12 Apr 16. Foreign Affairs Committee – Select Committee Announcement. Correspondence between Foreign Secretary and Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee published regarding British troops in Libya
The Committee has received a response from the Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond MP, regarding the deployment of British troops to Libya.
The Committee has agreed their response. The full text of both letters is attached.
On 15 March, the Committee requested that the Foreign Secretary make a statement to the House on the state of the plan for any deployment of UK military forces in Libya.
The original letter is published here:http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/foreign-affairs/Correspondence/2015-20-Parliament/Letter-to-Foreign-Secretary-160315-Libya.pdf
House of Commons and House of Lords Hansard Written Answers
Q
Asked by Stephen Kinnock
(Aberavon)
Asked on: 23 March 2016
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Trade: EU Action
32344
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the reasons are for the government policy not to support the progress of the European Commission’s proposed reforms to (a) trade and defence instruments and (b) the lesser duty rule.
A
Answered by: Anna Soubry
Answered on: 13 April 2016
The UK fully supports modernisation of the European Union’s/Commission’s trade defence instruments but believes that effective trade defence measures should be proportionate, not protectionist, and set tariffs only as high as necessary to remove the injury inflicted on EU industry without being punitive, which would hurt users of products, including downstream manufacturers, and consumers.
The Government’s response to the Commission’s public consultation on the modernisation of trade defenceinstruments (TDI), in June 2012, stated:
“The strongly held UK view is that the EU’s use of the lesser duty rule is one of the elements of the TDI regime which contributes to its being recognised as one of the most progressive global trade defencesystems. Furthermore, it enhances the economic coherence of European TD actions as imposing tariffs no higher than that level needed to offset the injury caused by dumping / subsidy is entirely consistent with restoring fair competition. We have fully supported the Commission’s efforts to encourage FTA partners to adopt the lesser duty rule in their regimes. It would be a retrograde step to remove its position as a central part of the EU regime (2.3.3).”
Q
Asked by Kirsten Oswald
(East Renfrewshire)
Asked on: 08 April 2016
Ministry of Defence
Armed Forces Covenant
32857
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what standing procedures his Department has for engaging other departments and the devolved administrations in promoting delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant.
A
Answered by: Mark Lancaster
Answered on: 13 April 2016
A feature of the Armed Forces Covenant is the Covenant Reference Group (CRG) which is chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and includes representatives from all of the main Government Departments and Devolved Administrations. The CRG meets regularly to guide and direct work on the Armed Forces Covenant. The CRG also includes the three Service Family Federations, COBSEO (the Confederation of Service Charities) and other charities. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) also holds regular meetings with Devolved Administrations specifically to take forward Covenant work. The MOD also works closely with other Government Departments through the CRG Ministerial Sub-committee to meet their commitments under the Armed Forces Covenant and in much of their day to day work.
Q
Asked by Sir Nicholas Soames
(Mid Sussex)
Asked on: 08 April 2016
Ministry of Defence
NATO
32806
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on delivering reforms agreed at the NATO Summit in Wales in 2014.
A
Answered by: Mr Julian Brazier
Answered on: 13 April 2016
Good progr