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Written Question
Prisoners: Repatriation
Tuesday 19th December 2023

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


Written Question
Caribbean and South America: Armed Forces
Tuesday 12th December 2023

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.


Written Question
Trade Fairs
Wednesday 29th November 2023

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


Written Question
Meat: Exports
Monday 23rd October 2023

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.


Written Question
Chevening Scholarships Programme
Friday 8th September 2023

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.

ODACountryAwards made (incl. full/part partner funded awards)
ODAAFGHANISTAN22
ODAALBANIA11
ODAALGERIA7
ODAANGOLA / SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE15
ODAARGENTINA15
ODAARMENIA5
ODAAZERBAIJAN7
ODABANGLADESH21
ODABELARUS7
ODABELIZEFewer than 5
ODABHUTAN5
ODABOLIVIA6
ODABOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA6
ODABOTSWANA5
ODABRAZIL46
ODABURUNDIFewer than 5
ODACAMBODIA14
ODACAMEROON / CHAD / EQUATORIAL GUINEA / GABON8
ODACHINA33
ODACOLOMBIA14
ODACONGO, The Democratic Republic Of The/Central African Republic/Republic of CongoFewer than 5
ODACOSTA RICA / NICARAGUA6
ODACOTE D'IVOIRE7
ODACUBA8
ODADJIBOUTIFewer than 5
ODADOMINICAN REPUBLIC/HAITI13
ODAEAST CARIBBEAN ODA (GRENADA, ST LUCIA, DOMINICA, ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA)11
ODAEAST TIMORFewer than 5
ODAECUADOR6
ODAEGYPT30
ODAEL SALVADORFewer than 5
ODAERITREAFewer than 5
ODAEswatiniFewer than 5
ODAETHIOPIA13
ODAGAMBIA5
ODAGEORGIA/South Caucasus14
ODAGHANA / BENIN / TOGO /BURKINA FASO16
ODAGUATEMALA / HONDURAS5
ODAGUINEAFewer than 5
ODAGUYANA / SURINAME5
ODAINDIA38
ODAINDONESIA43
ODAIRAQ18
ODAJAMAICA13
ODAJORDAN8
ODAKAZAKHSTAN9
ODAKENYA33
ODAKOSOVO8
ODAKYRGYZ REPUBLICFewer than 5
ODALAOS13
ODALEBANON10
ODALESOTHO6
ODALIBERIAFewer than 5
ODALIBYA10
ODAMADAGASCAR/COMOROS8
ODAMALAWI6
ODAMALAYSIA41
ODAMALDIVES7
ODAMALIFewer than 5
ODAMAURITANIA5
ODAMAURITIUS7
ODAMEXICO34
ODAMOLDOVA6
ODAMONGOLIA17
ODAMONTENEGRO7
ODAMOROCCO11
ODAMOZAMBIQUE15
ODAMYANMAR11
ODANAMIBIA14
ODANEPAL11
ODANIGERFewer than 5
ODANIGERIA39
ODANORTH MACEDONIA6
ODAOVERSEAS TERRITORIES12
ODAPACIFIC POOL32
ODAPAKISTAN (DOES NOT INCLUDE FELLOWS)46
ODAPALESTINIAN TERRITORIES11
ODAPANAMA5
ODAPARAGUAY17
ODAPERU11
ODAPHILIPPINES23
ODARWANDA8
ODASAMOA + COOK ISLANDSFewer than 5
ODASENEGAL / CAPE VERDE /GUINEA-BISSAU8
ODASERBIA7
ODASIERRA LEONE6
ODASOMALIA17
ODASOUTH AFRICA47
ODASOUTH SUDAN6
ODASRI LANKA10
ODASUDAN14
ODASYRIA15
ODATAJIKISTANFewer than 5
ODATANZANIA17
ODATHAILAND24
ODATUNISIA6
ODATURKEY20
ODATURKMENISTAN6
ODAUGANDA21
ODAUKRAINE37
ODAUZBEKISTAN7
ODAVENEZUELA7
ODAVIETNAM23
ODAYEMEN9
ODAZAMBIA11
ODAZIMBABWE7
Non-ODAAUSTRALIAFewer than 5
Non-ODABAHAMASFewer than 5
Non-ODABARBADOS (+ ST KITTS AND NEVIS)Fewer than 5
Non-ODABRUNEIFewer than 5
Non-ODACANADAFewer than 5
Non-ODACHILEFewer than 5
Non-ODAHONG KONGFewer than 5
Non-ODAICELANDFewer than 5
Non-ODAISRAELFewer than 5
Non-ODAJAPANFewer than 5
Non-ODANEW ZEALANDFewer than 5
Non-ODASEYCHELLESFewer than 5
Non-ODASINGAPORE5
Non-ODASOUTH KOREAFewer than 5
Non-ODATAIWAN5
Non-ODATRINIDAD AND TOBAGOFewer than 5
Non-ODAURUGUAY10
1350

Written Question
Undocumented Migrants
Wednesday 6th September 2023

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’.


Written Question
Undocumented Migrants: Deportation
Wednesday 6th September 2023

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’.


Written Question
Trade Promotion
Monday 7th August 2023

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


EECAN

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


Written Question
Marine Environment: Conservation
Monday 10th July 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.


Written Question
Marine Environment: Conservation
Friday 7th July 2023

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.