Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Government is taking steps to ensure that no UK made weapons or arms are exported to India where such weapons may be used in repressing the ongoing farmers protests in that country.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Arms exports require an export licence, and all export licence applications are assessed against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (the “Consolidated Criteria”).
The Consolidated Criteria take into account our obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty and other relevant rules of international law. They provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to think hard about the possible impact of providing equipment and its capabilities.
These are not decisions we take lightly and HM Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of the vehicles used by her Department on Government business are electric vehicles.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for International Trade uses the Government Car Service for vehicle provision. Cars provided to Departments by the Government Car Service will be included in the return for the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government has put in place to ensure trade policy is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The UK has long supported the promotion of our values globally and this will continue as we leave the EU. We want to ensure economic growth and development go hand in hand. We are exploring all options in the design of future trade and investment agreements including sustainable development provisions within these taking into account responses to the government consultation.
An aspiration in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is tariff-free access for Least Developed Countries trading into developed country markets which we have cemented in UK legislation through the Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Act 2018.
It also remains our priority to replicate the effects of the EU’s Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) as the UK exits the EU. The UK has signed EPAs with Eastern and Southern Africa States, Pacific States and CARIFORUM States.