Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that education projects in Myanmar funded by the British taxpayer do not discriminate against ethnic minority languages.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK, together with the US, Australia and Finland, is providing funding to the Myanmar Education Consortium (MEC). MEC's principle focus is providing education for ethnic communities, often living in areas outside the military regime's control. MEC is supporting over 200,000 children in hard-to-reach areas and is also promoting ethnic languages so children can learn in their mother tongue as well as gender equality, disability and social inclusion.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Cradley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which countries the UK has visa free travel arrangements with for British citizens.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
FCDO, who have responsibility for this information, have said that the information this question is requesting can be found in public domain https://visaguide.world/visa-free-countries/uk-passport/
We have included the list for ease:
Albania
American Samoa
Andorra
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bermuda
Bolivia
Caribbean Netherlands
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Canada
Cabo Verde
Cayman Islands
Chile
Colombia
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czechia
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French West Indies
Georgia
Germany
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niue
North Macedonia
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Réunion
Romania
San Marino
São Tomé and Príncipe
Senegal
Serbia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Gambia
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turks and Caicos Islands
Türkiye
United States Virgin Islands
Ukraine
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam
Zambia
Eswatin
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the EU on supplying tanks to Ukraine.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The UK has led the way providing NATO Main Battle Tanks to Ukraine. Earlier this month I announced our donation of a squadron of Challengers, before co-hosting supportive allies in Estonia and attending the Ramstein conference where I met with my new German counterpart. Since then Germany, Poland, Spain, Canada, Norway, Portugal, Finland and the Netherlands have confirmed they will send Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
We are also ensuring the Ukrainians receive logistical support and training to use them effectively, with the first crews already training in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other NATO members concerning the reasons why (1) Finland, and (2) Sweden, have not yet been granted full membership of NATO; and when they expect full membership for those countries to be achieved.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has engaged regularly with NATO Allies to advance the NATO accession process for Sweden and Finland. Once the Accession Protocols were signed, we expedited our ratification, recognising the importance of bringing both countries quickly into NATO. We continue to encourage all Allies to also ratify swiftly. Rapid integration into NATO will make both countries safer, the Alliance stronger, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the Finnish Government to agree bespoke bilateral arrangements for UK musicians seeking to tour in Finland without restrictions.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government is committed to supporting the UK’s creative industries, including musicians, to adapt to new arrangements with the EU.
EU Member States are principally responsible for deciding the rules governing what work UK visitors can undertake in each Member State. We have engaged bilaterally with all EU Member States, and nearly all (24 out of 27) have confirmed they offer visa and work permit free routes for UK performers for short-term touring.
This includes the UK’s biggest touring markets such as France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Following engagement by the UK Government and the sector, this also includes Spain, which introduced 90-day visa- and work permit- free touring in November 2021; and Greece, which announced a visa and work permit free route for UK creatives in June 2022, currently due to be in place until 31 December 2022. The UK Government is continuing to engage with Greece on extending this arrangement beyond the end of this year, however this is ultimately a decision for the Greek Government to take.
The Government is engaged with the remaining Member States - Cyprus, Malta and Portugal - on allowing creative professionals to tour more easily. However, ultimately it is up to these countries to align their requirements more closely with the UK’s generous rules.
The UK’s domestic rules allow musicians, entertainers and artists (and their technical staff) from EU Member States, to perform in the UK without requiring a visa, and the UK does not have work-permits.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether any bilateral arrangements are in place for UK musicians seeking to tour in Finland.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government is committed to supporting the UK’s creative industries, including musicians, to adapt to new arrangements with the EU.
EU Member States are principally responsible for deciding the rules governing what work UK visitors can undertake in each Member State. We have engaged bilaterally with all EU Member States, and nearly all (24 out of 27) have confirmed they offer visa and work permit free routes for UK performers for short-term touring.
