Written questions by Cordova.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of encouraging more businesses to become certified B corporations.

Purpose-driven businesses, including B Corporations, have a unique and powerful ability to innovate and scale solutions to the big social and environmental challenges that we face as a country. The Government recently launched the Office for Impact Economy, which will look at the vital role of policy levers in helping the UK Government to harness and grow the impact economy, including B Corporations and other purpose-driven businesses. This builds on our manifesto commitment to support diverse business models which bring innovation and new products to the market, and to double the UK’s co-operative and mutuals sector. As part of the Autumn Budget, DBT launched a Call for Evidence on business support for Co-operatives and Non-Financial Mutuals which will be open across Great Britian for 12 weeks.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of suspending the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement, in the context of the human rights situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

The UK Government has recently announced a number of measures in relation to the actions of the Netanyahu Government, seeking to reinforce its support for the two-state solution, to pursue a lasting ceasefire, to secure the return of the hostages and ensure greater access to humanitarian aid in Gaza. We remain committed to our existing trading relationship with Israel and the existing UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement (TPA). Our trading relationship underpins key areas of UK life and exports to Israel support thousands of jobs in the UK. Suspension of any trade agreement with another country risks unpredictable consequences and significant economic disruption for British businesses.Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and harm prospects for a two-state solution. Settlements are not part of the State of Israel. Goods produced in these settlements are not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment under the TPA. There are clear risks related to economic and financial activities in the settlements, and we do not encourage or offer support to such activity. We have been clear that if Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of steps taken by his Department to (a) track the final destination of F-35 components and (b) ensure F-35 components are not used by the Israeli military.

Once parts are exported from the UK to the global F-35 programme, the UK does not have access to information about the movement of individual components, and does not have control over whether components in the global spares pool or aircraft assembly facilities are used for specific customer nations or not. However, the UK has suspended the export of F-35 components directly to Israel, where these are for use by Israel.The only way to prevent UK-produced parts reaching Israel would therefore be for the UK Government to stop the export of parts to the entire F-35 programme, which would prejudice the security of the UK and our allies.