Asked by: Chris Elmore (Labour - Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
What recent assessment she has made of the impact of the UK's departure from the EU on the music industry.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government continues to support the industry’s adaptation to new requirements, including through our Export Support Service and comprehensive GOV.UK guidance.
Visa and permit free touring routes are available in 24 of 27 Member States including key markets; France, Germany and Spain.
The Music Export Growth Scheme, tripled to £3.2 million until 2025, facilitates UK artist entry into new international markets. MEGS has successfully supported over 400 artist music export projects and SMEs since launching in 2013, with a return on investment of over £13 for every £1 received.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs has had recent discussions with his counterparts in (a) Ireland, (b) Spain, (c) Norway, (d) Malta, and (e) Slovenia on joint recognition of the state of Palestine.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK supports a two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. The Foreign Secretary has spoken with the new Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority Mohammad Mustafa and offered the UK's support as his government implements much-needed reforms. An effective PA is vital for lasting peace and progress towards a two-state solution.
Our long-standing position has been that we will recognise a Palestinian State at a time that is most conducive to the peace process.
We engage with European partners on all aspects of the current conflict and on building momentum towards a lasting peace.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many zero-emission buses had been ordered through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (a) 1 and (b) 2 schemes as of 14 May 2024; and how many zero-emission buses are expected to be ordered through both schemes by the end of this Parliament.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
More than 5,200 buses have been funded across the UK since February 2020, with UK bus manufacturers supporting many of these. UK manufacturers have grown substantially in recent years as a result of their success in securing orders supported by £460 million of dedicated zero emission bus funding.
A breakdown of how much grant funding has been spent on UK-made ZEBs is unavailable. Of the approximately 1,300 ZEBs funded through the ZEBRA 1 programme, over 800 of these buses will be manufactured by UK bus manufacturers Wrightbus and Alexander Dennis. We look forward to UK manufacturers securing more orders through the recently announced ZEBRA 2 funding.
The following tables present information on the number of ZEBs funded and ordered through the ZEBRA programmes and the projects’ bus manufacturer by local transport authority. ZEBs produced and sold in the UK are supported by a global supply chain, therefore the below table outlines bus manufacturer’s location rather than country of origin. The numbers in this table are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore indicative and subject to change.
ZEBRA 1 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Blackpool Council | 90 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | 30 | 30 | Volvo (Sweden) |
City of York Council | 53 | 53 | Wrightbus (UK) |
Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 170 | 170 | Volvo (Sweden) |
Hertfordshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Kent County Council | 33 | 33 | 5 – Volvo (Sweden) |
Leicester City Council | 116 | 116 | 110 – Wrightbus (UK) |
Norfolk County Council | 70 | 70 | Wrightbus (UK) |
North Yorkshire County Council | 39 | 39 | 20 – EvoBus/Mercedes (Germany) 19 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Nottingham City Council | 62 | 48 | 48 - Pelican/Yutong (UK/China) |
Oxfordshire County Council | 159 | 159 | 104 - Wrightbus (UK) |
Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council | 62 | 62 | Wrightbus (UK) |
South Yorkshire Combined Authority | 27 | 27 | 4 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Warrington Borough Council | 105 | 105 | Volvo (Sweden) |
West Midlands Combined Authority | 124 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 146 | 146 | 131 – Wrightbus (UK) |
| 1,308 | 1,053 |
|
ZEBRA 2 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Brighton and Hove City Council | 16 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cornwall Council | 8 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Derbyshire County Council | 57 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Devon County Council | 41 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Essex County Council | 55 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Gloucestershire County Council | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Hull City and East Riding of Yorkshire Council | 40 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Isle of Wight Council | 22 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Leicestershire County Council | 46 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
North Somerset Council | 24 | 24 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Nottinghamshire County Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Plymouth City Council | 50 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Reading Borough Council | 24 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Somerset Council | 25 | 25 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Staffordshire County Council | 17 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Surrey County Council | 19 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Tees Valley Combined Authority | 62 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Torbay Council | 49 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Transport North East | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Warwickshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Northamptonshire Council | 51 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West of England Mayoral Combined Authority | 74 | 74 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
West Sussex County Council | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Wiltshire Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to buy new zero-emission buses through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Area schemes.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
More than 5,200 buses have been funded across the UK since February 2020, with UK bus manufacturers supporting many of these. UK manufacturers have grown substantially in recent years as a result of their success in securing orders supported by £460 million of dedicated zero emission bus funding.
A breakdown of how much grant funding has been spent on UK-made ZEBs is unavailable. Of the approximately 1,300 ZEBs funded through the ZEBRA 1 programme, over 800 of these buses will be manufactured by UK bus manufacturers Wrightbus and Alexander Dennis. We look forward to UK manufacturers securing more orders through the recently announced ZEBRA 2 funding.
The following tables present information on the number of ZEBs funded and ordered through the ZEBRA programmes and the projects’ bus manufacturer by local transport authority. ZEBs produced and sold in the UK are supported by a global supply chain, therefore the below table outlines bus manufacturer’s location rather than country of origin. The numbers in this table are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore indicative and subject to change.