This includes the UK’s biggest touring markets such as France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Following engagement by the UK Government and the sector, this also includes Spain, which introduced 90-day visa- and work permit- free touring in November 2021; and Greece, which announced a visa and work permit free route for UK creatives in June 2022, currently due to be in place until 31 December 2022. The UK Government is continuing to engage with Greece on extending this arrangement beyond the end of this year, however this is ultimately a decision for the Greek Government to take.
The Government is engaged with the remaining Member States - Cyprus, Malta and Portugal - on allowing creative professionals to tour more easily. However, ultimately it is up to these countries to align their requirements more closely with the UK’s generous rules.
The UK’s domestic rules allow musicians, entertainers and artists (and their technical staff) from EU Member States, to perform in the UK without requiring a visa, and the UK does not have work-permits.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether joint military exercises have been held with Finland in advance of that country's accession to NATO.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK fully supports Finland's application to join NATO and has, from the outset, offered Finland security assurances through the accession period. The UK and Finland have conducted multiple joint military exercises since Finland announced its application, including a five-week deployment of Challenger 2 tanks, three separate deployments of F35 and Typhoon aircraft, a 10-week deployment by 2 Rifles, and multiple joint training exercises, including Cold Weather Training 22 currently underway north of the Arctic Circle.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 September to Question 48499 on Dogs: Imports, if his Department will publish the number of dogs imported into the UK from each country outlined in that Answer in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.
Answered by Rebecca Pow - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Below are tables to show the countries of origin of commercial dog imports. The data for 2020 is for UK, and the data for 2021 and 2022 (up to the 31/08/2022) is Great Britain only. We do not hold data for Northern Ireland for 2021 and 2022.
This information is drawn from external TRACES and IPAFFs systems, which are not directly controlled by the department.
EU imports | 2020 |
| Rest of World Imports | 2020 |
Country Of Origin | Dogs |
| Country Of Origin | Dogs |
Austria | 6 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 1 |
Belgium | 13 |
| Argentina | 30 |
Bulgaria | 222 |
| Australia | 118 |
Croatia | 153 |
| Bahrain | 95 |
Cyprus | 4246 |
| Barbados | 8 |
Czech Republic | 135 |
| Belarus | 50 |
Denmark | 2 |
| Bermuda | 4 |
Estonia | 21 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1636 |
Finland | 7 |
| Brazil | 120 |
France | 33 |
| Canada | 76 |
Germany | 103 |
| Cayman Islands | 6 |
Greece | 563 |
| Colombia | 12 |
Hungary | 5065 |
| Costa Rica | 9 |
Ireland (Rep. of) | 5814 |
| Egypt | 26 |
Italy | 243 |
| Ethiopia | 3 |
Latvia | 5 |
