Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign national offenders were removed from the country through a prison transfer agreement each year since 2010; and if he will list which countries were they removed to.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Any foreign national who is convicted of a crime and given a prison sentence is considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity. Where appropriate, the Government will also seek to permanently remove foreign criminals from the UK via the Early Removal Scheme once they have served the minimum required of their sentence. This is our best performing removal scheme with 5,262 Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) having been removed between January 2019 and June 2022.
The Home Office removed 16,676 foreign national offenders since January 2019 to September 2023. Published figures show that FNO returns have increased in the latest 12-month period (ending September 2023) by 19% when compared to previous 12-month period.
Our new Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Albania entered into force in May 2023 and we have signed a new Prisoner Transfer Agreement with the Philippines. We are looking to negotiate new Prisoner Transfer Agreements with key EU Member States and wider-world countries
Foreign national offender removals via Prisoner Transfer Agreements since 2010:
Year: | Removals: |
2010 | 46 |
2011 | 33 |
2012 | 41 |
2013 | 44 |
2014 | 34 |
2015 | 57 |
2016 | 99 |
2017 | 107 |
2018 | 111 |
2019 | 136 |
2020 | 81 |
2021 | 73 |
2022 | 50 |
2023 | 33 |
Countries or Territories we have removed foreign national offenders to via Prisoner Transfer Agreements since 2010:
Albania | Denmark | Latvia | Slovakia |
Austria | Ecuador | Lithuania | Slovenia |
Belgium | Estonia | Macedonia | Spain |
Bermuda | France | Malta | Sri Lanka |
Bolivia | Germany | Montenegro | St Helena |
Brazil | Ghana | Netherlands | Sweden |
Bulgaria | Gibraltar | Nigeria | Switzerland |
Canada | Greece | Norway | Turkey |
Cayman | Hungary | Pakistan | Ukraine |
Chile | India | Poland | Vietnam |
Croatia | Ireland | Portugal | Iraq |
Cyprus | Israel | Romania |
|
Czech Republic | Italy | Saudi |
|
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Armed Forces personnel are deployed to (a) Guyana, (b) South America and (c) the Caribbean.
Answered by James Heappey
For force protection reasons we cannot provide precise numbers of deployed personnel in this case, including the British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB), and on the Falkland Islands and Ascension Island through British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI). Defence’s permanent presence across these areas is also provided by our resident Defence Attaché sections based in: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Jamaica. These teams also have non-residential responsibility for a range of other countries in the region with Guyana falling under our Caribbean team. Additionally, the Royal Navy have a persistent maritime presence in the South Atlantic and the Caribbean through two Offshore Patrol Vessels.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will publish a list of global trade shows which her Department has encouraged businesses to attend in each of the last two years.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Over the last two financial years (including 2023-24), the Department for Business and Trade has organised international activations for UK export-ready small and medium sized enterprises at over 90 international trade shows listed below.
2022-23 | |
Trade show | Country |
Cannes Lion | France |
Aero India | India |
Arab Health | UAE |
BETT Asia | Malaysia |
Bio Convention - San Diego | USA |
Chemspec Europe | Germany |
DSEI Japan | Japan |
ExpoNaval | Chile |
Fruit Attraction | Spain |
Gulfood (February 2023) | UAE |
IACP | USA |
IDEX | UAE |
Indo Defence | Indonesia |
Indo Pacific | Australia |
Innotrans | Germany |
International Atomic Energy Agency General Conf | Austria |
Intersec | UAE |
Investing in Africa Mining, Indaba | South Africa |
JP Morgan Healthcare conf | USA |
Kidscreen | USA |
Medica | Germany |
Middle East Beauty | France |
Mobile World Congress (MWC) | Spain |
Money 2020 | USA |
International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO | Poland |
Pitti Uomo | Italy |
Posidonia 2022 | Greece |
Sial | France |
Singapore Fintech Week | Singapore |
SMM Hamburg | Germany |
SOFIC | USA |
South By South West (SXSW) | USA |
Web Summit 2022 | Portugal |
2023-24 | |
Trade show | Country |
AAHAR | India |
Agritechnica | Germany |
Anuga | Germany |
Arab Health | UAE |
