Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2024 to Question 10673 on Gaza: Israel, whether his Department has logged alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law by Israel in its military engagement in Gaza since October 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
As stated in answer to PQ 11448, we regularly review advice about Israel's capability and commitment to to International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We act in accordance with that advice.
As the Foreign Secretary has said, Israel has the capability and commitment to act within IHL. We continue to call for IHL to be respected and civilians to be protected.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2024 to Question 10673 on Israel: Gaza, whether his Department has logged alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law by Israel in its military engagement in Gaza since October 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We regularly review advice about Israel's capability and commitment to International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We act in accordance with that advice.
As the Foreign Secretary has said, Israel has the capability and commitment to act within IHL. We continue to call for IHL to be respected and civilians to be protected.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2024 to Question 9950, how many incidents have been logged in its Tracker database of alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law on the conduct of Israel in its military engagement in Gaza since October 2023.
Answered by James Heappey
The "tracker" referenced in Question 9950 does not log alleged Israeli military International Humanitarian Law violations. It specifically records alleged International Humanitarian Law violations relating to Saudi Arabia’s air campaign in Yemen.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 68798 on Yemen: Military Intervention, whether his Department maintains its Tracker database of alleged instances of breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law.
Answered by James Heappey
Yes.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Government’s draft legislative changes to part 15C of the Corporation Tax Act 2009 on (a) jobs and (b) new productions in the theatre sector; and if he will meet UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre to discuss those changes.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
HMRC has published two information notes on Administrative changes to the creative industry tax reliefs and, Clarifications of the rules for cultural tax reliefs. These notes include impacts of the changes and can be found here: Administrative changes to the creative industry tax reliefs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Clarifications of the rules for cultural tax reliefs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Officials held a meeting with Society of London Theatre to discuss the theatre tax relief draft legislative changes on 23 November 2023.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the Answer of 13 July 2020 to Question 68798, whether his Department has recorded any incidents on its tracker database of alleged breaches or violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza in the last six months.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We continue to closely monitor the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including with reference to alleged breaches or violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in Gaza. The UK supports Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, but we are also clear that Israel must comply with IHL and protect Palestinian civilians in Gaza. We consistently raise this in our engagements with senior Israeli officials, including in the Prime Minister's discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Foreign Secretary's recent calls with the Foreign Minister and Ron Dermer, the Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the applicability of Criterion 2(c) of the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria in reference to potential strategic export licenses to Israel.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which includes Criterion 2(c) - the provision not to grant a licence if it is determined there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
Extant licences are kept under careful review and the Business and Trade Secretary has the power to suspend, revoke or amend extant licences as required.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the oral evidence by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 January 2023, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policy on arms export licences to Israel of the evidence provided by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on whether Israel is complying with international law in its military engagement in Gaza.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which includes Criterion 2, covering respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country for international humanitarian law.
Extant licences are kept under careful review and the Business and Trade Secretary has the power to suspend, revoke or amend extant licences as required.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will take steps to reduce the (a) time taken and (b) administrative burden for small- and medium-sized businesses to make research and development tax credit claims.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
At Spring Budget 2023 the Government announced a new permanent rate of relief for the most R&D intensive loss-making small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The Government also announced at Autumn Statement 2023 the merging of the current SME and RDEC (Research and Development Expenditure Credit) tax relief schemes from April 2024, simplifying the system and providing greater support for UK companies to drive innovation. Changes were also made reducing the intensity threshold in the R&D intensives scheme from April 2024, allowing around 5,000 extra SMEs to qualify for an enhanced rate of relief.
From 8th August 2023 it became mandatory to provide detailed information upfront before submitting an R&D claim, supporting claimants in getting their tax right and reducing the need for HMRC to ask for further information to check claims.
HMRC also continues to promote the Advanced Assurance scheme to eligible SMEs (eligibility includes companies with a turnover of below £2 million and less than 50 employees) applying for R&D tax relief for the first time, to give certainty and assure compliance with the R&D tax regime.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the eligibility of arms export licenses to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Every export licence application is assessed on a case by case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. As part of these assessments we take into account the nature of the equipment to be exported, the end user/s, and how the equipment is likely to be used. We also take into account our international commitments and obligations, which include the International Arms Trade Treaty. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. We are able to suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require.