ZEBRA 1 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Blackpool Council | 90 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | 30 | 30 | Volvo (Sweden) |
City of York Council | 53 | 53 | Wrightbus (UK) |
Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 170 | 170 | Volvo (Sweden) |
Hertfordshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Kent County Council | 33 | 33 | 5 – Volvo (Sweden) |
Leicester City Council | 116 | 116 | 110 – Wrightbus (UK) |
Norfolk County Council | 70 | 70 | Wrightbus (UK) |
North Yorkshire County Council | 39 | 39 | 20 – EvoBus/Mercedes (Germany) 19 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Nottingham City Council | 62 | 48 | 48 - Pelican/Yutong (UK/China) |
Oxfordshire County Council | 159 | 159 | 104 - Wrightbus (UK) |
Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council | 62 | 62 | Wrightbus (UK) |
South Yorkshire Combined Authority | 27 | 27 | 4 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Warrington Borough Council | 105 | 105 | Volvo (Sweden) |
West Midlands Combined Authority | 124 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 146 | 146 | 131 – Wrightbus (UK) |
| 1,308 | 1,053 |
|
ZEBRA 2 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Brighton and Hove City Council | 16 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cornwall Council | 8 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Derbyshire County Council | 57 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Devon County Council | 41 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Essex County Council | 55 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Gloucestershire County Council | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Hull City and East Riding of Yorkshire Council | 40 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Isle of Wight Council | 22 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Leicestershire County Council | 46 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
North Somerset Council | 24 | 24 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Nottinghamshire County Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Plymouth City Council | 50 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Reading Borough Council | 24 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Somerset Council | 25 | 25 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Staffordshire County Council | 17 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Surrey County Council | 19 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Tees Valley Combined Authority | 62 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Torbay Council | 49 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Transport North East | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Warwickshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Northamptonshire Council | 51 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West of England Mayoral Combined Authority | 74 | 74 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
West Sussex County Council | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Wiltshire Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many and what proportion of the buses funded through Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (a) 1 and (b) 2 schemes are (i) UK and (ii) non-UK-made, broken down by country of origin; and how much Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas funding has been spent on UK-made zero-emission buses as of 14 May 2024.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
More than 5,200 buses have been funded across the UK since February 2020, with UK bus manufacturers supporting many of these. UK manufacturers have grown substantially in recent years as a result of their success in securing orders supported by £460 million of dedicated zero emission bus funding.
A breakdown of how much grant funding has been spent on UK-made ZEBs is unavailable. Of the approximately 1,300 ZEBs funded through the ZEBRA 1 programme, over 800 of these buses will be manufactured by UK bus manufacturers Wrightbus and Alexander Dennis. We look forward to UK manufacturers securing more orders through the recently announced ZEBRA 2 funding.
The following tables present information on the number of ZEBs funded and ordered through the ZEBRA programmes and the projects’ bus manufacturer by local transport authority. ZEBs produced and sold in the UK are supported by a global supply chain, therefore the below table outlines bus manufacturer’s location rather than country of origin. The numbers in this table are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore indicative and subject to change.
ZEBRA 1 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Blackpool Council | 90 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | 30 | 30 | Volvo (Sweden) |
City of York Council | 53 | 53 | Wrightbus (UK) |
Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 170 | 170 | Volvo (Sweden) |
Hertfordshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Kent County Council | 33 | 33 | 5 – Volvo (Sweden) |
Leicester City Council | 116 | 116 | 110 – Wrightbus (UK) |
Norfolk County Council | 70 | 70 | Wrightbus (UK) |
North Yorkshire County Council | 39 | 39 | 20 – EvoBus/Mercedes (Germany) 19 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Nottingham City Council | 62 | 48 | 48 - Pelican/Yutong (UK/China) |
Oxfordshire County Council | 159 | 159 | 104 - Wrightbus (UK) |
Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council | 62 | 62 | Wrightbus (UK) |
South Yorkshire Combined Authority | 27 | 27 | 4 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Warrington Borough Council | 105 | 105 | Volvo (Sweden) |
West Midlands Combined Authority | 124 | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 146 | 146 | 131 – Wrightbus (UK) |
| 1,308 | 1,053 |
|
ZEBRA 2 | |||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses funded | Number of buses ordered | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Brighton and Hove City Council | 16 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cornwall Council | 8 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Derbyshire County Council | 57 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Devon County Council | 41 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Essex County Council | 55 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Gloucestershire County Council | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Hull City and East Riding of Yorkshire Council | 40 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Isle of Wight Council | 22 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Leicestershire County Council | 46 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | 58 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
North Somerset Council | 24 | 24 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Nottinghamshire County Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Plymouth City Council | 50 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Reading Borough Council | 24 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Somerset Council | 25 | 25 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
Staffordshire County Council | 17 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Surrey County Council | 19 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Tees Valley Combined Authority | 62 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Torbay Council | 49 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Transport North East | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Warwickshire County Council | 27 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Northamptonshire Council | 51 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West of England Mayoral Combined Authority | 74 | 74 | Bus manufacturer TBC |
West Sussex County Council | 43 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Wiltshire Council | 23 | 0 | Bus manufacturer for remaining buses subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will hold discussions with his (a) French and (b) Spanish counterpart on the potential merits of allowing UK citizens in those countries to (a) annually renew temporary long-stay visas, (b) upload (i) photographs and (ii) other visa documents online rather than attending appointments in person and (c) store biometric data for future visa applications for a five-year period.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The UK government remains supportive of any changes EU Member States make to their domestic visa systems which benefit UK Nationals living in and travelling to the EU.
