I thank the hon. Member for her kind comments. While we scale up our clean energy success, including in renewables, which have gone from 7% to 40%, there is still a need for oil and gas. A failure to issue a new licence would make no difference to the consumption of oil and gas, but it would increase imports, which typically have higher emissions, and also damage our economy.

UK sanctions have curtailed Russian goods imports by 99%, compared to prior to the invasion of Ukraine.

The Government is committed to ensuring that third countries are not used by Russia to evade sanctions. The UK has taken a leading role in coordinating international efforts to counter Russia’s actions in Ukraine. This includes working together with international partners to tackle circumvention and ensure sanctions have maximum impact.

The Government continues to monitor the effectiveness of our sanctions. The Government does not comment on future sanctions measures, as to do so would reduce their impact.

We have gone from 14% of our homes being insulated under the previous Government to nearly 50%—it will be 50% this year—and we have set up an energy taskforce to reduce the usage of energy and make it more efficient. However, the policy of the hon. Lady’s party, and that of the official Opposition, of importing all the oil and gas that we require and not providing new licences is simply insane. It means that every single family in Britain will be subject to the next tyrant like Putin, and that the carbon used will be double what is taken from the North sea. It is bonkers policy.

The Government does not hold such data.

The Government does not require certification of methane emissions from the full lifecycle of production and shipping for imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The UK is fully supportive of rapid national and global action to reduce short-lived climate pollutants, including methane, as part of its commitment to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The UK’s Methane Memorandum, published in November 2022, takes stock of the significant progress the UK has made in this area. It highlights the Government’s commitment to explore and implement further measures in energy, waste and agriculture sectors, and the Government's international work to tackle methane emissions.

The Government shares the public's high regard for animal welfare. Our commitment to improve animal welfare standards is set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare.

In May 2021, Defra published a formal call for evidence on the fur trade in Great Britain. We received around 30,000 responses from businesses, representative bodies, and individuals, demonstrating the strong public interest in this area. We are carefully reviewing the evidence gathered both from our Call for Evidence and wider engagement with the fur trade and stakeholders, and a summary of responses will be published soon.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 17 May 2022 to the hon. Member for Rotherham, PQ 1511.

As set out in the Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare, we are committed to promoting high animal welfare standards both at home and abroad. This includes delivering a range of measures to promote the welfare of animals beyond UK borders, setting a global example for high welfare and conservation standards.

We are moving forward with our plans to deliver one of the toughest bans in the world on the import of hunting trophies from thousands of endangered and threatened species. The Government is firmly committed to the ban, and this will be brought forward as soon as Parliamentary time allows. We are also looking at further measures to protect animals abroad, including banning the import and export of detached fins, and taking action against low welfare animal experiences. Regarding both fur and foie gras, we are continuing to review the evidence and consider next steps.

Now we have left the EU, the Government is able to explore potential action in relation to animal fur, in line with the Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare standards as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare. We continue to gather information and speak to a range of interested parties about the issues involved.

We are reviewing the evidence gathered both from our Call for Evidence and wider engagement with the fur trade and stakeholders, and a summary of responses will be published soon.

The UK Continental Shelf is a mature oil and gas basin, where production is declining. The UK’s domestic demand for these products is also projected to decline, as the UK transitions to cleaner sources of energy, however the UK is expected to remain a net importer of both oil and gas, even if new fields are developed. A faster decline in UK production would result in the UK importing more oil and gas from other countries on a net basis.

The Oil and Gas Authority publishes projections of oil and gas production in the UK; these projections (including comparisons with forecasts of demand) are available at

www.ogauthority.co.uk/data-centre/data-downloads-and-publications/production-projections.

The Government has made clear that the production of foie gras from ducks or geese using force feeding raises serious welfare concerns. The production of foie gras by force feeding has been banned in the UK for over 15 years following the introduction of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. It is a legal requirement to provide for an animal’s welfare needs, such as supplying a suitable diet and protecting the animal from injury and disease. Under this legislation, it is a criminal offence to allow an animal to suffer unnecessarily, which clearly reflects the UK public’s attitudes to welfare standards.

Whilst a member of the EU, we were subject to rules regarding the movement of goods within the EU market. Now that our future relationship with the EU has been established, we are able to take further steps where there is clear evidence of low welfare standards. We are now considering any further steps that could be taken in relation to foie gras that is produced overseas using force feeding practices, such as restrictions on import and sale.

We are gathering information and will continue to speak to a range of interested parties about the issues involved. This is in line with the Government’s commitment to improving animal welfare standards as set out in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare which was published on 12 May, and will be used to inform any future action taken regarding foie gras produced from force feeding practices.

Any imports of meat from Australian slaughterhouses into the UK must come from an establishment that has been assessed by the competent authority in Australia to supply goods that are at least equivalent to UK standards as required under Article 127(3)(e) of Retained Regulation 2017/625.

Meat imported from trading partners, including Australia, must also comply with Article 12 of Retained Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing. Schedule 5 of The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015 provides for the enforcement of this requirement.

