Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the designated maritime routes are between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe, ships' routeing measures adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for navigation and safety purposes, such as traffic separation schemes, operators and vessels are able to traverse any area of sea, or set up longer term regular routes where suitable market demand exists.
Ferry routes are developed on a commercial basis by private sector operators in order to provide services that meet wider passenger or freight demands. Government would not ordinarily expect to be involved in such decisions, or privy to operator business planning, and as such cannot provide formal details on ferry routes under development.
In the period following 31 December 2020 we are aware of 5 ferry services that have been established, as set out in table 1:
Table 1
Route | Operator | Date |
Tilbury - Calais | DfDS | June 2023 |
Medway (Sheerness) - Calais | DfDS | June 2021 |
Dover - Calais | Irish Ferries | June 2021 |
Teesport - Zeebrugge | CLdN | March 2023 |
Teesport - Rotterdam | CLdN | March 2023 |
Table 2 details Ro-Ro (Roll on-Roll off, freight) and Passenger Ferries (Roll on-Roll off freight and passenger) vessels with regular routes (120 times per year), i.e. those that could be considered freight or passenger ferries, between UK and EU/EEA countries:
Table 2
EU/EEA Route (UK port to EU/EEA port) | Destination Country | Vessel Type | Ship operator |
North Killingholme-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Purfleet-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Teesport-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | P&O Ferries |
Tilbury-Zeebrugge | Belgium | Ro-Ro | P&O Ferries |
Immingham-Esbjerg | Denmark | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Dover-Calais | France | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Dover-Dunkirk | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Dover-Dunkirk | France | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Newhaven-Dieppe | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Plymouth-Roscoff | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Poole Harbor-Cherbourg | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Poole Harbor-Cherbourg | France | Pass. Ferries | Condor Ferries |
Portsmouth-Le Havre | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Portsmouth-Ouistreham | France | Pass. Ferries | Brittany Ferries |
Portsmouth-Ouistreham | France | Pass. Ferries | DFDS Seaways |
Sheerness-Calais | France | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Sheerness-Calais | France | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
St Helier Harbor-Saint-Malo | France | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | Condor Ferries |
Immingham-Cuxhaven | Germany | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Fishguard-Rosslare | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
Heysham-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Holyhead-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Holyhead-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Liverpool-Dublin | Ireland | Ro-Ro | Seatruck Ferries |
Pembroke Dock-Rosslare | Ireland | Pass. Ferries | Irish Ferries |
Felixstowe-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Harwich-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries and Ro-Ro | Stena Line |
Hull-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | P&O Ferries |
Immingham-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Immingham-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | Stena Line |
London-Vlissingen | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
North Killingholme-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | Stena Line |
North Killingholme-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
North Shields-Ijmuiden | Netherlands | Pass. Ferries | DFDS |
Purfleet-Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ro-Ro | CLdN Ro-Ro SA |
Immingham-Gothenburg | Sweden | Ro-Ro | DFDS |
Data Source: Sea by Maritech
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Joint statement on foreign, security, defence, development and bilateral cooperation between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Kingdom of Denmark, signed by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs on 20 June 2023, what progress he has made on enhancing (a) youth mobility and (b) cultural exchange between the UK and Denmark.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
As close neighbours and allies, the UK and Denmark enjoy strong people to people links. On 20 June, the Foreign Secretary signed a Joint Statement with Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen that will deepen these ties and we are continuing to explore opportunities to strengthen mobility and cultural exchange with our Danish counterparts.
The UK remains open to negotiating Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with international partners, including EU Member States. Given these are bilateral agreements, further details of additional YMS agreements will be announced as and when they are concluded.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make a comparative assessment of reoffending rates in (a) the UK, (b) West Yorkshire, (c) Denmark and (d) other countries.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
This Government is tackling the causes of reoffending to keep our communities safe.
