracts are women.
Answered by Steve Baker
There are currently 66 (29.5%) members of the Northern Ireland Office who are on temporary contracts (fixed-term appointments, loans and secondments), of which 28 (12.5%) are female.
Asked by: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the human rights of the Saharawi people.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps. We have consistently supported language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, and welcomed his September 2023 visit to the region, including to Western Sahara, and we continue to engage key partners to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.
Asked by: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help prevent breaches of international humanitarian law in Western Sahara.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK is committed to the promotion of respect for International Humanitarian Law worldwide. With regard to Western Sahara, we strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, and welcomed his September 2023 visit to the region, including to Western Sahara, and we continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.
Asked by: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what proportion of officials in his Department that are (a) graded as senior civil servant 2 and (b) on full-time equivalent contracts are women.
Answered by Steve Baker
(a) 1.8% of the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) workforce are graded as Directors (senior civil servants at pay band 2).
(b) 52% of the NIO workforce are female and on full-time equivalent contracts.
Asked by: Richard Thomson (Scottish National Party - Gordon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia; and whether he has raised that matter with his Saudi Arabian counterpart.
Answered by David Rutley
It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees, and how often they have met, is not normally shared publicly. Saudi Arabia remains an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country. We will continue to discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities through a range of Ministerial and official channels.