At the end of the transition period, existing EU legislation and standards on food safety and animal health and welfare were enshrined in UK law, including existing approvals and restrictions for Australia to import meat into Great Britain. Prior to this, the competent authority in Australia was assessed by the European Commission in 2019 for the import of meat products, including for welfare at slaughter, and was found to be compliant.

All agri-food products imported into the UK under existing or future free trade agreements (FTA) will, as now, have to comply with UK’s import requirements. Hormone-treated beef is banned in the UK and will not be allowed to enter the UK market, and this will not change under any FTA.

As the Government has stated in its manifesto, in its trade negotiations the Government will not compromise on high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards.

All agri-food products imported into the UK under existing or future free trade agreements will, as now, have to comply with the UK’s import requirements. That will not change as part of an FTA. Australian animal welfare standards are higher, comparatively, than many countries around the world and the Australian industry has a long-standing commitment to phase out the practice of mulesing. The Government wants to see this happen.

We are thoroughly investigating reports of forced labour in the global solar panel supply chain. In January, we announced a comprehensive package of measures to help ensure no UK organisations are complicit in the serious human rights violations being perpetrated against the Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.

We have provided detailed and specific guidance to UK businesses, and we will continue to engage businesses, including on these latest allegations.

We are working with the UK solar sector as a matter of urgency to ensure companies are aware of the relevant legislation and international frameworks on human rights. Solar Energy UK has issued an industry statement committing to support the development of a supply chain traceability protocol.

Businesses can have complex, multi-tiered global supply chains which create significant challenges in having visibility over working conditions throughout the supply chain. This means that companies need to be constantly vigilant in assessing and addressing their risk exposure.

In January, the Foreign Secretary announced a comprehensive package of measures to help ensure no UK organisations are complicit in the serious human rights violations being perpetrated against the Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.

Revised, detailed Overseas Business Risk guidance was published on 12 January and, based on this new guidance, the Government has embarked on a comprehensive programme of engagement with businesses and UK trade bodies. Businesses should take heed of the updated guidance on Xinjiang to understand the human rights risks associated with sourcing from that region and take appropriate remedial action based on their circumstances.

We are deeply concerned by assessments from the UN and NGOs that the US Administration's decision to designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation is likely to disrupt the humanitarian response and stop vital food supplies getting in to Yemen. We have already engaged with the US to urge them to ensure that the vital humanitarian response, including food supplies, are not disrupted.  Ministers and officials will continue to engage closely with the UN and other donors, including the US, to ensure life-saving humanitarian aid reaches the millions of Yemenis in need, to prevent famine where we can and to work with all parties involved to bring this extended conflict to a conclusion.

We have a very clear manifesto commitment that in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental, animal welfare and food standards. In all trade agreements we negotiate, we will stand up for British farming and aim to secure new opportunities for the industry. We will always ensure that UK free trade agreements (FTAs) are fair and reciprocal, and that any ‘opening up’ does not cause an unwanted downturn for domestic producers.

We’ve been undertaking an extensive range of research and analysis to support our negotiations in all areas. There has been no specific assessment commissioned on the effect on the UK farming sector of importing food with lower animal welfare, environmental or safety standards. Defra is considering the interests of all farmers, producers and consumers in its future FTAs. The Government has undertaken engagement with individuals and businesses across the UK when designing its future trade policy, including public consultations on the UK Global Tariff and on future FTAs. Respondents included businesses, civil society and the general public.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 retains our standards on environmental protections, animal welfare, animal and plant health and food safety at the end of the transition period. This provides a firm basis for maintaining the same high level of protection for both domestic and imported products.

In July the Government established the Trade and Agriculture Commission, which brings together stakeholders across the industry, and the four UK nations, using their expertise to advise on how best the UK can seize new export opportunities, while ensuring animal welfare, food safety, and environmental standards in food production are not undermined.

We have a very clear manifesto commitment that in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental, animal welfare and food standards. In all trade agreements we negotiate, we will stand up for British farming and aim to secure new opportunities for the industry. We will always ensure that UK free trade agreements (FTAs) are fair and reciprocal, and that any ‘opening up’ does not cause an unwanted downturn for domestic producers.

We’ve been undertaking an extensive range of research and analysis to support our negotiations in all areas. There has been no specific assessment commissioned on the effect on the UK farming sector of importing food with lower animal welfare, environmental or safety standards. Defra is considering the interests of all farmers, producers and consumers in its future FTAs. The Government has undertaken engagement with individuals and businesses across the UK when designing its future trade policy, including public consultations on the UK Global Tariff and on future FTAs. Respondents included businesses, civil society and the general public.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 retains our standards on environmental protections, animal welfare, animal and plant health and food safety at the end of the transition period. This provides a firm basis for maintaining the same high level of protection for both domestic and imported products.

In July the Government established the Trade and Agriculture Commission, which brings together stakeholders across the industry, and the four UK nations, using their expertise to advise on how best the UK can seize new export opportunities, while ensuring animal welfare, food safety, and environmental standards in food production are not undermined.

The Government has been clear that we will not compromise on our world class product standards. Any future trade agreements must uphold our high regulatory standards. All products sold in the UK are required to meet our regulatory requirements, and this will continue to be the case.