Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to sign a free trade agreement with Algeria.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In 2023, the UK and Algeria established a Trade Taskforce, a forum for the two countries to discuss how we can strengthen our trade and investment relationship on a regular basis, which may include formal trade agreements. The Taskforce had its inaugural meeting earlier this year, and there was a strong willingness to drive trade between the two countries. There are, presently, no plans for the UK to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement with Algeria.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of planned closures of Royal Mail Customer Service Points on rural mail services.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
The Government recognises the important role that the postal service plays in providing key services to local communities across the country.
However, as a private business, the closure of Customer Service Points is a commercial and operational matter for Royal Mail. The Government does not have a role in Royal Mail’s commercial or operational decisions.