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: Robert Buckland (Conservative - South Swindon)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with her Australian counterpart on the proposed Misinformation and Disinformation Bill in that country.
Answered by Saqib Bhatti - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ministers and officials from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology meet regularly with counterparts from other countries to share our experience and expertise and to develop common approaches to online safety. We work closely with the Government of Australia and recently signed a memorandum of understanding setting out our intention to promote regulatory coordination and jointly deliver online safety and security policy to support our citizens.
The UK government has already delivered world-leading legislation via the Online Safety Act, which captures misinformation and disinformation where it constitutes illegal content or content which is harmful to children, and which forces the largest platforms to remove misinformation and disinformation prohibited under their Terms of Service.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on the UK's defence position in the Indo-Pacific region of the Australian national defence strategy.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
I welcome the recent release of Australia’s inaugural National Defence Strategy. The United Kingdom and Australia consult closely on our respective defence and security strategies and the themes and challenges identified in the National Defence Strategy have clear parallels in the refreshed Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper. Both countries’ strategies prioritise cooperation with partners, particularly in the Indo Pacific, to strengthen collective security.
The UK has delivered on its ambition for a tilt to the Indo-Pacific and is now putting our approach on a long-term strategic footing, working with Australia and others. The UK and Australia also both recognise that the security and prosperity of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific are inseparable. We continue to work closely with Australia to defend global rules and norms.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the World Health Organization report A focus on adolescent substance use in Europe, central Asia and Canada, published on 25 April, what plans they have to address the high levels of child alcohol consumption in England.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Guidance from England’s Chief Medical Officer for healthcare professionals is clear that an alcohol-free childhood is the healthiest and best option. The Department promotes this through online platforms such as the NHS.UK website, the Talk to FRANK online resource, and the GOV.UK website. Local authorities promote these guidelines as part of their public health duties. As part of the Government’s 10-year drug strategy, the Department has an ambition to support 5,000 more children and young people in receiving treatment than at the start of the strategy in March 2022.
The Department for Education’s statutory guidance, Relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education, became mandatory in September 2020. Through this, education on drugs, alcohol, and tobacco became compulsory at state-funded primary and secondary schools, teaching children and young people how to manage influences and pressure, and keep themselves healthy and safe. To deter individuals selling alcohol to a person aged under 18 years old, the maximum fine for the offence of persistently selling alcohol to children was increased from £10,000 to £20,000, under section 147A(8) of the 2003 Licensing Act.
Asked by: Lord Naseby (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to following the example set in the Australia–Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty by recognising publicly that the formal statehood and sovereignty of small island states will not lapse under international law even in the event of catastrophic sea level rise.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Sea level rise is a matter of critical concern particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), who are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We have taken careful note of the Pacific Islands Forum 2023 Declaration on the continuity of statehood in the face of sea level rise and are considering its content in detail. The UK also welcomes the International Law Commission's ongoing work on these issues. We also continue to work with SIDS to drive global ambition of emissions reductions, and support adaptation and resilience in SIDS including through programmes such as the global £500 million Blue Planet.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Australian national defence strategy on the UK's cooperation with (a) Australia (b) other partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Australia are close partners and we welcome Australia's inaugural National Defence Strategy. As set out in the Integrated Review Refresh, the UK is committed to and strategically focussed on the Indo-Pacific. Our partnership with Australia is an important part of this, and we regularly discuss Indo-Pacific collaboration at senior official and ministerial levels, including at the recent Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations (AUKMIN) in Adelaide in March. We work closely with Australia as members of the Commonwealth, Five Eyes, the G20 and the UN, and we regularly discuss defence matters.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has discussed AUKUS pillar 2 with his Canadian counterpart.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Yes, the Secretary of State for Defence has discussed AUKUS Pillar 2 with the Canadian Defence Minister, Bill Blair, on multiple occasions. The discussions have been wide ranging across the full spectrum of Defence matters.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2024 to Question 20923 on Ministry of Defence: Canada and New Zealand, whether he discussed (a) the entry to and (b) cooperation with AUKUS by (i) Canada and (ii) New Zealand.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Yes, the Secretary of State for Defence spoke with his Canadian and New Zealand counterparts on AUKUS Pillar 2 activity on those occasions.
Asked by: Pauline Latham (Conservative - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the extent to which Canada's critical minerals capacity is a factor in its inclusion of a potential expansion of Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As the AUKUS Defence Ministers announced earlier this month, in identifying collaboration opportunities for AUKUS nations to work with other states on advanced capability projects under Pillar 2, we will take into account factors such as technological innovation, financing, industrial strengths, ability to adequately protect sensitive data and information, and impact on promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2023 to Question 1465 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, whether the Airbus H135 helicopters purchased under Project MATCHA have been sold.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I can confirm that the Defence Equipment Sales Authority has completed a sale to the Commonwealth of Australia and their leasing partners of five surplus H135 helicopters.