| French Polynesia | 1 |
Lithuania | 99 |
| Hong Kong | 69 |
Malta | 5 |
| India | 29 |
Netherlands | 38 |
| Indonesia | 2 |
Poland | 3945 |
| Israel | 13 |
Portugal | 343 |
| Japan | 8 |
Romania | 32525 |
| Jordan | 3 |
Slovakia | 106 |
| Kenya | 26 |
Slovenia | 5 |
| Korea (South) | 29 |
Spain | 6475 |
| Kuwait | 12 |
Sweden | 15 |
| Lebanon | 10 |
Switzerland | 1 |
| Macao | 2 |
Total | 60188 |
| Malawi | 1 |
|
|
| Malaysia | 25 |
|
|
| Mauritius | 85 |
|
|
| Mexico | 51 |
|
|
| Namibia | 3 |
|
|
| New Zealand | 40 |
|
|
| North Macedonia | 566 |
|
|
| Nigeria | 3 |
|
|
| Oman | 8 |
|
|
| Peru | 5 |
|
|
| Philippines | 1 |
|
|
| Qatar | 43 |
|
|
| Russia | 713 |
|
|
| Saudi Arabia | 9 |
|
|
| Serbia | 40 |
|
|
| Singapore | 58 |
|
|
| South Africa | 519 |
|
|
| Sri Lanka | 2 |
|
|
| Taiwan | 7 |
|
|
| Tajikistan | 1 |
|
|
| Thailand | 18 |
|
|
| Turkey | 375 |
|
|
| Turks and Caicos | 1 |
|
|
| UAE | 164 |
|
|
| Uganda | 2 |
|
|
| Ukraine | 3 |
|
|
| Uruguay | 5 |
|
|
| USA | 1592 |
|
|
| Viet Nam | 15 |
|
|
| Zimbabwe | 11 |
|
|
| Total | 6764 |
EU Imports | 2021 | Rest of World Imports | 2021 |
Country | Dogs | Country of origin | Dogs |
Austria | 22 | Argentina | 17 |
Belgium | 78 | Australia | 345 |
Bulgaria | 1093 | Bahamas | 1 |
Croatia | 2003 | Bahrain | 55 |
Cyprus | 3758 | Barbados | 22 |
Czechia | 221 | Belarus | 1 |
Denmark | 719 | Bermuda | 12 |
England | 72 | Brazil | 125 |
Estonia | 23 | Canada | 167 |
Finland | 8 | Cayman Islands | 15 |
France | 411 | China | 174 |
Germany | 76 | Colombia | 12 |
Greece | 1017 | Costa Rica | 13 |
Hungary | 4517 | Ecuador | 2 |
Iceland | 1 | Egypt | 41 |
Italy | 296 | Ethiopia | 4 |
Latvia | 512 | Guam | 3 |
Lithuania | 678 | Hong Kong | 161 |
Luxembourg | 2 | India | 96 |
Malta | 3 | Indonesia | 2 |
Netherlands | 152 | Israel | 12 |
Northern Ireland | 2 | Jamaica | 2 |
Norway | 3 | Japan | 12 |
Poland | 5593 | Jordan | 13 |
Portugal | 500 | Kenya | 43 |
Republic of Ireland | 6658 | Kuwait | 30 |
Romania | 38081 | Lebanon | 36 |
Scotland | 1 | Macao | 1 |
Slovakia | 291 | Malawi | 2 |
Slovenia | 7 | Malaysia | 71 |
Spain | 5909 | Mauritius | 3 |
Sweden | 49 | Mexico | 11 |
Switzerland | 8 | Mozambique | 2 |
Wales | 1 | Namibia | 3 |
(blank) | 1 | Nepal | 1 |
Grand Total | 72766 | New Zealand | 92 |
|
| Nigeria | 2 |
|
| Oman | 14 |
|
| Panama | 2 |
|
| Peru | 25 |
|
| Philippines | 1 |
|
| Qatar | 179 |
|
| Russian Federation | 261 |
|
| Saudi Arabia | 27 |
|
| Serbia | 2 |
|
| Singapore | 141 |
|
| South Africa | 1522 |
|
| South Korea | 60 |
|
| Taiwan | 4 |
|
| Thailand | 48 |
|
| Turkey | 148 |
|
| Ukraine | 6 |
|
| United Arab Emirates | 499 |
|
| United States of America | 966 |
|
| Vietnam | 2 |
|
| Zimbabwe | 22 |
|
| Grand Total | 5533 |
EU Imports to 31/08/2022 | 2022 | Rest of World Imports to 31/08/2022 | 2022 |
Country Of Origin | Dogs | Country Of Origin | Dogs |
Austria | 5 | Albania | 1 |
Belgium | 25 | Algeria | 1 |
Bulgaria | 1248 | Australia | 295 |
Croatia | 1742 | Bahrain | 84 |
Cyprus | 1982 | Barbados | 13 |
Czech Republic | 108 | Bermuda | 10 |
Denmark | 216 | Brazil | 65 |
England? | 35 | Brunei | 2 |
Estonia | 13 | Canada | 90 |
Finland | 5 | Cayman Islands | 11 |
France | 68 | Chile | 5 |
Germany | 90 | China | 101 |