The overall proven reoffending rate for England and Wales was 24.4% in 2020/21, down from 31.6% in 2010/11, when we took over from the last Labour government. The overall proven reoffending rate for West Yorkshire in 2020/21 was 27.2%, down from 31.8% in 2010/11.
Reoffending rates are not calculated for the whole of the UK – the rates for Scotland and Northern Ireland can be obtained separately from their respective government departments.
Care should be taken when comparing reoffending rates both within the UK and internationally because the means of calculation between countries can vary and therefore data is not directly comparable.
Asked by: Alyn Smith (Scottish National Party - Stirling)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the installation of additional interconnectors to EU countries, including in the North Sea.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and Minister for Europe work closely on energy issues with colleagues in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. At present, three interconnector projects to Denmark, Ireland and Germany are in construction. A further two interconnector projects to France hold regulatory approval in Great Britain. On 24 April 2023, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero attended the North Seas Summit in Ostend where the UK signed a declaration for the coordinated development of the North Seas with neighbouring North Seas countries.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that US and Norway forces participated in remote triggered exercises compromising the efficient operations in the case of three of the four Nord Stream pipelines in 2022.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All currently available information indicates that this damage is the result of sabotage. The UK and G7 leaders have been clear: we condemn any deliberate disruption of critical infrastructure.
Intentional damage to civilian infrastructure is reckless and irresponsible. The leaks not only caused risks to shipping but also substantial environmental damage in the Baltic Sea. The UK supports the investigations by Denmark, Sweden and Germany and stand ready to provide necessary support.
Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average amount of state pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK is; and if he will provide a breakdown of the average state pension payment in each country in which recipients reside.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In November 2020, the average (mean) amount of State Pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK was £70.61 per week.
Table 1. Average Amount of State Pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK, November 2020
Residency | Mean Weekly State Pension Amount |
Outside United Kingdom | £ 70.61 |
Source: Stat-Xplore - Home (dwp.gov.uk)
Below is a table of the average (mean) amount of State Pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK, broken down by country of residence, in November 2020.
Table 2. Average Amount of State Pension by Country of Residence, November 2020
Country of Residence | Mean Weekly State Pension Amount |
Abroad - Not known | £ 112.62 |
Albania | £ 110.57 |
Alderney | £ 126.99 |
Algeria | £ 62.41 |
Andorra | £ 94.96 |
Anguilla | £ 64.93 |
Antigua | £ 74.02 |
Argentina | £ 65.18 |
Aruba | £ 60.29 |
Ascension Island | £ 91.68 |
Australia | £ 50.09 |
Austria | £ 49.24 |
Azerbaijan | £ 166.77 |
Bahamas | £ 66.64 |
Bahrain | £ 97.27 |
Bangladesh | £ 39.49 |
Barbados | £ 116.97 |
Belarus | £ 111.17 |
Belgium | £ 63.62 |
Belize | £ 85.01 |
Bermuda | £ 81.36 |
Bolivia | £ 106.19 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | £ 73.12 |
Botswana | £ 75.98 |
Brazil | £ 81.20 |
