Asked by: Emma Reynolds (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when he plans to announce the 2019-20 Tradeshow Access Programme.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Trade Access Programme (TAP) list of supported events for Q1 2019-20 (1 April 2019 – 30 June 2019) will be announced/published on Friday 21 December. The TAP list of supported events for Q2 - Q4 2019-20 (1 July 2019 - 31 March 2020) will be announced/published in the New Year.
Asked by: Emma Reynolds (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of Government support for UK companies seeking to take part in overseas exhibitions in the latest period for which information is available.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for International Trade supports UK businesses seeking to take part in overseas exhibitions through a variety of programmes and events. The estimated expenditure for this activity in 2018/19 is £10.9m.
Asked by: Emma Reynolds (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) holds reports setting out the current economic relationship between the UK and other individual EU member states.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for Exiting the European Union leads on the framing of our future economic relationship with the EU and its member states, and this department works closely on these issues, supporting their comprehensive programme of analytical work to inform negotiations.
Asked by: Emma Reynolds (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many Mutual Recognition Agreements the UK currently has with third nations through EU membership; and whether it is his policy to seek to maintain those agreements after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The UK currently benefits from a wide range of agreements that have commitments on mutual recognition. The UK remains committed to pursuing free trade. That includes seeking to achieve continuity in our trade and investment relationships with third countries, including those covered by EU agreements with other countries, such as Mutual Recognition Agreements. We are actively exploring what may be possible with our trading partners on ways to achieve this.
Asked by: Emma Reynolds (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2017 to Question 61491, which countries have expressed an interest in agreeing trade deals with the UK with whom a working group and dialogue on our future trading relationship have not been announced.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers and officials in the Department for International Trade are working closely with counterparts across a wide range of markets in order to promote the UK as a great place to do business and with which to trade. In line with normal international practice, it would not be appropriate to routinely provide details of private diplomatic engagement with foreign governments.
Working groups are just one example of how we are engaging with our trading partners. Engagement ranges from informal contact through our network of Posts, discussions with embassies and High Commissions in London, to ministerial discussions and visits, and the Prime Minister’s 20 Trade Envoys.
Asked by: Emma Reynolds (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2017 to Question 60711, how many UK-based full-time equivalent staff of his Department are in the working group on the UK's future trading relationship with (a) Australia, (b) China, (c) India, (d) New Zealand, (e) Norway, (f) South Korea and (g) the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The number of officials working on trade policy has increased from 45 before the referendum to 185. Under the Autumn Statement, the Trade Policy Group has funding to increase resourcing further in 2017-18. In line with the approach of many of our counterparts, trade policy officials work flexibly on a range of issues, including cross-cutting policy work, so we do not allocate a fixed number of staff to specific working groups with particular countries.
Asked by: Emma Reynolds (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which countries have expressed an interest in agreeing trade deals with the UK; and with which countries the Government has started discussions on future trade agreements other than those set out by the Prime Minister in her speech at Lancaster House on 17 January 2017.
Answered by Mark Garnier
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for North East Fife today, UIN: 60711.
Asked by: Emma Reynolds (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many trade negotiators are employed by the Government.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
You will be aware that my Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister has created a new Department for International Trade, which is responsible for promoting British trade across the world and ensuring the UK takes advantage of the huge opportunities open to us. We are building up our trade policy capability and are working closely with other Government Departments including the Department for Exiting the European Union, DEXEU. The Department for International Trade has begun a process to recruit and train staff to work on the UK’s trade policy. We will adapt the resource devoted to trade policy in line with future demands.