Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate she has made of when text based negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the UK and India will take place; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
We are in detailed discussions on text across all chapters and continue to make good progress. The fourth round of trade negotiations with India began on 13th June and concluded on 24th June. The fifth round is due to take place later this month. Statements are published after each round of talks on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish representations she has received on the level of protection for personal information in digital trade between the UK and Australia following publication of the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand trade deals; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
A summary of responses to our consultations on our Australia and New Zealand trade negotiations can be found on the government’s website.
Transfers of personal data to Australia and New Zealand must continue to satisfy the UK’s high standards of data protection. The deals enshrine a requirement to maintain domestic legislation to protect data. Australia and New Zealand must also publish information on how they protect data, and how UK citizens can enforce their data rights. The UK continues to champion data protection with all Free Trade Agreement partners in line with our published Digital Trade Objectives.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the (a) objectives her Department has prioritised for the text-based negotiations on the latest TRIPS waiver text; and what constructive engagement her Department has committed to in respect of the text-based negotiations on the latest TRIPS waiver.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The WTO Membership reached a consensus-based decision on TRIPS at the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12), held between 12 and 17 June 2022. The Decision focuses on streamlining compulsory licencing processes for developing countries to produce and export COVID-19 vaccines. The UK engaged constructively in the discussions, demonstrating flexibility to help broker consensus.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department's proposed Developing Countries Trading Scheme will include (a) equivalent or (b) improved human rights protections in comparison to the Generalised Scheme of Preferences; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The detailed proposals for the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) will be published in 2022. When these proposals are published, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade will provide a written ministerial statement.
HM Government believes that growing trading relationships increases UK influence in open conversations with partners on a range of difficult issues, including human rights. The UK will continue to show global leadership in encouraging all states to uphold international human rights obligations and hold those who violate human rights to account.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department plans to include human rights safeguards in its proposed Developing Countries Trading Scheme; and if she will make statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The detailed proposals for the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) will be published in 2022. When these proposals are published, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade will provide a written ministerial statement.
HM Government believes that growing trading relationships increases UK influence in open conversations with partners on a range of difficult issues, including human rights. The UK will continue to show global leadership in encouraging all states to uphold international human rights obligations and hold those who violate human rights to account.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many times (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have met members of the pharmaceutical industry to discuss the TRIPS waiver proposal before the WTO; on what dates those meetings occurred; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Department for International Trade officials have met regularly with a wide range of stakeholders to discuss the TRIPS waiver proposal. With regards to members of the pharmaceutical industry, officials held meetings on 3 occasions where the current TRIPS waiver proposal text was discussed, namely 11 May, 19 May, and 26 May.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the (a) outcome of the most recent discussion at the World Trade Organisation on a comprehensive temporary waiver on the provisions of the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement and (b) implications for her policies of the associated proposal to mandate covid-19 healthcare technology transfers from nationally based pharmaceutical companies; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The UK believes that there is no evidence that a waiver of intellectual property rights would help with equitable vaccine distribution and their prompt administration. Rather, it would have the extremely negative effect of dismantling the framework which allows the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Instead, we are encouraging the pharmaceutical industry to continue to form additional voluntary licensing and technology transfer partnerships. Working with commercial partners and within the existing international Intellectual Property framework is the most effective way to produce life-saving medicines at pace.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of (a) introducing a comprehensive temporary waiver on the provisions of the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights Agreement and (b) mandating covid-19 healthcare technology transfers from nationally based pharmaceutical companies; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The UK believes that there is no evidence that a waiver of intellectual property rights would help with equitable vaccine distribution and their prompt administration. Rather, it would have the extremely negative effect of dismantling the framework which allows the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Instead, we are encouraging the pharmaceutical industry to continue to form additional voluntary licensing and technology transfer partnerships. Working with commercial partners and within the existing international Intellectual Property framework is the most effective way to produce life-saving medicines at pace.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much funding his Department has allocated to each Chamber of Commerce for the provision of independent trade advice via Local partnership funding or other similar schemes in (a) each of the last five years and (b) for 2022-23; what formula was used to determine the allocation of funds; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has not directly allocated funding to any chambers of commerce in the last five years.
The table below shows only those Delivery Partners that are funded by DIT that have links to the Chambers of Commerce and the already contracted costs which fall in FY22/23.
| SW | EM | WM | NE | NW |
2017/18 | £2,567,900 | £2,365,053 | £2,827,960 | £1,477,420 | £3,478,087 |
2018/19 | £2,271,640 | £2,389,440 | £3,179,300 | £1,432,920 | £2,908,480 |
2019/20 | £2,400,720 | £1,936,718 | £2,862,960 | £1,472,920 | £2,975,480 |
2020/21 | £3,317,088 | £2,937,240 | £4,367,300 | £1,949,920 | £3,934,480 |
2021/22 | £2,903,640 | £2,705,940 | £4,201,040 | £1,694,920 | £3,623,480 |
2022/23 (Q1 only) | £717,910 | £676,485 | £982,075 | £423,730 | £899,620 |
TOTAL | £14,178,898 | £13,010,876 | £18,420,635 | £8,451,830 | £17,819,627 |
Allocation of funding during the contracted periods has been based upon performance data, the numbers of businesses in each region, and levelling up requirements.
DIT looks forward to maintaining and developing strong partnerships with the Chambers of Commerce on local export initiatives and activities.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much funding her Department has allocated to each chamber of commerce for the provision of independent trade advice in (a) each of the last five years and (b) for 2022-23; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has not directly allocated funding to any chambers of commerce in the last five years.
The table below shows only those Delivery Partners that are funded by DIT that have links to the Chambers of Commerce and the already contracted costs which fall in FY22/23.
| SW | EM | WM | NE | NW |
2017/18 | £2,567,900 | £2,365,053 | £2,827,960 | £1,477,420 | £3,478,087 |
2018/19 | £2,271,640 | £2,389,440 | £3,179,300 | £1,432,920 | £2,908,480 |
2019/20 | £2,400,720 | £1,936,718 | £2,862,960 | £1,472,920 | £2,975,480 |
2020/21 | £3,317,088 | £2,937,240 | £4,367,300 | £1,949,920 | £3,934,480 |
2021/22 | £2,903,640 | £2,705,940 | £4,201,040 | £1,694,920 | £3,623,480 |
2022/23 (Q1 only) | £717,910 | £676,485 | £982,075 | £423,730 | £899,620 |
TOTAL | £14,178,898 | £13,010,876 | £18,420,635 | £8,451,830 | £17,819,627 |
Allocation of funding during the contracted periods has been based upon performance data, the numbers of businesses in each region, and levelling up requirements.
DIT looks forward to maintaining and developing strong partnerships with the Chambers of Commerce on local export initiatives and activities.