Oral Answers to Questions

Iain Stewart Excerpts

Thursday 28th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Graham Stuart]

The truth is that the Department is growing. It is less than two years old and it is building its capacity. Today I announced the appointment of a new director general for investment, we recently announced the appointment of a director general for exports, and, of course, we are soon to complete the appointments of eight HM trade commissioners around the world, who will deploy our resources to best effect.

[Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South) (Con)]

2. What assessment he has made of the effect of UK trade deals with developing countries on the economies of those countries.

[The Minister for Trade Policy (George Hollingbery)]

Freeing up trade is a proven driver of prosperity for developing countries. As we leave the EU, our priority will be to seek to deliver continuity in our trading arrangements, including continuity for developing countries.

[Iain Stewart]

Let me first warmly welcome my hon. Friend to the Dispatch Box.

The EU acts as a protectionist bloc against the trading interests of developing economies. Can my hon. Friend assure me that, once we leave the EU, arranging trade deals with developing economies will be a central part of our post-Brexit arrangements?

[George Hollingbery]

I certainly can. The Department’s White Paper “Preparing for our future trade policy” sets out the scale of the Government’s desire to help developing countries to break down the barriers to trade, and we will give them the tools with which to trade their way out of poverty.