Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on UK (a) consumers (b) producers of aligning the UK's tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in food with Morocco with those applying to the EU.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK–Morocco Association Agreement provides the framework for our £4.6 billion annual bilateral trade relationship, including trade in agri‑food products. Under Article 18 of the Agreement, both parties committed to meet and consider further tariff liberalisation for agriculture and fisheries products. Three rounds of discussions have taken place, most recently in October 2025. Both sides have agreed to work towards a mutually beneficial and balanced outcome.
As part of the wider approach to strengthening agri‑food trade with North Africa, we are also engaging with partners such as Egypt and Tunisia to ensure our agreements remain modern, balanced and supportive of UK producers and consumers. These discussions reflect our commitment to deepening trade relationships across the region.
Any future changes to our trading arrangements will be designed to support UK producers, strengthen the resilience of our food supply chain and ensure that consumers continue to have access to a wide range of affordable, high‑quality food.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of tariffs on produce from North Africa on levels of cost to UK consumers of (a) tomatoes (b) lettuce (c) blueberries (d) cucumbers (e) olives (f) olive oil.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK–Morocco Association Agreement provides the framework for our £4.6 billion annual bilateral trade relationship, including trade in agri‑food products. Under Article 18 of the Agreement, both parties committed to meet and consider further tariff liberalisation for agriculture and fisheries products. Three rounds of discussions have taken place, most recently in October 2025. Both sides have agreed to work towards a mutually beneficial and balanced outcome.
As part of the wider approach to strengthening agri‑food trade with North Africa, we are also engaging with partners such as Egypt and Tunisia to ensure our agreements remain modern, balanced and supportive of UK producers and consumers. These discussions reflect our commitment to deepening trade relationships across the region.
Any future changes to our trading arrangements will be designed to support UK producers, strengthen the resilience of our food supply chain and ensure that consumers continue to have access to a wide range of affordable, high‑quality food.
Asked by: Andrew Murrison (Conservative - South West Wiltshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade in foodstuffs with Morocco she plans to remove following the 2019 Association Agreement.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK–Morocco Association Agreement provides the framework for our £4.6 billion annual bilateral trade relationship, including trade in agri‑food products. Under Article 18 of the Agreement, both parties committed to meet and consider further tariff liberalisation for agriculture and fisheries products. Three rounds of discussions have taken place, most recently in October 2025. Both sides have agreed to work towards a mutually beneficial and balanced outcome.
As part of the wider approach to strengthening agri‑food trade with North Africa, we are also engaging with partners such as Egypt and Tunisia to ensure our agreements remain modern, balanced and supportive of UK producers and consumers. These discussions reflect our commitment to deepening trade relationships across the region.
Any future changes to our trading arrangements will be designed to support UK producers, strengthen the resilience of our food supply chain and ensure that consumers continue to have access to a wide range of affordable, high‑quality food.
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, what recent discussions she has had with international partners to ensure the protection of Christians and other religious minorities in Tajikistan.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, including in Tajikistan and Tunisia. On 8 July, the UK's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, set out the Government's new strategy on FoRB, providing a framework for engagement with other countries, and describing the links between the protection of FoRB and other goals including the prevention of conflict. As part of this strategy, the UK continues to support FoRB on the international stage, through our position in the United Nations, G7 and Article 18 Alliance.
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, what recent discussions she has had with international partners to ensure the protection of Christians and other religious minorities in Tunisia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, including in Tajikistan and Tunisia. On 8 July, the UK's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, David Smith MP, set out the Government's new strategy on FoRB, providing a framework for engagement with other countries, and describing the links between the protection of FoRB and other goals including the prevention of conflict. As part of this strategy, the UK continues to support FoRB on the international stage, through our position in the United Nations, G7 and Article 18 Alliance.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent diplomatic discussions they have had with the government of Tunisia about the arrest of Mustapha Djemali and Abderrazek Krimi, and what steps they are taking to ensure their release.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Our Embassy in Tunis has closely followed the case of Mustapha Djemali and Abderrazek Krimi since their arrest in May 2024. We have raised the case with Tunisian authorities, including at senior levels, and participated in trial observation alongside other Diplomatic missions. Both individuals were released on suspended sentences on 24 November given time served, after being found guilty of assisting migrants to enter and remain in Tunisia. We continue to engage with Tunisia and international partners on the protection of civil society and human rights.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Tunisian authorities on the recent crackdown on human rights organisations.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 18 September to Question 70304.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Tunisia concerning the ongoing targeting of Christian communities, including instances of (1) physical violence and (2) forced marriage; and what steps are they taking to ensure religious freedom in the country.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We regularly engage with Tunisian authorities and civil society organisations to promote human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), and we will continue our dialogue with the Tunisian government on human rights as part of our annual Association Council, most recently held in July 2025.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Tunisian counterpart on (a) the mass trial of political figures in April 2025 and (b) the need for (i) due process and (ii) humane treatment for political detainees in Tunisia.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK monitors the situation in Tunisia closely. As noted in a statement by the UK at the Human Rights Council last October, the space for political participation in Tunisia has shrunk considerably and the way legitimate political actors have been arrested raises serious questions about the independence of the judiciary.
During my visit to Tunisia in July, I raised our concerns on the human rights and civil society environment with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met with representatives of Tunisian civil society to understand more about the situation. The Foreign Secretary also noted the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government in January. Our Ambassador in Tunisia regularly raises individual cases of concern in discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UK actively explores a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open society.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Tunisian counterpart on (a) the detention of political figures in Tunisia in recent years and (b) compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK monitors the situation in Tunisia closely. As noted in a statement by the UK at the Human Rights Council last October, the space for political participation in Tunisia has shrunk considerably and the way legitimate political actors have been arrested raises serious questions about the independence of the judiciary.
During my visit to Tunisia in July, I raised our concerns on the human rights and civil society environment with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and met with representatives of Tunisian civil society to understand more about the situation. The Foreign Secretary also noted the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government in January. Our Ambassador in Tunisia regularly raises individual cases of concern in discussions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UK actively explores a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open society.