Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Department for International Trade has any plans to change the ways in which they provide assistance to UK companies to encourage exports.
Answered by Lord Price
The Department keeps its assistance for exporters continually under review. In November 2015 the Government launched its Exporting is GREAT campaign. Our new digital platform launched last November will provide new and experienced exporters with a range of information and services through great.gov.uk and the department will continue to grow its digital support for businesses. Expanding our services for exporters on great.gov.uk allows DIT to offer more relevant advice helping more businesses expand into new markets. DIT is also looking at how it can change its regional delivery to reach more exporters and deliver more through digital channels.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they are spending per annum on the promotion of UK exports from 2016–17 until the end of this Parliament in 2020–21.
Answered by Lord Price
The Department for International Trade is made up of UK Export Finance (UKEF), International Trade and Investment (ITI), Trade Policy Group (TPG) and the GREAT campaign.
UKEF is the UK’s Export Credits Guarantee Department and TPG is the trade policy and negotiating capacity. ITI focusses on increasing the value and volume of trade overseas, increasing Foreign Direct Investment into the UK, encouraging UK exporters to export and the promotion of British good and services overseas.
The budget for ITI for 16/17 is £244,294,883. The budget for subsequent years will be published in due course.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Price on 8 December (HL3478), whether their commitment to promoting UK exports of goods and services includes the adoption of an import substitution policy; and if so, which goods and services are included in that policy.
Answered by Lord Price
This Government’s trade policy will position the UK as an open, outward looking economy and a world leader for free and fair trade, maximising opportunities for UK exporters. Protectionist barriers are against the interests of the UK consumer and the wider UK economy.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to follow a policy of export substitution.
Answered by Lord Price
This Government is committed to promoting UK exports of goods and services, to support a growing economy that creates wealth for all, supports jobs and meets our wider national interests. The Department for International Trade is working to deliver the best international trading framework for the UK to maximise global trade and investment opportunities.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the proposed trade deal between the EU and Canada.
Answered by Lord Price
The Government has been clear in its support for the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). This approach is in line with our commitment to back the EU’s trade agenda and participate constructively in decision-making on trade while the UK remains a member of the EU.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the UK's decision to leave the EU, the proposed trade deal between the EU and Canada should be amended to take account of the consequent reduction in the population of the EU.
Answered by Lord Price
Until we complete our withdrawal negotiations, the UK remains a full member of the EU, with all the rights and responsibilities of membership. The UK Government has been clear in its support for the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). This approach is in line with our commitment to back the EU’s trade agenda and participate constructively in decision-making on trade while the UK remains a member of the EU.
The negotiations between the European Commission and Canada on CETA were concluded in August 2014. A legal revision of the text making further amendments was completed in February 2016.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what encouragement they have given to UK investment in the Palestinian territories currently governed by the State of Israel.
Answered by Lord Price
The Government’s Palestinian Market Development Programme (PMDP) works with Palestinian companies to improve their competitiveness and ability to attract investment and create jobs. PMDP also supports the Palestinian Investment Promotion Agency (PIPA) to deliver better services to potential investors including UK investors. PIPA offers a package of incentives to investors.
PMDP provides technical assistance to support the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy to improve the environment for trade and investment, and is working on an initiative to encourage UK businesses to outsource business in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially in the IT outsourcing sector.
No specific assessment has been made of companies investing in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), or those parts of the West Bank, known as ‘Area C’, under full Israeli security and administrative control.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of companies investing in projects located in the Palestinian territories currently governed by the State of Israel.
Answered by Lord Price
The Government’s Palestinian Market Development Programme (PMDP) works with Palestinian companies to improve their competitiveness and ability to attract investment and create jobs. PMDP also supports the Palestinian Investment Promotion Agency (PIPA) to deliver better services to potential investors including UK investors. PIPA offers a package of incentives to investors.
PMDP provides technical assistance to support the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy to improve the environment for trade and investment, and is working on an initiative to encourage UK businesses to outsource business in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially in the IT outsourcing sector.
No specific assessment has been made of companies investing in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), or those parts of the West Bank, known as ‘Area C’, under full Israeli security and administrative control.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what tariff levels UK exports of goods and services would be subject to if the UK traded under WTO regulations with the remaining 27 countries of the EU, listed by category.
Answered by Lord Price
If the UK were to leave the EU without having negotiated a preferential trade deal, then under WTO rules neither the UK nor the EU could offer each other better market access than that offered to all other WTO members.
The bound levels of access for goods and services into the EU under WTO rules are set out in the EU’s schedules of commitments and are publicly available on the WTO website.
The bound levels of access for goods and services from the EU into the UK under WTO rules would be an issue for the government to consider in due course.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what tariffs would apply to imports to the UK from the 27 member states remaining in the EU if trade between the EU and the UK was conducted in accordance with WTO regulations, listed by category.
Answered by Lord Price
If the UK were to leave the EU without having negotiated a preferential trade deal, then under WTO rules neither the UK nor the EU could offer each other better market access than that offered to all other WTO members.
The bound levels of access for goods and services into the EU under WTO rules are set out in the EU’s schedules of commitments and are publicly available on the WTO website.
The bound levels of access for goods and services from the EU into the UK under WTO rules would be an issue for the government to consider in due course.