The UK government continues to engage regularly with the European Commission and EU Member States on a wide range of mobility-related issues.
Asked by: Simon Lightwood (Labour (Co-op) - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2024 to Question 21868 on Buses: Carbon Emissions, how many and what proportion of the buses allocated funding under the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme 1 (a) are on the road in each local transport authority and (b) (i) have been and (ii) will be manufactured in the UK.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government has invested £410m into the Zero Emission Bus programmes since 2020, which has funded over 2,200 buses across England.
The Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) 1 programme was launched in 2021 and awarded £270m funding to 16 local transport authorities (LTAs) in England (outside of London).
ZEBs produced and sold in the UK are supported by a global supply chain; the below table outlines bus manufacturer’s location. The numbers in this table are not official statistics: they are based on the latest information available and are therefore indicative and subject to change.
ZEBRA 1 | ||
Local Transport Authority | Number of buses on the road | Bus manufacturer & Location |
Blackpool Council | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority | 30 | Volvo (Sweden) |
City of York Council | 53 | Wrightbus (UK) |
Greater Manchester Combined Authority | 0 | Volvo (Sweden) |
Hertfordshire County Council | 0 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
Kent County Council | 0 | Volvo (Sweden) |
Leicester City Council | 116 | 110 – Wrightbus (UK) |
Norfolk County Council | 68 | Wrightbus (UK) |
North Yorkshire County Council | 0 | EvoBus/Mercedes (Germany) Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Nottingham City Council | 24 | Pelican/Yutong (UK/China) |
Oxfordshire County Council | 56 | Wrightbus (UK) |
Portsmouth City Council & Hampshire County Council | 62 | Wrightbus (UK) |
South Yorkshire Combined Authority | 27 | 4 – Alexander Dennis Ltd (UK) |
Warrington Borough Council | 105 | Volvo (Sweden) |
West Midlands Combined Authority | 124 | Bus manufacturer subject to outcome of procurement process by local transport authority or bus operator. |
West Yorkshire Combined Authority | 146 | 131 – Wrightbus (UK) |
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 May 2024 to Question 24720 on Fertilisers: Russia, from which countries have imports of fertiliser increased since March 2022.
Answered by Alan Mak - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade) (jointly with the Cabinet Office)
As per the answer of 13 May 2024, UK imports of fertiliser originating from Russia fell 80% in 2023, compared to 2022 import values.
Across a similar period, from March 2022 to February 2023, the value of direct fertiliser imports grew most significantly from the following 10 countries: Egypt, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, USA, Poland, Trinidad and Tobago, France, Lithuania, and Israel. These countries accounted for around 82% of the total increase.
More recent data shows that the largest increases, between March 2023 and February 2024, were from: Egypt, Israel, Morocco, USA, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, China, Canada, Greece, and Nigeria. These countries accounted for around 93% of the total increase for this period.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made recent representations to his (a) French and (b) Spanish counterpart on long-stay visas for UK citizens who need to spend more than 90 days within a given 180-day period in those countries.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides for visa-free travel for short-term visits for each other's nationals. British citizens can travel visa-free and stay for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period, in accordance with the Schengen Borders Code. This is the standard length of stay that the EU offers to third countries. Whilst the Government would welcome any changes to visa systems which would benefit UK nationals, this is a matter for national governments and parliaments. The Government continues to engage regularly with the European Commission and EU Member States on a range of mobility issues.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that trade relations with EU member states are not disrupted as a result of new import controls.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government has undertaken extensive engagement with EU Member States to reduce any risk of disruption to trade as a result of the new requirements. This included Ministerial engagement in the joint UK / EU Domestic Advisory Group session at the start of January 2024, enabling EU trade associations to engage directly on their outstanding queries ahead of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) implementation.
We continue with official level engagement with trading partners across the EU, including official visits to Belgium (by myself), the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Poland and Germany in 2023 and 2024. The Chief Veterinary Officer has also engaged with counterparts across the EU in order to resolve issues such as ensuring availability of translated Export Health Certificates.
Prior to the second BTOM milestone of 30 April 2024, officials worked with EU-based businesses to conduct robust operational testing. We have and will continue to work with the European Commission, individual EU Member States and trade bodies through established fora, webinars, business-to-government and commodity-specific sessions. We are always keen to seek feedback to address any concerns.