Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government plans to take to ensure that the EU’s anti-dumping tariffs against ceramic tableware from China will be maintained if the UK leaves the EU without a deal before the EU has concluded its anti-circumvention case in December.
Answered by Conor Burns
The Government has committed to transition the current EU measures on tableware and kitchenware, once the UK begins operating an independent trade policy.
We have also been clear that any ongoing investigations, including the current circumvention review, that have not resulted in a definitive measure by that time will not be transitioned. Industry will be able to apply to the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate for a circumvention review.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what information his Department holds on the rate of remuneration for (a) cleaners, (b) security guards and (c) catering staff in his Department in (i) Greater London and (ii) outside Greater London.
Answered by George Hollingbery
Cleaning, security guarding and catering services in buildings managed by the Department are outsourced under a facilities management contract. Specific rates of pay are a matter for each individual contractor, as the employer, but assurances are provided to ensure full compliance with the requirements of the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage.
Where the Department for International Trade is a tenant in buildings belonging to other Government departments, this information is not held.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff (a) are employed directly by (b) are seconded to and (c) work under contract to his Department.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The number of staff employed in the Department for International Trade (DIT) and UK Export Finance (UKEF) as at 31 August 2018 is shown in the table below.
| Core DIT | UKEF |
|
Directly employed by DIT | 2852 | 313 |
|
Seconded to DIT | 21 | - |
|
Working under contract to DIT | 309 | 20 |
|
The staff who are directly employed include only those who are on DIT payroll (for domestic staff) or on FCO payroll and then recharged to DIT (for overseas staff).
Those who are seconded are those who are working in DIT and subject to a secondment agreement.
Staff working under contract include contractors and agency staff who have been procured from Government frameworks.
These totals do not include employees working in DIT who are not paid directly through the DIT payroll.
All data above includes those working in the UK and overseas.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that anti-dumping measures for ceramic tableware are not withdrawn when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Hollingbery
On 24 July 2018, the Government published the provisional findings of the trade remedies call for evidence into which existing EU trade remedy measures will be transitioned. The provisional findings from this indicate the existing measures on ceramic tableware will be maintained when the UK leaves the EU. The Government is aiming to publish the final report before the end of 2018.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff in his Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The Department for International Trade does not have any staff that work inside and outside Greater London that are paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
The Department for International Trade does not have any staff that work inside and outside Greater London that are paid at a rate below the London Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
In addition, the department requires that our suppliers pay at least the National Minimum Wage.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff in his Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the London Living Wage.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The Department for International Trade does not have any staff that work inside and outside Greater London that are paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
The Department for International Trade does not have any staff that work inside and outside Greater London that are paid at a rate below the London Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
In addition, the department requires that our suppliers pay at least the National Minimum Wage.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the contracted hours are for the highest paid member of staff in his Department.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The highest paid member of staff in DIT is contracted to work a minimum of 42 hours per week. This includes a provision for daily meal breaks of one hour.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which EU anti-dumping regulations the Government plans to maintain after the UK leaves the EU are subject to an ongoing expiry review.
Answered by George Hollingbery
On 24 July 2018, the government published the provisional findings of the trade remedies call for evidence into which existing EU trade remedy measures matter to the UK, including details of which measures the government plans to maintain.
Interested parties were invited to provide further information which may affect these findings. The government is currently considering this information.
A list of EU measures currently subject to an expiry review can be found on the European Commission’s website: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/tdi/
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent progress he has made on UK-third country free trade agreements.
Answered by George Hollingbery
We are working with countries across the world to explore the best ways to develop our current trade and investment relationships and have established working groups and high-level dialogues with a range of key trade partners. Working Group discussions include preparatory work on the potential of future trade agreements towards pursuing an independent trade policy once we have left the EU.
Last July, we launched four public consultations on prospective new agreements with the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as the UK’s potential membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
As a priority, we are seeking continuity of all our existing EU trade agreements. We have had positive discussions with our trading partners towards achieving a smooth transition for businesses and consumers. Ministers and officials are engaging regularly with partner countries to complete this work.
Asked by: Gareth Snell (Labour (Co-op) - Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he had with his counterpart in the Government of China during the recent trade mission on the dumping of ceramic products by that country.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade recently accompanied the Prime Minister on a visit to China, where the need for open and fair trade and a global effort to tackle overcapacity was raised at the highest levels of the Chinese government.
The Governments have regular contact on the full range of issues relating to trade and have launched a trade review to put this on a more formal footing.