Asia Pacific Maritime | Singapore |
Australia Space Policy Forum | Australia |
Bengalaru Tech Summit | India |
BETT Asia | Malaysia |
Big 5 Construction | UAE |
BIO International | USA |
Cannes Lions | France |
Chemspec | Germany |
CPHI | Spain |
Defense & Security | Thailand |
DIMDEX | Qatar |
Dubai Airshow | UAE |
DUPHAT | UAE |
FoodEx | Japan |
GCC Beauty World ME | Dubai |
Global Health Expo | Saudi Arabia |
Global Space & Technology Convention | Singapore |
GULFOOD 2024 | UAE |
IACP | USA |
Indo Pacific | Australia |
InFlavour | Saudi Arabia |
Intersec | UAE |
Investing in Africa Mining Indaba | South Africa |
International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) | Poland |
International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) | Turkey |
Intersec | UAE |
Intersec KSA | Saudi Arabia |
JP Morgan Health Tech | USA |
Kidscreen 2024 | USA |
Kormarine | ROK |
Medica | Germany |
METSTRADE | Netherlands |
Middle East Rail | UAE |
Mobile World Congress | Spain |
Money 2020 | USA |
NorShipping | Norway |
Paris Air Show | France |
PCHI (Personal Care and Homecare Ingredients) | China |
Photonics West | USA |
Pitti Uomo | Italy |
Prowein | Germany |
ReBuild Ukraine | Poland |
Seafood Expo | USA |
Singapore Fintech Week | Singapore |
Singapore Maritime Week | Singapore |
SOF Week | USA |
Space Tech Expo | Germany |
SXSW | USA |
Web Summit | Portugal |
Wind Europe | Denmark |
Wind Europe 2024 | Spain |
World Defense Show | Saudi Arabia |
World New Energy Vehicle Congress | China |
World Nuclear Exhibition | Paris |
Asked by: Alec Shelbrooke (Conservative - Elmet and Rothwell)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to increase levels of meat and poultry exports.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To support delivery of the Government’s Export Strategy the Prime Minister recently announced a food and drink export package to boost export capability and deliver on growing demand for our high-quality UK produce across the world. This included a further expansion of our global agrifood and drink counsellor network who negotiate removal of trade barriers in growing global markets. Within the last year we have successfully secured access for lamb to the USA and apples to India. The export package also included a £2m boost to promotional activity such as trade shows and missions that help drive demand for UK products alongside the GREAT food and drink campaign.
To further support food producers export, we have held a range of National and Regional food summits with dedicated SME workshops to highlight export opportunities and build capability.
Supporting this increased investment in exports we have an ambitious programme of negotiations for free trade agreements which is delivering results. On 31 May the UK’s first new free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand came into force, opening markets for UK producers across all products. On 31 March, the Government substantially concluded negotiations on the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a free trade agreement (FTA) including 11 members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. This trade deal will see new export opportunities for food producers including exporters of meat and poultry.
We work closely with a wide range of industry representative partners to identify and prioritise barrier removal, and to seize opportunities to streamline the export process for animals and animal products. Alongside opening new market opportunities, we are also increasing resilience and mitigating risks to existing trade. This is particularly the case with poultry where we are working with trade partners to agree regionalisation agreements to allow trade from unaffected regions to continue in the context of Avian Influenza outbreaks.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Chevening scholarships have been awarded to each country for awarded for the 2023-24 academic year.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Chevening operates in over 160 countries and territories. For the 2023-24 academic year, our budget of £57.7 million Official Development Assistance (ODA), £1.6 million non-ODA funding, and additional income of around £13.2 million from tuition fee-waivers and external partners allowed us to offer 1440 awards of which 1383 were from ODA funding and 57 from non-ODA funding. Attached is a table indicating numbers from each eligible country. For countries where we offered fewer than five places we withhold the exact number as this would contravene one of the data protection principles. In this case, Sections 40(2) and 40 (3A)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act apply.
