Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Europe: Diplomatic Co-operation

Tuesday 25 February 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Freddie van Mierlo questioned the impact of Brexit on the Thames Valley's economy, with the Minister highlighting successful UK-European co-operation through a recent Czech investment in Rolls-Royce.
  • Fred Thomas inquired about Russia's potential expansion into the Baltic states, to which the Minister assured the UK's commitment to the region's security through NATO involvement.
  • Wendy Morton asked about the Minister's work on unfreezing sanctioned assets to support Ukraine, to which the Minister responded with ongoing collaboration with European partners on sanctions and resource allocation.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Freddie van Mierlo Lib Dem Henley and Thame
Brexit Foreign Affairs Business & Trade
Context

The Thames valley is an important economic zone in the UK, but businesses there have reported negative impacts from Brexit.

Question

The Thames valley is one of the most important economic zones in this country. At a recent meeting that I held with the business leaders of the Thames Valley chamber of commerce, the overwhelming message was that Brexit has been a disaster for business, and that Boris Johnson and the Tories did them dirty. Will the Minister commit to correcting that wrong, and start negotiations to join a European Union customs union?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We have been very clear that we do not seek to rejoin the customs union, but our co-operation is already delivering results, particularly in relation to growth and business. We recently secured a £250 million Czech investment in Rolls-Royce small modular nuclear reactors, and a further £600 million investment by Polish firm InPost in its UK operations.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to negotiating joining the EU customs union.

How: We Have Been Very Clear That We Do Not Seek To Rejoin

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Q2 Fred Thomas Lab Plymouth Moor View
Ukraine Defence Foreign Affairs
Context

Ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine are ongoing, raising concerns about potential future military actions by Russia towards other former Soviet countries like the Baltic states.

Question

Ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine are under way, whatever our opinion of them, but the eager eye of Putin may now look to other former Soviet countries, such as the Baltic states. I was in Estonia a couple of weeks ago, and the distance between the Russian border and the Russian-held Kaliningrad territory is just 300 miles. For context, that is roughly what I travel every week to Plymouth from London. What steps are the Government taking to deter the Russians from looking at possible future military action there?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As I have said, security is at the heart of our engagement with European counterparts, and the UK’s commitment to the security of the Baltic states is iron-clad. We are helping to uphold that region’s security through our NATO forward land forces deployment in Estonia—the Prime Minister met joint expeditionary force leaders in Tallinn in December to discuss closer co-operation, in response to both conventional threats from Russian aggression and hybrid threats—and, of course, our work together on Ukraine.

Answered
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Q3 Wendy Morton Con Aldridge-Brownhills
Ukraine
Context

The UK and its allies are considering how to use unfrozen Russian assets to support Ukraine's defense efforts.

Question

The UK can be proud of the leadership it has shown in supporting Ukraine and rallying our international partners around this cause. What work is the Minister leading, with European allies, on unfreezing sanctioned assets, so that they can be used to equip Ukraine, and what is his timeframe for releasing critical sanctioned funds, so that they can be used to strengthen Europe’s defence of our values, security and defence?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the right hon. Lady knows, we have already done important work with European partners to secure the extraordinary revenue acceleration loan, which will make a tangible difference to Ukraine. We continue to work with European partners on sanctions, and of course, we are considering all lawful options going forward. We have had important discussions in the Weimar group and through the G7, and will continue to look, with European counterparts, at all options for supporting Ukraine.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide a specific timeframe or details on releasing critical sanctioned funds.

How: Considering All Lawful Options Going Forward

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Q4 Calum Miller Lib Dem Bicester and Woodstock
Ukraine Foreign Affairs
Context

The US voted against a UN resolution proposed by the UK and other European democracies, raising concerns about international cooperation in supporting Ukraine.

Question

It was shocking yesterday to see the United States vote with the despots of North Korea, Belarus and Russia against a UN resolution proposed by the UK and other European democracies. Liberal Democrats want to see the UK lead in Europe against Putin’s war on Ukraine, so we were pleased to hear the Foreign Secretary say yesterday that he was taking forward our Liberal Democrat proposal that the £40 billion of frozen Russian assets held in European central banks be seized and given to Ukraine. Can the Minister confirm that the Foreign Secretary will push the US Administration to join in that initiative when he visits Washington later this week?

Answer from Stephen Doughty (Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I am genuinely glad of the continued cross-party co-operation on Ukraine, which we saw during the Foreign Secretary’s statement yesterday. Of course, that includes getting important resources. I am not quite sure that the proposal was a Liberal Democrat proposal, but I think there is a united front across this House on getting Ukraine the resources that it needs.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not confirm whether the Foreign Secretary will push for US participation in the initiative to seize Russian assets.

How: I Am Not Quite Sure That The Proposal Was A Liberal Democrat Proposal

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