Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many UK-based staff from his Department have been deployed to the (a) Embassy and (b) relevant consulates in Vietnam in each year since 2010.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The total number of FCDO UK Based staff at the Embassy and Consulate in Vietnam are:-
Year | Banded headcount |
2014 | 10-19 |
2015 | 10-19 |
2016 | Fewer than 10 |
2017 | Fewer than 10 |
2018 | Fewer than 10 |
2019 | Fewer than 10 |
2020 | Fewer than 10 |
2021 | Fewer than 10 |
2022 | Fewer than 10 |
The figures also do not include FCDO Country-Based Staff in our overseas Missions, who are essential to the delivery of FCDO objectives.
Total headcount is FCDO UK Based staff within requested locations. Data from legacy departments has been aggregated for pre FCO/DFID merger years, as such it is not completely comparable.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500, for what purpose (a) £1,800 was spent at The Corinthia Hotel on 21 March 2022, (b) £2,138.06 was spent at Stanley’s Chelsea on 28 June 2022, and (c) £622.69 was spent at The Waterfront Brasserie on 26 July 2022, and whether any of those events included any expenditure on alcoholic beverages.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Hospitality has long been an important part of building relations and diplomacy. The cost at the Corinthia related to a UK-hosted lunch during the inaugural meeting of the committee which oversees and governs implementation of the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement. The meeting was an opportunity to build relationships with key ministers and senior officials from the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade.
The event at Stanley's was part of the UK hosted "Mozambique in the UK week". The event helped progress £1 billion of exports and investments in energy, mining, renewables and telecom infrastructure.
The Waterfront Brasserie event was hospitality provided to a high-level delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security visiting Police and the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Expenditure was subject to normal FCDO controls and an appropriate use of public money.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps to help protect and promote freedom of religion in Vietnam.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Promoting the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. On 22 August the UK joined six other diplomatic missions in Vietnam in a statement marking the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. The UK-Vietnam Strategic Partnership Agreement commits to cooperation on human rights, and at the annual Ministerial Strategic Dialogue we discuss concerns related to FoRB. We look forward to working together with Vietnam to promote human rights around the world as they join the Human Rights Council in 2023.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his Department’s publication of government procurement card spending over £500 for March 2022, for which individuals was accommodation purchased at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on (a) 7 March and (b) 15 March 2022; and what was the purpose of those stays at that hotel.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
These transactions are for accommodation for a total of six members of staff, including the COP Envoy and the COP President, for three nights during a ministerial visit to Vietnam from 15-18 February in order to pursue a Just Energy Transition Partnership with Vietnam.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to take steps to provide naval patrols around Taiwan.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK is committed to asserting its rights to freedom of navigation and overflight, as laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Wherever we operate in the world we do so in full compliance with international laws and norms. The last transit through the Taiwan Strait was carried out by the Royal Navy in 2021, when HMS Richmond (Type 23 Frigate) conducted a Taiwan Strait Navigation during CSG21 deployment en route to Vietnam.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
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 further increase defence, security, and trade partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have recently reaffirmed our long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific region and ambition to strengthen defence, security and trade. The UK continues to deepen our strong bilateral partnerships across the region such as through the UK-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the UK-Indonesia Partnership Roadmap to 2024 and a Bilateral Framework with Republic of Korea.
As an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, we will deepen our cooperation with ASEAN and have negotiated a joint Plan of Action with ASEAN for the next 5 years.
The UK has secured free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand, and has signed free trade deals with Singapore, Vietnam, the Republic of Korea and Japan, which sets the standards in removing friction and increasing confidence in digital trade. We also intend to be the first European country to accede to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The UK continues to build long-term defence, industrial and technological partnerships through agreements including AUKUS, with Australia and the USA, and we continue to work on closer collaboration on combat air programmes with Japan.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which countries his Department includes in its definition of the Indo-Pacific region.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Indo-Pacific Directorate-General in the FCDO has lead responsibility for relations with the following countries and territories: India and Indian Ocean (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka), North East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea (DPRK), South Korea (RoK), Taiwan), South East Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam) and Oceania (Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu). There is close coordination with other departments leading work on neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 September to Question 48499 on Dogs: Imports, if his Department will publish the number of dogs imported into the UK from each country outlined in that Answer in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Below are tables to show the countries of origin of commercial dog imports. The data for 2020 is for UK, and the data for 2021 and 2022 (up to the 31/08/2022) is Great Britain only. We do not hold data for Northern Ireland for 2021 and 2022.