ODA | Country | Awards made (incl. full/part partner funded awards) |
ODA | AFGHANISTAN | 22 |
ODA | ALBANIA | 11 |
ODA | ALGERIA | 7 |
ODA | ANGOLA / SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE | 15 |
ODA | ARGENTINA | 15 |
ODA | ARMENIA | 5 |
ODA | AZERBAIJAN | 7 |
ODA | BANGLADESH | 21 |
ODA | BELARUS | 7 |
ODA | BELIZE | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | BHUTAN | 5 |
ODA | BOLIVIA | 6 |
ODA | BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA | 6 |
ODA | BOTSWANA | 5 |
ODA | BRAZIL | 46 |
ODA | BURUNDI | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | CAMBODIA | 14 |
ODA | CAMEROON / CHAD / EQUATORIAL GUINEA / GABON | 8 |
ODA | CHINA | 33 |
ODA | COLOMBIA | 14 |
ODA | CONGO, The Democratic Republic Of The/Central African Republic/Republic of Congo | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | COSTA RICA / NICARAGUA | 6 |
ODA | COTE D'IVOIRE | 7 |
ODA | CUBA | 8 |
ODA | DJIBOUTI | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | DOMINICAN REPUBLIC/HAITI | 13 |
ODA | EAST CARIBBEAN ODA (GRENADA, ST LUCIA, DOMINICA, ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA) | 11 |
ODA | EAST TIMOR | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | ECUADOR | 6 |
ODA | EGYPT | 30 |
ODA | EL SALVADOR | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | ERITREA | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | Eswatini | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | ETHIOPIA | 13 |
ODA | GAMBIA | 5 |
ODA | GEORGIA/South Caucasus | 14 |
ODA | GHANA / BENIN / TOGO /BURKINA FASO | 16 |
ODA | GUATEMALA / HONDURAS | 5 |
ODA | GUINEA | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | GUYANA / SURINAME | 5 |
ODA | INDIA | 38 |
ODA | INDONESIA | 43 |
ODA | IRAQ | 18 |
ODA | JAMAICA | 13 |
ODA | JORDAN | 8 |
ODA | KAZAKHSTAN | 9 |
ODA | KENYA | 33 |
ODA | KOSOVO | 8 |
ODA | KYRGYZ REPUBLIC | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | LAOS | 13 |
ODA | LEBANON | 10 |
ODA | LESOTHO | 6 |
ODA | LIBERIA | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | LIBYA | 10 |
ODA | MADAGASCAR/COMOROS | 8 |
ODA | MALAWI | 6 |
ODA | MALAYSIA | 41 |
ODA | MALDIVES | 7 |
ODA | MALI | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | MAURITANIA | 5 |
ODA | MAURITIUS | 7 |
ODA | MEXICO | 34 |
ODA | MOLDOVA | 6 |
ODA | MONGOLIA | 17 |
ODA | MONTENEGRO | 7 |
ODA | MOROCCO | 11 |
ODA | MOZAMBIQUE | 15 |
ODA | MYANMAR | 11 |
ODA | NAMIBIA | 14 |
ODA | NEPAL | 11 |
ODA | NIGER | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | NIGERIA | 39 |
ODA | NORTH MACEDONIA | 6 |
ODA | OVERSEAS TERRITORIES | 12 |
ODA | PACIFIC POOL | 32 |
ODA | PAKISTAN (DOES NOT INCLUDE FELLOWS) | 46 |
ODA | PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES | 11 |
ODA | PANAMA | 5 |
ODA | PARAGUAY | 17 |
ODA | PERU | 11 |
ODA | PHILIPPINES | 23 |
ODA | RWANDA | 8 |
ODA | SAMOA + COOK ISLANDS | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | SENEGAL / CAPE VERDE /GUINEA-BISSAU | 8 |
ODA | SERBIA | 7 |
ODA | SIERRA LEONE | 6 |
ODA | SOMALIA | 17 |
ODA | SOUTH AFRICA | 47 |
ODA | SOUTH SUDAN | 6 |
ODA | SRI LANKA | 10 |
ODA | SUDAN | 14 |
ODA | SYRIA | 15 |
ODA | TAJIKISTAN | Fewer than 5 |
ODA | TANZANIA | 17 |
ODA | THAILAND | 24 |
ODA | TUNISIA | 6 |
ODA | TURKEY | 20 |
ODA | TURKMENISTAN | 6 |
ODA | UGANDA | 21 |
ODA | UKRAINE | 37 |
ODA | UZBEKISTAN | 7 |
ODA | VENEZUELA | 7 |
ODA | VIETNAM | 23 |
ODA | YEMEN | 9 |
ODA | ZAMBIA | 11 |
ODA | ZIMBABWE | 7 |
Non-ODA | AUSTRALIA | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | BAHAMAS | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | BARBADOS (+ ST KITTS AND NEVIS) | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | BRUNEI | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | CANADA | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | CHILE | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | HONG KONG | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | ICELAND | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | ISRAEL | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | JAPAN | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | NEW ZEALAND | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | SEYCHELLES | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | SINGAPORE | 5 |