Brunei | £ 121.78 |
Bulgaria | £ 122.47 |
Burkina Faso | £ 54.09 |
Cambodia | £ 119.76 |
Cameroon | £ 58.81 |
Canada | £ 46.34 |
Cape Verde | £ 52.18 |
Cayman Islands | £ 89.42 |
Chile | £ 72.13 |
China | £ 96.39 |
Colombia | £ 89.09 |
Cook Islands | £ 57.92 |
Costa Rica | £ 81.75 |
Cyprus | £ 122.54 |
Denmark | £ 58.40 |
Dom Commonwealth (Dominica) | £ 77.73 |
Dominican Republic | £ 107.52 |
Dutch Caribbean | £ 67.76 |
Ecuador | £ 85.95 |
Egypt | £ 78.64 |
El Salvador | £ 80.36 |
Equatorial Guinea | £ 142.11 |
Ethiopia | £ 88.34 |
Falkland Islands and Dependencies | £ 85.64 |
Faroe Islands | £ 33.01 |
Fiji | £ 73.66 |
Finland | £ 58.89 |
France | £ 113.52 |
French Overseas Departments | £ 84.34 |
French Polynesia | £ 55.84 |
Gambia | £ 91.46 |
Germany | £ 46.48 |
Ghana | £ 56.69 |
Gibraltar | £ 100.77 |
Greece | £ 109.44 |
Greenland | £ 23.21 |
Grenada | £ 77.33 |
Guam | £ 83.49 |
Guatemala | £ 77.73 |
Guernsey | £ 84.86 |
Guyana | £ 60.60 |
Honduras | £ 79.02 |
Hong Kong | £ 85.42 |
Hungary | £ 102.32 |
Iceland | £ 71.68 |
India | £ 50.10 |
Indonesia | £ 106.53 |
Iran | £ 70.85 |
Iraq | £ 64.11 |
Ireland | £ 66.41 |
Isle of Man | £ 127.85 |
Israel | £ 101.27 |
Italy | £ 56.79 |
Jamaica | £ 116.05 |
Japan | £ 46.97 |
Jersey | £ 70.02 |
Jordan | £ 67.90 |
Kazakhstan | £ 124.13 |
Kenya | £ 79.34 |
Kuwait | £ 103.54 |
Kyrgyzstan | £ 76.07 |
Laos | £ 100.66 |
Lebanon | £ 88.20 |
Lesotho | £ 59.64 |
Liechtenstein | £ 28.62 |
Luxembourg | £ 83.34 |
Macau | £ 77.52 |
Madagascar | £ 62.23 |
Malawi | £ 71.90 |
Malaysia | £ 77.87 |
Malta | £ 104.22 |
Mauritius | £ 108.25 |
Mexico | £ 74.98 |
Moldova | £ 124.94 |
Monaco | £ 111.96 |
Montserrat | £ 65.67 |
Morocco | £ 75.51 |
Mozambique | £ 74.56 |
Myanmar | £ 84.84 |
Namibia | £ 70.17 |
Nepal | £ 63.99 |
Netherlands | £ 55.81 |
Nevis, St Kitts-Nevis | £ 75.56 |
New Caledonia | £ 79.61 |
New Zealand | £ 46.44 |
Nicaragua | £ 79.72 |
Nigeria | £ 27.65 |
Norfolk Island | £ 55.18 |
North Macedonia | £ 24.20 |
Norway | £ 58.24 |
Oman | £ 89.53 |
Pakistan | £ 48.74 |
Panama | £ 96.96 |
Papua New Guinea | £ 75.49 |
Paraguay | £ 68.41 |
Peru | £ 88.02 |
Philippines | £ 138.86 |
Poland | £ 59.39 |
Portugal | £ 119.47 |
Puerto Rico | £ 77.32 |
Qatar | £ 113.55 |
Republic of Croatia | £ 62.10 |
Republic of Estonia | £ 78.98 |
Republic of Georgia | £ 129.54 |
Republic of Latvia | £ 68.34 |
Republic of Lithuania | £ 42.71 |
Republic of Slovenia | £ 60.38 |
Romania | £ 99.40 |
Russia | £ 85.51 |
Saint Helena & Dependencies | £ 89.27 |
San Marino | £ 29.33 |
Sark | £ 117.68 |
Saudi Arabia | £ 86.88 |
Senegal | £ 74.13 |
Serbia | £ 123.58 |
Seychelles | £ 79.10 |
Sierra Leone | £ 52.66 |
Singapore | £ 89.20 |
Solomon Islands | £ 79.08 |
Somalia | £ 44.20 |
South Africa | £ 56.52 |
South Korea | £ 41.69 |
Spain | £ 120.61 |
Sri Lanka | £ 59.98 |
St Lucia | £ 76.63 |
St Vincent & Grenadines | £ 80.10 |
State Union of Serbia and Montenegro | £ 53.44 |
Sudan | £ 71.27 |
Suriname | £ 151.95 |
Swaziland | £ 79.26 |
Sweden | £ 57.52 |
Switzerland | £ 51.98 |
Syria | £ 63.61 |
Tahiti | £ 77.00 |
Taiwan | £ 105.85 |
Tanzania | £ 87.61 |
Thailand | £ 119.10 |
The Czech Republic | £ 92.30 |
The Slovak Republic | £ 49.82 |
Togo | £ 50.10 |
Tonga | £ 73.36 |
Tours (Individuals on Tour) | £ 133.34 |
Trinidad & Tobago | £ 55.37 |
Tunisia | £ 88.16 |
Turkey | £ 132.24 |
Turks and Caicos Islands | £ 118.32 |
Uganda | £ 88.33 |
Ukraine | £ 115.86 |
United Arab Emirates | £ 107.46 |
United States | £ 74.19 |
United States Minor Outlying Islands | £ 75.89 |
Uruguay | £ 77.74 |
Vanuatu | £ 85.86 |
Venezuela | £ 67.62 |
Vietnam | £ 125.09 |
Virgin Islands (British) | £ 91.77 |
Virgin Islands (USA) | £ 72.74 |
Western Samoa | £ 34.12 |
Yemen | £ 42.90 |
Zambia | £ 75.67 |
