Contributions
543 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTrade BillThat the Bill be now read a second time.08 Sept 2020HANSARDTrade BillMy Lords, I am extremely grateful for the kind words that have been expressed across the House about my maiden speech and for the warm welcome I have received from your Lordships.…08 Sept 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, the UK reported a total trade deficit of £4 billion with Russia in the year to March, compared to a figure of £4.6 billion in the previous year. External factors such as…28 Jul 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, I am afraid that I do not have the fine print on that with me, so, if I may, I will write to the noble Baroness.28 Jul 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, as a previous banker, I abhor illicit finance working its way through the City. It benefits nobody, and no respectable City firm would want to touch it. At every…28 Jul 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, we are quite clear that trade does not have to come at the expense of labour, the environment, human rights or sustainable development. We use trade because we want to…28 Jul 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, the quotation to which the noble Lord refers was a selective quotation picked up by Chinese newspapers from a much longer speech. I hold no candle for any authoritarian…28 Jul 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, I thought that I had made it clear that there are no trade negotiations going on at the moment with Russia. I resent the assumption that Ministers would in any way be…28 Jul 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, trade between Russia and the UK is broadly stable. Our objectives for Russia are driven by our Russia strategy, which holds that trade and investment can be a lever for…28 Jul 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, the Department for International Trade team at our embassy in Moscow is working with a pipeline of over 90 Russian companies that have expressed an interest in the UK.…28 Jul 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, let me make it quite clear that money obtained through criminality or corruption is not welcome in the UK. We have long recognised the corrosive risk of dirty money,…28 Jul 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, total trade between the UK and Russia stood at £15.8 billion in the year to March 2020, an increase of £290 million over the same period last year. UK exports to Russia…28 Jul 2020HANSARDRussia: TradeMy Lords, UK companies are well aware of what aspects of trade are covered by sanctions. I would be most surprised if any of them do not abide by those rules strictly. We believe…28 Jul 2020HANSARDTrade AgreementsMy Lords, the right reverend Prelate makes an excellent point. The UK is committed to working with international partners and businesses to tackle modern slavery in global supply…14 Jul 2020HANSARDTrade AgreementsMy Lords, we are clear that more trade does not have to come at the expense of our rights and responsibilities. Political freedom and the rule of law are vital underpinnings for…14 Jul 2020HANSARDTrade AgreementsMy Lords, the noble Baroness makes a very good point. Not just for ourselves but for the generations coming after us, we all rightly attach huge importance to these matters. We…14 Jul 2020HANSARDTrade AgreementsMy Lords, the noble Lord makes a good point. We work closely with our colleagues in other departments to ensure that those matters are fully taken into account. My belief is that…14 Jul 2020HANSARDTrade AgreementsMy Lords, the series of trade agreements in effect at the moment—to which we were bound by our membership of the EU—are being rolled over into various continuity agreements. I can…14 Jul 2020HANSARDTrade AgreementsMy Lords, our manifesto was clear that in all our trade negotiations we will seek to maintain our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards. We have…14 Jul 2020HANSARDTrade AgreementsMy Lords, I am a huge champion of transparency and open dialogue in these matters. I believe that we will come to better decisions with such transparency and I welcome the work…14 Jul 2020