This information is drawn from external TRACES and IPAFFs systems, which are not directly controlled by the department.
EU imports | 2020 |
| Rest of World Imports | 2020 |
Country Of Origin | Dogs |
| Country Of Origin | Dogs |
Austria | 6 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 1 |
Belgium | 13 |
| Argentina | 30 |
Bulgaria | 222 |
| Australia | 118 |
Croatia | 153 |
| Bahrain | 95 |
Cyprus | 4246 |
| Barbados | 8 |
Czech Republic | 135 |
| Belarus | 50 |
Denmark | 2 |
| Bermuda | 4 |
Estonia | 21 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1636 |
Finland | 7 |
| Brazil | 120 |
France | 33 |
| Canada | 76 |
Germany | 103 |
| Cayman Islands | 6 |
Greece | 563 |
| Colombia | 12 |
Hungary | 5065 |
| Costa Rica | 9 |
Ireland (Rep. of) | 5814 |
| Egypt | 26 |
Italy | 243 |
| Ethiopia | 3 |
Latvia | 5 |
| French Polynesia | 1 |
Lithuania | 99 |
| Hong Kong | 69 |
Malta | 5 |
| India | 29 |
Netherlands | 38 |
| Indonesia | 2 |
Poland | 3945 |
| Israel | 13 |
Portugal | 343 |
| Japan | 8 |
Romania | 32525 |
| Jordan | 3 |
Slovakia | 106 |
| Kenya | 26 |
Slovenia | 5 |
| Korea (South) | 29 |
Spain | 6475 |
| Kuwait | 12 |
Sweden | 15 |
| Lebanon | 10 |
Switzerland | 1 |
| Macao | 2 |
Total | 60188 |
| Malawi | 1 |
|
|
| Malaysia | 25 |
|
|
| Mauritius | 85 |
|
|
| Mexico | 51 |
|
|
| Namibia | 3 |
|
|
| New Zealand | 40 |
|
|
| North Macedonia | 566 |
|
|
| Nigeria | 3 |
|
|
| Oman | 8 |
|
|
| Peru | 5 |
|
|
| Philippines | 1 |
|
|
| Qatar | 43 |
|
|
| Russia | 713 |
|
|
| Saudi Arabia | 9 |
|
|
| Serbia | 40 |
|
|
| Singapore | 58 |
|
|
| South Africa | 519 |
|
|
| Sri Lanka | 2 |
|
|
| Taiwan | 7 |
|
|
| Tajikistan | 1 |
|
|
| Thailand | 18 |
|
|
| Turkey | 375 |
|
|
| Turks and Caicos | 1 |
|
|
| UAE | 164 |
|
|
| Uganda | 2 |
|
|
| Ukraine | 3 |
|
|
| Uruguay | 5 |
|
|
| USA | 1592 |
|
|
| Viet Nam | 15 |
|
|
| Zimbabwe | 11 |
|
|
| Total | 6764 |
EU Imports | 2021 | Rest of World Imports | 2021 |
Country | Dogs | Country of origin | Dogs |
Austria | 22 | Argentina | 17 |
Belgium | 78 | Australia | 345 |
Bulgaria | 1093 | Bahamas | 1 |
Croatia | 2003 | Bahrain | 55 |
Cyprus | 3758 | Barbados | 22 |
Czechia | 221 | Belarus | 1 |
Denmark | 719 | Bermuda | 12 |
England | 72 | Brazil | 125 |
Estonia | 23 | Canada | 167 |
Finland | 8 | Cayman Islands | 15 |
France | 411 | China | 174 |
Germany | 76 | Colombia | 12 |
Greece | 1017 | Costa Rica | 13 |
Hungary | 4517 | Ecuador | 2 |
Iceland | 1 | Egypt | 41 |
Italy | 296 | Ethiopia | 4 |
Latvia | 512 | Guam | 3 |
Lithuania | 678 | Hong Kong | 161 |
Luxembourg | 2 | India | 96 |
Malta | 3 | Indonesia | 2 |
Netherlands | 152 | Israel | 12 |
Northern Ireland | 2 | Jamaica | 2 |
Norway | 3 | Japan | 12 |
Poland | 5593 | Jordan | 13 |
Portugal | 500 | Kenya | 43 |
Republic of Ireland | 6658 | Kuwait | 30 |
Romania | 38081 | Lebanon | 36 |
