Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department has taken to identify potential export markets for UK renewables; and which countries have been identified for future trade missions with representatives from the renewables industry.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for International Trade works with UK suppliers, foreign Governments, sector focussed trade associations and procuring authorities to identify potential export markets for the renewable energy sectors. Understanding the UK’s capability and matching it with relevant high value export opportunities overseas forms part of the work of our renewable energy sector team.
The Department is currently organising a trade mission to Indonesia in late March, focusing on the waste sector. The programme of activity for the next financial year has not yet been finalised and it will be coordinated alongside the programme for the 26th Conference of Parties.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department plans to participate in Environmental Goods Agreement negotiations at the WTO; and what progress has been made in those negotiations to date.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government is strongly in favour of seeing negotiations on an Environmental Goods Agreement restart and of playing a key role in them, given the important contribution this agreement would make to tackling climate change. Environmental Goods Agreement negotiations began in the WTO in 2014 but stalled in 2016 due to disagreements in negotiations between prospective signatories.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate she has made of the number of SMEs that have started exporting overseas following support through (a) the Small Deals Initiative and (b) other UK Export Finance support.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Small Deals initiative was set up in October 2017 and supported its first transaction in August 2018. Since then it has supported a further six, with a further one anticipated during the current financial year. Of those deals, 57% have involved Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SMEs) exporters.
During the last five financial years, UK Export Finance (UKEF) has supported the following total numbers of exporters:
2018/19 262
2017/18 191
2016/17 221
2015/16 226
Consistently over 70% of businesses directly supported by UKEF are SMEs. In addition, many transactions involving larger businesses further support the UK supply chain, which includes significant numbers of SMEs.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the WTO ruling of 2 October 2019 on countermeasures in relation to EU subsidies to Airbus, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the imposition of tariffs by the US on the level of UK exports to the US.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The tariffs imposed by the US following the 2 October 2019 ruling harm businesses on both sides of the Atlantic. The extent to which these tariff costs will fall onto UK producers will vary by sector and the Department for International Trade is working closely with other departments to monitor the effect of these tariffs on exports to the US. The Government continues to lobby at the highest levels with the US Administration for the removal of the tariffs.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effect of support for UK investors to win commercial deals at the UK-Africa Investment Summit on (a) the UK's emission reduction commitments, (b) the UK's priorities at COP26, (c) UK Export Finance's Equator Principles commitments and (d) regional integration and economic cooperation between African nations.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK-Africa Investment Summit agreed new lasting partnerships between the UK and African countries to deliver more investment, jobs and growth. This government is committed to tackling climate change and will be targeting ambitious action during our presidency of COP26 this year. The Department for International Trade will continue to promote export and investment opportunities in clean growth sectors.
UK Export Finance rigorously follows the requirements of the OECD Common Approaches and Equator Principles, which set the framework for export credit agencies and international financial institutions in managing environmental, social and human rights risks.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the (a) human rights situation in Cambodia and (b) implications for her policies of the decision by the EU to withdraw that country's trade preferences.
Answered by Conor Burns
The Government remains concerned about the human rights situation in Cambodia and continues to use diplomatic channels to urge Cambodia to show progress.
During the transition period the UK will continue to apply unilateral preferences to developing countries in accordance with the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences. At this stage, we have not taken any decision on continuing any EU suspension of Cambodia’s trade preferences at the end of the Transition Period.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff in his Department were directly employed on negotiations in relation to (a) new trade agreements with (i) Australia, (ii) New Zealand and (iii) the US and (b) the UK's potential accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership; and how many of those staff have since been seconded to work on concluding trade agreements with those third countries with which the EU has a signed agreement.
Answered by George Hollingbery
DIT has been conducting preparatory work in relation to potential new trade agreements with Australia, New Zealand, the US and potential accession to CPTPP. Until the UK leaves the EU no formal negotiations can be undertaken with Australia, New Zealand, the US and the CPTPP nor have they been. That is a function that will occur after the UK has left the EU.
There is no one size fits all format or size for a negotiation team. Decisions on staff and resources are, therefore, still to be finalised. It should also be noted that the conduct of any negotiation will involve both front line staff and broader input covering a wider range of staff both from DIT and from other government departments.
Over recent months DIT has increased its efforts to deliver Trade Agreement Continuity with those third countries with which the EU has a signed agreement as part of our preparations for a potential No Deal scenario. Those efforts draw principally on the resources of the Trade Policy Group.
Since the Department was created its Trade Policy Group (TPG) has grown to approximately 480 people at the end of January 2019, bringing together trade policy, country specialists and experts on trade policy issues. A number of DIT staff in offshore posts are also undertaking work on market access trade policy issues.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with officials in the EU on ensuring that UK steel exports to the EU will not be subject to safeguard measures in the event that the UK does not have a customs union agreement with the EU.
Answered by George Hollingbery
Following our exit from the European Union, we are committed to maintaining a close and collaborative relationship with the EU. Our future partnership is a matter for the next phase of negotiations, and we look forward to constructive discussions with the EU.
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when he plans to bring forward Government proposals on the scrutiny and democratic oversight of trade agreements; and what his policy is on the role that Parliament will play in that process.
Answered by George Hollingbery
I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the reply I gave on 4 February to the question asked by the honourable Member for Swansea West (Geraint Davies) (UNI 213161).
Asked by: Barry Gardiner (Labour - Brent North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Leader of the House on bringing forward a debate on parliamentary scrutiny and oversight of trade agreements.
Answered by George Hollingbery
I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the reply I gave on 4 February to the question asked by the honourable Member for Swansea West (Geraint Davies) (UNI 213161).