Non-ODA | SOUTH KOREA | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | TAIWAN | 5 |
Non-ODA | TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO | Fewer than 5 |
Non-ODA | URUGUAY | 10 |
1350 |
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants arrived in the UK illegally from (a) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (b) Georgia, (c) Mongolia, (d) Albania, (e) Chile, (f) Kosovo, (g) North Macedonia and (h) Serbia in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023 to date.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office publishes data on detected irregular arrivals in the ‘Irregular Migration to the UK Quarterly Release’. Quarterly data on detected irregular arrivals broken down by method of entry and nationality are published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular Migration detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to end June 2023.
Further provisional small boat arrivals data is published in the data tables accompanying the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act’. Numbers of arrivals by nationality are published in table IMB_01b for Q2 and July 2023.
The Home Office also publishes data on returns in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on returns by destination are published in table Ret_D02 of the ‘Returns detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the end of March 2023.
Further provisional returns data is published in the data tables accompanying the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act’. Quarterly numbers of returns of Albanians and all other nationalities are published in table IMB_05 up to the end of July 2023. Since the signing of the UK-Albania Joint Communique on 13 December 2022, the UK has returned 2,898 Albanian nationals to Albania and covers the period up to 31 July 2023.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Mike Penning (Conservative - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal migrants were returned to (a) Bosnia and Herzegovina, (b) Georgia, (c) Mongolia, (d) Albania, (e) Chile, (f) Kosovo, (g) North Macedonia and (h) Serbia in (i) 2022 and (ii) 2023 to date.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office publishes data on detected irregular arrivals in the ‘Irregular Migration to the UK Quarterly Release’. Quarterly data on detected irregular arrivals broken down by method of entry and nationality are published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular Migration detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to end June 2023.
Further provisional small boat arrivals data is published in the data tables accompanying the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act’. Numbers of arrivals by nationality are published in table IMB_01b for Q2 and July 2023.
The Home Office also publishes data on returns in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on returns by destination are published in table Ret_D02 of the ‘Returns detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the end of March 2023.
Further provisional returns data is published in the data tables accompanying the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act’. Quarterly numbers of returns of Albanians and all other nationalities are published in table IMB_05 up to the end of July 2023. Since the signing of the UK-Albania Joint Communique on 13 December 2022, the UK has returned 2,898 Albanian nationals to Albania and covers the period up to 31 July 2023.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Lord Grocott (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government who are the Trade Envoys; to which country each Trade Envoy has been assigned; and what is the party affiliation of each Trade Envoy and the length of time in post.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are currently 36 Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys and information as below.
