Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff in his Department were working in the goods and tariffs team in February 2025.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Business and Trade operates a flexible resourcing model to maximise efficiency across goods and tariffs policy between the Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations (TPIN) Group and the Economic Security and Trade Relations (ESTR) Group. In July 2024 the combined headcount across the two groups was 1, 191 and in January 2025 it was 1, 305.
The department is unable to provide an accurate headcount figure for February 2025 until that month’s payroll run is completed, therefore January’s end month figures have been provided.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many staff in his Department were working in the goods and tariffs team in July 2024.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Department for Business and Trade operates a flexible resourcing model to maximise efficiency across goods and tariffs policy between the Trade Policy, Implementation and Negotiations (TPIN) Group and the Economic Security and Trade Relations (ESTR) Group. In July 2024 the combined headcount across the two groups was 1, 191 and in January 2025 it was 1, 305.
The department is unable to provide an accurate headcount figure for February 2025 until that month’s payroll run is completed, therefore January’s end month figures have been provided.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Help to Grow Programme; and if he will publish the outcome for business growth broken down by the gender of business owners.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Longer term impacts on productivity can take 3-7 years to be measurable, however early findings show promising impacts. Over 90% of participants are satisfied with the programme and within 6 months of completion, most participants surveyed reported enhanced firm resilience, sales and cost savings. Early impact analysis on productivity is underway and future reports will address variations in productivity impacts by gender, should these arise.
Evaluation findings on the early impacts of Help to Grow: Management are available on GOV.UK and the next release will be later this year.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he has made an assessment of the potential impact of additional trade barriers between the United States of America and Mexico on the UK economy.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
On 4 February, President Trump agreed to hold off imposing all tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days, following calls with Prime Minister Trudeau and President Sheinbaum. We will continue to monitor any further developments, including through discussions with counterparts, and we will always do what is in the national interest for our economy, businesses and the British people.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of additional trade barriers between the United States and Canada on the UK economy.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
On 4 February, President Trump agreed to hold off imposing all tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days, following calls with Prime Minister Trudeau and President Sheinbaum. We will continue to monitor any further developments, including through discussions with counterparts, and we will always do what is in the national interest for our economy, businesses and the British people.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in his Department have had with the Canadian Government on a potential UK-Canada trade deal.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Secretary of State met with his Canadian counterpart Trade Minister Mary Ng at the G7 in July last year; they discussed the paused bilateral FTA and agreed that senior officials should begin discussions to see what it might take to resume negotiations.
I have met with Minister Ng twice since then, including in Vancouver last November where we agreed that senior officials should continue these discussions, which are ongoing. Meanwhile, the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement remains in force, underpinning approximately £27 billion in bilateral trade.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions (a) he, (b) ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with counterparts in Mexico regarding on the potential impact of additional US-Mexico trade barriers on UK trade.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
On 4 February, President Trump agreed to hold off imposing all tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days, following calls with Prime Minister Trudeau and President Sheinbaum. We will continue to monitor any further developments, including through discussions with counterparts, and we will always do what is in the national interest for our economy, businesses and the British people.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions (a) he, (b) ministers in his Department and (c) officials in his Department have had with counterparts in Canada on the impact of additional US-Canada trade barriers on UK trade.
Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
On 4 February, President Trump agreed to hold off imposing all tariffs on Canada and Mexico for 30 days, following calls with Prime Minister Trudeau and President Sheinbaum. We will continue to monitor any further developments, including through discussions with counterparts, and we will always do what is in the national interest for our economy, businesses and the British people.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 28 January on United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy Programme,HCWS392, how the countries to which United Kingdom Trade Envoys have been appointed were selected.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Trade Envoys enhance the value of HMG export and investment services already provided in a market. The following criteria are used to establish whether a market offers opportunities for a Trade Envoy to be effective; High growth and emerging market which attracts fewer ministerial visits; significant opportunities for commercial exploitation; where Government to Government relationships can open doors for UK businesses and whether there is appropriate DBT resource to support the Trade Envoy in market.
Markets where there are no Trade Envoys such as the United States, Europe and India already receive regular high level ministerial visits plus have networks in place that maintain our relationship.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 28 January on United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy Programme, HCWS392, whether he plans to appoint any additional United Kingdom Trade Envoys.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There are no current plans to appoint any additional Trade Envoys beyond the 32 that were recently appointed.