Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Whittingdale and Greg Hands

Thursday 2nd May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Sir John Whittingdale (Maldon) (Con)]

5. What recent progress her Department has made on negotiating a free trade agreement with South Korea.

[The Minister for Trade Policy (Greg Hands)]

I thank my right hon. Friend for the valuable work he is doing as the Prime Minister’s trade envoy to the Republic of Korea. I look forward to his upcoming visit there. He is famous for his timely interventions. Detailed round 2 discussions on an upgraded FTA took place in London from 18 to 22 March, which provided an opportunity to conclude the exploratory phase of negotiations. We now look forward to text-based negotiations in round 3, which is due to take place in Seoul from 24 June.

[Sir John Whittingdale]

I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer ahead of my visit to Korea next week. Does he agree that the Indo-Pacific region offers huge opportunities for global growth, particularly as it will be home to something like half the world’s middle-class consumers over the coming decades, and therefore that upgrading this agreement is likely to bring huge benefits to the UK?

[Greg Hands]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. The Indo-Pacific is a vital part of the world for the UK and forms the centrepiece of our strategy going forward diplomatically and on trading ties. He is right that the Republic of Korea will play a vital role in that. The recently signed Downing Street accord with Korea outlines the breadth and depth of the ongoing relationship. We look forward to the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership coming into effect later this year, and we look forward to seeing if the Republic of Korea will apply.

Business and Trade

Debate between John Whittingdale and Greg Hands

Monday 11th March 2024 Ministerial Corrections

[Sir John Whittingdale]

On Tuesday, in my capacity as trade envoy, I attended the Korean embassy for the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the joint development of a small modular nuclear reactor—just one area in which the business between our two countries is growing ever stronger. Will my right hon. Friend press ahead with the enhanced free trade agreement, which will offer huge opportunities to build on the existing £17 billion trade relationship?

[Greg Hands]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. In the UK, of course, we have our own, superb Rolls-Royce model of small modular reactor as well. He is right about the importance of our growing trading relationship with Korea. As a former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, he will also know that 71% of our services trade with Korea last year was delivered digitally.

[Official Report, 7 March 2024, Vol. 746, c. 950.]

Letter of correction from the Minister for Trade Policy, the right hon. Member for Chelsea and Fulham (Greg Hands):

An error has been identified in the response given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Maldon (Sir John Whittingdale) in Business and Trade questions. The reply should have been:

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Whittingdale and Greg Hands

Thursday 7th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[Sir John Whittingdale (Maldon) (Con)]

8. What recent progress she has made on negotiating a free trade agreement with South Korea.

[The Minister for Trade Policy (Greg Hands)]

We have excellent relations with South Korea, as my right hon. Friend will know as the Prime Minister’s trade envoy there. Bilateral trade totalled £16 billion in the 12 months to September 2023. Negotiations to upgrade our FTA with South Korea were launched as part of President Yoon’s state visit in November. Round 1 of the talks has already taken place, and round 2 will take place later this month here in London.

[Sir John Whittingdale]

On Tuesday, in my capacity as trade envoy, I attended the Korean embassy for the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the joint development of a small modular nuclear reactor—just one area in which the business between our two countries is growing ever stronger. Will my right hon. Friend press ahead with the enhanced free trade agreement, which will offer huge opportunities to build on the existing £17 billion trade relationship?

[Greg Hands]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. In the UK, of course, we have our own, superb Rolls-Royce model of small modular reactor as well. He is right about the importance of our growing trading relationship with Korea. As a former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, he will also know that 71% of our services trade with Korea last year was delivered digitally. We need to upgrade the deal to make sure that it reflects modern, digital trade as well. Both countries are making good progress in the negotiations.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between John Whittingdale and Greg Hands

Tuesday 22nd February 2022 Commons Chamber

[Greg Hands]

The death of the hon. Lady’s young constituent bears heavily on all of us as London Members of Parliament. I remind her that the principal responsibility for air quality in London rests with the Mayor of London. On the action that we are taking to encourage more low-carbon and zero-carbon vehicles, we have announced: the phasing out of petrol and diesel-driven cars; a big investment in our electric vehicle charging infrastructure; and a big move to hydrogen-powered vehicles. Work in these areas will see low and zero-carbon vehicles become the future of urban transport in this country.

[Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon) (Con)]

T8.   While I welcome the establishment of the digital markets unit, does my hon. Friend agree that it is essential that it should be given statutory backing if it is to set a level playing field between publishers and platforms? Can he confirm that it is still the Government’s intention to introduce that legislation early in the next Session?