Country | Trade Envoy | Date of PM Appointment | ||
LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN | ||||
Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentina | Mark Menzies MP (Con) | September 2016 & September 2017 for Argentina | ||
Panama, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica | Baroness Hooper of Liverpool (Con) | October 2020 | ||
Brazil | Marco Longhi MP (Con) | August 2021 | ||
AFRICA | ||||
Algeria | Lord Risby of Haverhill (Con) | November 2012 | ||
Uganda & Rwanda (watching brief for DRC) | Lord Popat (Con) | January 2016 | ||
Egypt and Cameroon | Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP (DUP) | January 2016 & August 2021 for Cameroon | ||
Nigeria | Helen Grant MP (Con) | October 2020 | ||
Kenya | Theo Clarke MP (Con) | Reappointed May 2023 | ||
South Africa & Mauritius | Andrew Selous MP(Con) | September 2017 & January 2023 for Mauritius | ||
Tanzania | Lord Walney (Non-Affiliated) | August 2021 | ||
Ghana | Baroness Hoey (Non-Affiliated) | August 2021 | ||
Tunisia & Libya | Yvonne Fovargue MP (Lab) | March 2022 | ||
Angola, Zambia & Ethiopia | Laurence Robertson MP (Con) | Reappointed March 2023 | ||
MIDDLE EAST | ||||
Israel | Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-affiliated) | October 2020 | ||
Iran | Lord Lamont of Lerwick (Con) | January 2016 | ||
Lebanon | Lord Risby of Haverhill (Con) | August 2019 | ||
Iraq | Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne (Con) | January 2014 | ||
Jordan, Kuwait & Palestine Territories | Baroness Morris of Bolton (Con) | November 2012 | ||
UAE | Gareth Thompson MP (Con) | March 2023 | ||
| ||||
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan | Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne (Con) | April 2016 & Kazakhstan July 2017 | ||
Mongolia | Daniel Kawczynski MP (Con) | October 2020 | ||
Ukraine | Baroness Meyer (Con) | October 2020 | ||
Turkey | Lord Hutton (Lab) | May 2022 | ||
EUROPE | ||||
Switzerland & Liechtenstein | Sir Stephen Timms MP (Lab) | August 2021 | ||
Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia) | Martin Vickers MP (Con) | October 2020 | ||
APAC | ||||
Australia | Lord Botham (Crossbench) | August 2021 | ||
Taiwan | Lord Faulkner (Lab) | January 2016 | ||
Japan | Greg Clark MP (Con) | May 2022 | ||
Thailand, Myanmar, Brunei & Vietnam | Mark Garnier MP (Con) | October 2020 & for Vietnam January 2023 | ||
Singapore | Lord Sarfraz (Con) | January 2022 | ||
Republic of Korea | Sir John Whittingdale (Con) | May 2022 | ||
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines & ASEAN | Richard Graham MP (Con) | Reappointed March 2023 | ||
Cambodia & Laos | Heather Wheeler MP (Con) | Reappointed March 2023 | ||
New Zealand | David Mundell MP (Con) | Reappointed March 2023 | ||
SOUTH ASIA | ||||
Bangladesh | Rushanara Ali MP (Lab) | March 2016 | ||
Sri Lanka | Lord Mervyn Davies of Abersoch (Crossbench) | October 2020 | ||
North America | ||||
Canada | Dame Maria Miller MP (Con) | May 2022 | ||
USA (specific focus on driving trade promotion with existing MOU states) | Sir Conor Burns MP (Con) | May 2023 |
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs if he will support the agenda item proposed by France, Chile, Palau and Vanuatu, entitled Establishment of a general policy by the Assembly related to the conservation of the marine environment, including in consideration of the effects of the two-year rule, for the Assembly meeting of the 28th Session of the International Seabed Authority between 24 and 28 July 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK have noted the late proposal of the agenda item from France, Chile, Palau, and Vanuatu at the Assembly meeting of the 28th Session of the International Seabed Authority and are currently considering the UK position. The UK has committed not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep-sea mining projects unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems and strong and enforceable environmental regulations and standards have been developed by the International Seabed Authority and are in place. The UK's approach is precautionary and conditional.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government will support the agenda item proposed by France, Chile, Palau and Vanuatu entitled Establishment of a general policy by the Assembly related to the conservation of the marine environment, including in consideration of the effects of the two-year rule at the Assembly meeting of the 28th Session of the International Seabed Authority.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK have noted the late proposal of the agenda item from France, Chile, Palau, and Vanuatu at the Assembly meeting of the 28th Session of the International Seabed Authority and are currently considering the UK position. The UK has committed not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep-sea mining projects unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep-sea ecosystems and strong and enforceable environmental regulations and standards have been developed by the International Seabed Authority and are in place. The UK's approach is precautionary and conditional.