Scotland | 1 | Macao | 1 |
Slovakia | 291 | Malawi | 2 |
Slovenia | 7 | Malaysia | 71 |
Spain | 5909 | Mauritius | 3 |
Sweden | 49 | Mexico | 11 |
Switzerland | 8 | Mozambique | 2 |
Wales | 1 | Namibia | 3 |
(blank) | 1 | Nepal | 1 |
Grand Total | 72766 | New Zealand | 92 |
|
| Nigeria | 2 |
|
| Oman | 14 |
|
| Panama | 2 |
|
| Peru | 25 |
|
| Philippines | 1 |
|
| Qatar | 179 |
|
| Russian Federation | 261 |
|
| Saudi Arabia | 27 |
|
| Serbia | 2 |
|
| Singapore | 141 |
|
| South Africa | 1522 |
|
| South Korea | 60 |
|
| Taiwan | 4 |
|
| Thailand | 48 |
|
| Turkey | 148 |
|
| Ukraine | 6 |
|
| United Arab Emirates | 499 |
|
| United States of America | 966 |
|
| Vietnam | 2 |
|
| Zimbabwe | 22 |
|
| Grand Total | 5533 |
EU Imports to 31/08/2022 | 2022 | Rest of World Imports to 31/08/2022 | 2022 |
Country Of Origin | Dogs | Country Of Origin | Dogs |
Austria | 5 | Albania | 1 |
Belgium | 25 | Algeria | 1 |
Bulgaria | 1248 | Australia | 295 |
Croatia | 1742 | Bahrain | 84 |
Cyprus | 1982 | Barbados | 13 |
Czech Republic | 108 | Bermuda | 10 |
Denmark | 216 | Brazil | 65 |
England? | 35 | Brunei | 2 |
Estonia | 13 | Canada | 90 |
Finland | 5 | Cayman Islands | 11 |
France | 68 | Chile | 5 |
Germany | 90 | China | 101 |
Greece | 254 | Colombia | 7 |
Hungary | 1766 | Costa Rica | 5 |
Isle of Man | 2 | Dominican Republic | 1 |
Ireland (Rep. of) | 4528 | Ecuador | 1 |
Italy | 184 | Egypt | 13 |
Latvia | 309 | Fiji | 1 |
Lithuania | 297 | Hong Kong | 25 |
Luxembourg | 1 | India | 108 |
Malta | 0 | Indonesia | 1 |
Netherlands | 84 | Israel | 5 |
Northern Ireland | 13 | Japan | 6 |
Norway | 7 | Jordan | 4 |
Poland | 1242 | Kenya | 24 |
Portugal | 237 | Korea (South) | 44 |
Romania | 8698 | Kuwait | 10 |
Slovakia | 127 | Lebanon | 16 |
Slovenia | 1 | Malaysia | 32 |
Spain | 3348 | Mauritius | 13 |
Sweden | 10 | Mexico | 16 |
Switzerland | 2 | Namibia | 2 |
UK | 4 | New Zealand | 82 |
Total | 26651 | Nigeria | 1 |
|
| Oman | 1 |
|
| Panama | 2 |
|
| Peru | 4 |
|
| Philippines | 7 |
|
| Qatar | 56 |
|
| Russia | 21 |
|
| Saint Lucia | 1 |
|
| Saudi Arabia | 17 |
|
| Singapore | 66 |
|
| South Africa | 557 |
|
| Sri Lanka | 3 |
|
| Taiwan | 1 |
|
| Thailand | 30 |
|
| Turkey | 57 |
|
| UAE | 233 |
|
| Uganda | 5 |
|
| Ukraine | 2 |
|
| USA | 416 |
|
| Vietnam | 1 |
|
| Zimbabwe | 9 |
|
| Total | 2584 |
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many cats have been imported this year under the Balai Directive; and from which countries those cats originated.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since we left the EU, the EU import data for 2021 and 2022 was collated from PIMS which is APHA’s Post Import Management System and accounts for all Imports into the United Kingdom that have been entered using IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system).