Greece | 254 | Colombia | 7 |
Hungary | 1766 | Costa Rica | 5 |
Isle of Man | 2 | Dominican Republic | 1 |
Ireland (Rep. of) | 4528 | Ecuador | 1 |
Italy | 184 | Egypt | 13 |
Latvia | 309 | Fiji | 1 |
Lithuania | 297 | Hong Kong | 25 |
Luxembourg | 1 | India | 108 |
Malta | 0 | Indonesia | 1 |
Netherlands | 84 | Israel | 5 |
Northern Ireland | 13 | Japan | 6 |
Norway | 7 | Jordan | 4 |
Poland | 1242 | Kenya | 24 |
Portugal | 237 | Korea (South) | 44 |
Romania | 8698 | Kuwait | 10 |
Slovakia | 127 | Lebanon | 16 |
Slovenia | 1 | Malaysia | 32 |
Spain | 3348 | Mauritius | 13 |
Sweden | 10 | Mexico | 16 |
Switzerland | 2 | Namibia | 2 |
UK | 4 | New Zealand | 82 |
Total | 26651 | Nigeria | 1 |
|
| Oman | 1 |
|
| Panama | 2 |
|
| Peru | 4 |
|
| Philippines | 7 |
|
| Qatar | 56 |
|
| Russia | 21 |
|
| Saint Lucia | 1 |
|
| Saudi Arabia | 17 |
|
| Singapore | 66 |
|
| South Africa | 557 |
|
| Sri Lanka | 3 |
|
| Taiwan | 1 |
|
| Thailand | 30 |
|
| Turkey | 57 |
|
| UAE | 233 |
|
| Uganda | 5 |
|
| Ukraine | 2 |
|
| USA | 416 |
|
| Vietnam | 1 |
|
| Zimbabwe | 9 |
|
| Total | 2584 |
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2022 to Question 40929 on Dogs: Imports, if he will publish a breakdown of the countries of origin of the dogs commercially imported into the UK from abroad in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.
Answered by Scott Mann - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Below are tables to show the countries of origin of commercial dog imports. The data for 2020 is for the UK, while the data for 2021 and 2022 (up to 31 August 2022) is for Great Britain only. We do not hold data for Northern Ireland for 2021 and 2022.
This information is drawn from external TRACES and IPAFF systems not directly controlled by the department.
Country Of Origin from EU 2020 | Country Of Origin from Rest of World 2020 |
Austria | Antigua and Barbuda |
Belgium | Argentina |
Bulgaria | Australia |
Croatia | Bahrain |
Cyprus | Barbados |
Czech Republic | Belarus |
Denmark | Bermuda |
Estonia | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Finland | Brazil |
France | Canada |
Germany | Cayman Islands |
Greece | Colombia |
Hungary | Costa Rica |
Ireland (Rep. of) | Egypt |
Italy | Ethiopia |
Latvia | French Polynesia |
Lithuania | Hong Kong |
Malta | India |
Netherlands | Indonesia |
Poland | Israel |
Portugal | Japan |
Romania | Jordan |
Slovakia | Kenya |
Slovenia | Korea (South) |
Spain | Kuwait |
Sweden | Lebanon |
Switzerland | Macao |
| |
| Malawi |
| Malaysia |
| Mauritius |
| Mexico |
| Namibia |
| New Zealand |
| Nigeria |
| North Macedonia |
| Oman |
| Peru |
| Philippines |
| Qatar |
| Russia |
| Saudi Arabia |
| Serbia |
| Singapore |
| South Africa |
| Sri Lanka |
| Taiwan |
| Tajikistan |
| Thailand |
| Turkey |
| Turks and Caicos |
| UAE |
| Uganda |
| Ukraine |
| Uruguay |
| USA |
| Vietnam |
| Zimbabwe |
Country Of Origin from EU 2021 | Country Of Origin from Rest of World 2021 |
Austria | Argentina |
Belgium | Australia |
Bulgaria | Bahamas |
Croatia | Bahrain |
Cyprus | Barbados |
Czechia | Belarus |
Denmark | Bermuda |
Estonia | Brazil |
Finland | Canada |
France | Cayman Islands |
Germany | China |
Greece | Colombia |
