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Written Question
Department for International Trade: Correspondence
Monday 25th October 2021

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to improve her Department's response times to correspondence from members of the public.

Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

The Government recognises the importance of responding to members of the public in an effective and timely manner, and the Cabinet Office published an updated Guide to Handling Correspondence for government departments and agencies in July 2021.

The guidance reasserts the standards for handling correspondence, including a 20 working day deadline for departments to respond to members of the public, criteria outlining when a response to a member of the public is required, and when a piece of correspondence from a member of the public should be transferred to another department. Following publication of the updated guidance, all departments have been reminded that they must follow the processes outlined in the guidance.


Written Question
BeoutQ
Tuesday 19th May 2020

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, in light of the potential acquisition of Newcastle football club by Saudi Arabia, what steps her Department is taking to tackle ongoing internet piracy by Saudi Arabia-backed pirate broadcaster beoutQ.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Officials in the Department for International Trade work closely with their counterparts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Intellectual Property Office on matters relating to the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights around the world.

Government ministers and our Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have raised this matter with the Saudi Arabian government and will continue to make representations about any alleged broadcast infringement activities of UK IP.

We understand broadcasting piracy on satellite in Saudi Arabia, through the pirate operator beoutQ, has now stopped. This followed pressure by the UK, the US, European countries, and major sports rights holders.

We are aware that there are continued issues of infringement of UK-owned intellectual property rights across all industries through the use of IPTV apps, and we will work with the IPO to address these issues and work to protect UK intellectual property in all territories.


Written Question
Illegal Broadcasting: Internet
Tuesday 19th May 2020

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effect of internet piracy by pirate broadcasters, such as beoutQ, on the export value of the UK’s intellectual property.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Officials in the Department for International Trade work closely with their counterparts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Intellectual Property Office on matters relating to the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights around the world.

Government ministers and our Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have raised this matter with the Saudi Arabian government and will continue to make representations about any alleged broadcast infringement activities of UK IP.

We understand broadcasting piracy on satellite in Saudi Arabia, through the pirate operator beoutQ, has now stopped. This followed pressure by the UK, the US, European countries, and major sports rights holders.

We are aware that there are continued issues of infringement of UK-owned intellectual property rights across all industries through the use of IPTV apps, and we will work with the IPO to address these issues and work to protect UK intellectual property in all territories.


Written Question
BeoutQ
Tuesday 19th May 2020

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effect on the export value of the UK sports’ broadcasting rights of pirate broadcaster, BeoutQ.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Officials in the Department for International Trade work closely with their counterparts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Intellectual Property Office on matters relating to the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights around the world.

Government ministers and our Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have raised this matter with the Saudi Arabian government and will continue to make representations about any alleged broadcast infringement activities of UK IP.

We understand broadcasting piracy on satellite in Saudi Arabia, through the pirate operator beoutQ, has now stopped. This followed pressure by the UK, the US, European countries, and major sports rights holders.

We are aware that there are continued issues of infringement of UK-owned intellectual property rights across all industries through the use of IPTV apps, and we will work with the IPO to address these issues and work to protect UK intellectual property in all territories.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Israel
Friday 8th February 2019

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the agreement in principle with the Government of Israel to roll over the EU-Israel Free Trade Agreement, what specific territory that agreement applies to.

Answered by George Hollingbery

The UK and Israel have a strong and important trading relationship. However, we do not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), including the settlements, as part of Israel. The OPTs are not covered by the current EU-Israel Association Agreement, nor by the Continuity Agreement agreed in principle between the UK and Israel.

We are also working to finalise the transition of the current EU Interim Association Agreement with the Palestinian Authority.

We have committed to informing Parliament as soon as agreements are signed with partner countries. The agreement will be laid in Parliament and we will be publishing a full report on trade agreements, once they are signed.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: United Arab Emirates
Monday 3rd July 2017

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which industries are to be included under the agreement between the UK and the UAE on increased bilateral trade; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Mark Garnier

The UK has a strong trade relationship with the UAE, in 2015 the UAE was the UK's 4th largest export market outside of Europe and bilateral trade was £12.4bn.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has identified high value campaigns for the UAE in infrastructure, healthcare, education, creative industries, financial services, aerospace, nuclear and defence and security. DIT also provides considerable support to British companies operating in the UAE in other sectors like oil and gas, life sciences, food and drink and retail.


Written Question
Whisky: Exports
Monday 30th January 2017

Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the export prospects for Scotch whisky after the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by Mark Garnier

Whisky is a major export worth £3.9 billion in 2015 and there are opportunities for future growth. We are fully engaged with the Scotch Whisky Association and are working to maintain access to current markets and open new ones through a range of tools to strengthen our trade relationships.