This information is drawn from the external IPAFF’s system not directly controlled by the department.
From 14th April 2022 the United Kingdom temporarily suspended the commercial import of dogs, cats and ferrets if they originated from or have been dispatched from Belarus, Poland, Romania or Ukraine, until 29th October 2022.
January-September 2022 | |
Country Of Origin | Total |
Austria | 1 |
Belgium | 15 |
Bulgaria | 115 |
Croatia | 32 |
Cyprus | 392 |
Czech Republic | 22 |
Denmark | 5 |
England | 3 |
Estonia | 3 |
France | 17 |
Germany | 28 |
Greece | 42 |
Hungary | 94 |
Ireland (Rep. of) | 1 |
Italy | 18 |
Latvia | 155 |
Lithuania | 107 |
Netherlands | 11 |
Poland | 208 |
Portugal | 32 |
Romania | 705 |
Slovakia | 17 |
Spain | 339 |
Sweden | 2 |
Switzerland | 3 |
Antigua and Barbuda | 6 |
Argentina | 7 |
Australia | 140 |
Bahamas | 4 |
Barbados | 1 |
Bahrain | 124 |
Bermuda | 6 |
Brazil | 59 |
Brunei | 3 |
Canada | 81 |
Cayman Islands | 12 |
Chile | 3 |
China | 31 |
Colombia | 12 |
Costa Rica | 2 |
Egypt | 357 |
Georgia | 1 |
Ghana | 2 |
Hong Kong | 29 |
India | 46 |
Indonesia | 5 |
Israel | 2 |
Japan | 8 |
Jordan | 2 |
Kenya | 9 |
Korea (South) | 18 |
Kuwait | 22 |
Lebanon | 8 |
Malaysia | 33 |
Mauritius | 6 |
Mexico | 12 |
Myanmar | 2 |
Namibia | 2 |
New Zealand | 85 |
North Macedonia | 9 |
Oman | 5 |
Pakistan | 2 |
Peru | 1 |
Philippines | 2 |
Qatar | 106 |
Russia | 48 |
Saint Lucia | 1 |
Saudi Arabia | 67 |
Seychelles | 1 |
Singapore | 39 |
South Africa | 348 |
Taiwan | 2 |
Thailand | 43 |
Turkey | 15 |
UAE | 1043 |
Uganda | 1 |
USA | 256 |
Vietnam | 4 |
Zimbabwe | 18 |
Total | 5518 |
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, (a) which government ministers have been provided with overnight accommodation within the UK's embassies or consulates in (i) Vietnam and (ii) Singapore in each calendar year from 2017 to 2022, and (b) in each case, in which city was that accommodation provided, and for how many nights.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Year | Singapore | Vietnam |
2017 | · Secretary of State for International Trade - 2 nights (Singapore) · Secretary of State for Scotland - 2 nights (Singapore) · Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government - 2 nights (Singapore) · Minister for Asia - 3 nights (Singapore) · Minister for Culture and Digital - 1 night (Singapore) · Advocate General for Scotland - 2 nights (Singapore) · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - 1 night (Singapore) | · Secretary of State for International Trade (Ho Chi Minh City) - 1 night |
2018 | · Minister for Trade Policy - 4 nights (Singapore) · Secretary of State for International Trade - 3 nights (Singapore) · Home Secretary - 2 nights (Singapore) · Minister for Asia - 1 night (Singapore) | · Nil |
2019 | · Foreign Secretary - 2 nights (Singapore) | · Nil |
2020 | · Nil | · Nil |
2021 | · Nil | · Nil |
2021 | · Foreign Secretary - 1 night (Singapore) | · Nil |