Hungary | Costa Rica |
Iceland | Ecuador |
Italy | Egypt |
Latvia | Ethiopia |
Lithuania | Guam |
Luxembourg | Hong Kong |
Malta | India |
Netherlands | Indonesia |
Northern Ireland | Israel |
Norway | Jamaica |
Poland | Japan |
Portugal | Jordan |
Republic of Ireland | Kenya |
Romania | Kuwait |
Slovakia | Lebanon |
Slovenia | Macao |
Spain | Malawi |
Sweden | Malaysia |
Switzerland | Mauritius |
| Mexico |
| Mozambique |
| Namibia |
| Nepal |
| New Zealand |
| Nigeria |
| Oman |
| Panama |
| Peru |
| Philippines |
| Qatar |
| Russian Federation |
| Saudi Arabia |
| Serbia |
| Singapore |
| South Africa |
| South Korea |
| Taiwan |
| Thailand |
| Turkey |
| Ukraine |
| United Arab Emirates |
| United States of America |
| Viet Nam |
| Zimbabwe |
Country Of Origin from EU 2022 | Country Of Origin from Rest of World 2022 |
Austria | Albania |
Belgium | Algeria |
Bulgaria | Australia |
Croatia | Bahrain |
Cyprus | Barbados |
Czech Republic | Bermuda |
Denmark | Brazil |
Estonia | Brunei |
Finland | Canada |
France | Cayman Islands |
Germany | Chile |
Greece | China |
Hungary | Colombia |
Isle of Man | Costa Rica |
Ireland (Rep. of) | Dominican Republic |
Italy | Ecuador |
Latvia | Egypt |
Lithuania | Fiji |
Luxembourg | Hong Kong |
Netherlands | India |
Northern Ireland | Indonesia |
Norway | Israel |
Poland | Japan |
Portugal | Jordan |
Romania | Kenya |
Slovakia | Korea (South) |
Slovenia | Kuwait |
Spain | Lebanon |
Sweden | Malaysia |
Switzerland | Mauritius |
| Mexico |
| Namibia |
| New Zealand |
| Nigeria |
| Oman |
| Panama |
| Peru |
| Philippines |
| Qatar |
| Russia |
| Saint Lucia |
| Saudi Arabia |
| Singapore |
| South Africa |
| Sri Lanka |
| Taiwan |
| Thailand |
| Turkey |
| UAE |
| Uganda |
| Ukraine |
| USA |
| Vietnam |
| Zimbabwe |
Asked by: Stewart Hosie (Scottish National Party - Dundee East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many official representations abroad ministers in his Department made in (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20 and (c) 2021-2022; in which countries those representations took place; in what capacity those representations were undertaken; and what the cost to the public purse was of each of those representations.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
In the financial year 2018-19, Ministers made five official representations abroad in their ministerial capacity. These representations were to Iceland, the United States of America, New Zealand, Uruguay and Chile. The cost of these was £17,807.66.
In the financial year 2019-20, Ministers made one official representation abroad in their ministerial capacity. This representation was to Hungary. The cost of this was £240.68.
In the financial year 2021-22, Ministers made three official representations abroad in their ministerial capacity. These representations were to India, Finland and Norway. The cost of these was £2,383.93.
Further details on the purpose and details of these visits are available in the Ministerial transparency returns, which are published on https://www.gov.uk/search/transparency-and-freedom-of-information-releases?organisations%5B%5D=office-of-the-secretary-of-state-for-scotland&parent=office-of-the-secretary-of-state-for-scotland.