Zimbabwe | £ 48.98 |
Source: Stat-Xplore - Home (dwp.gov.uk)
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much each country has contributed to the International Fund for Ukraine.
Answered by James Heappey
To date over £520 million has been pledged to the International Fund for Ukraine. These contributions are set out in the following table:
Country | Contribution in £ million |
Denmark | 44 |
Iceland | 3 |
Lithuania | 2 |
Netherlands | 88 |
Norway | 119 |
Sweden | 16 |
UK | 250 |
Asked by: John Healey (Labour - Wentworth and Dearne)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding his Department has allocated for second round bids for the International Fund for Ukraine.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania and Iceland have contributed a collective total of more than £520 million to the International Fund for Ukraine, of which the UK has contributed £250 million. As previously announced, the first package of capabilities to be procured through the Fund has an expected value of around £200 million.
Over £300 million remains within the Fund and will be drawn down to fund capability packages resulting from Urgent Bidding Round two and subsequent rounds. Such decisions are taken by the Executive Panel (comprising the UK, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden) which oversees the Fund, rather than by the Ministry of Defence.
We continue to seek further funding pledges from our international partners to grow the fund to meet future requirements.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which safe countries individuals have been returned to when they have been removed due to an inadmissibility decision on their asylum application.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
We are clear that those who fear persecution should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach and not put their lives at risk by making unnecessary and dangerous journeys to the UK. Controlled resettlement via safe and legal routes is the best way to protect such people and disrupt the organised crime groups that exploit migrants and refugees.
Inadmissibility is a longstanding process, intended to support the first safe country principle and is an established part of international asylum procedures. Those who choose to travel from a safe third country and then claim asylum in the UK may find their asylum claim treated as inadmissible to the asylum process. That means that the UK will not consider the substance of the person’s claim and will seek their return to a safe third country.
Since 1 January 2021 returns have been made to Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Information on the return of those who claims are deemed inadmissible is routinely published and can be found online at: How many people do we grant protection to? - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make a comparative assessment of the amount spent on (a) peacebuilding and (b) conflict-prevention initiatives compared with other countries in Europe.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK is committed to conflict prevention and we welcome Independent Commission for Aid Impact's recent recognition of the UK's meaningful contributions to peacebuilding. The UK is one of the biggest supporters of the UN's Peacebuilding Fund, having committed over £175 million since the Fund's inception in 2006. We are among the top 10 donors alongside Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark for 2020-24.
Following the Integrated Review Refresh, a new Integrated Security Fund will have a budget of almost £1 billion.
There are no plans to assess the UK's overall spend on peacebuilding and conflict prevention against other European countries.