Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many diplomatic gifts have been given in each of the last three years, by recipient country.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The number of diplomatic gifts that have been given in each of the last three years, by recipient countries is not held centrally by the Department for International Trade (DIT).
The department fulfils the requirement to publish transparency data in line with the Government’s transparency agenda and this can be found at DIT ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the total value of diplomatic gifts is over the last three years, by recipient country.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The total value of gifts (given) over the last three years, by recipient country, is not held centrally by the Department for International Trade (DIT).
The department fulfils the requirement to publish transparency data in line with the Government’s transparency agenda and this can be found at DIT ministerial gifts, hospitality, travel and meetings on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress she has made on negotiating a UK-US trade deal.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
We have had five productive rounds of negotiations to date and agreed a significant proportion of legal text across multiple chapters.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he plans to ban the import of Russian produced coking coal into UK ports; and what options are available to achieve that.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In lockstep with our allies, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has announced the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions Russia has ever seen. The UK Government has banned all ships that are Russian owned, operated, controlled, chartered, registered or flagged from entering British ports. Ships carrying cargo from Russia are not within the scope of these specific transport sanctions. However, we continue to consider further trade measures to support our policy of ratcheting up economic pressure on Russia.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has had discussions with her counterparts in EU states on opposing the import and sale of Russian produced coking coal to the EU for steel production.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In lockstep with our allies, including with EU states, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has announced the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions Russia has ever seen. Alongside other G7 countries, we are denying Russia Most-Favoured-Nation treatment relating to key products, ramping up the pressure on Russia’s economy. Whilst coking coal is not currently included with these products, we do not speculate on future sanctions. However, we have made clear that, together with our global partners, we will continue to apply pressure on Putin’s regime.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits of the trade deal with Australia for the East Midlands.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Nearly 1,200 East Midlands business exported goods to Australia last year. East Midlands business exported goods worth more than £200m to Australia in 2020. The world-famous East Midlands shoemaking industry, the region’s manufacturers and high-quality food exporters could all be big winners from an Australia free trade deal. The deal will cut tariffs on key UK exports, while removing red tape and aligning regulations would make exporting easier for East Midland industries such as machinery and chemicals, which exported £130m worth of goods to Australia last year.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she plans to extend the UK’s steel safeguards; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of others steps to develop a strong and sustainable steel industry.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Safeguard measures exist under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreements to allow countries to put measures in place to protect domestic industries against serious damage caused or threatened to be caused by unforeseen surges in imports. There are strict evidential requirements and processes that must be followed in order to put safeguard measures in place.
The United Kingdom’s steel safeguard measures were established by the EU when the United Kingdom was a member state. They followed the processes and were on the basis of the criteria provided for in the WTO Agreements. The United Kingdom’s Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) reflect the British portion of the original EU safeguard measure, based on British import data from the original period of investigation under which the measure was imposed.
The Department for International Trade did not conduct an economic impact assessment when transitioning the measures as these were established measures already in effect, not new measures being implemented. However, the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) initiated a review of the current safeguard measures on 1st October 2020. In most circumstances, subject to what it determines as a result of any review, TRID will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State. This specific review will include consideration of the economic impacts of continuation, variation or termination of the measures, except where particular products are not being imported in increased quantities or are not being produced in the United Kingdom. As a part of this evidence-based review, TRID will evaluate the risk of serious injury.
My Hon. Friend is a great champion of British industry, and he will understand that the Secretary of State cannot pre-empt TRID’s recommendation by considering the future of the measures before such a review is complete and the recommendation is received.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has made an economic impact assessment of the current UK steel safeguards.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Safeguard measures exist under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreements to allow countries to put measures in place to protect domestic industries against serious damage caused or threatened to be caused by unforeseen surges in imports. There are strict evidential requirements and processes that must be followed in order to put safeguard measures in place.
The United Kingdom’s steel safeguard measures were established by the EU when the United Kingdom was a member state. They followed the processes and were on the basis of the criteria provided for in the WTO Agreements. The United Kingdom’s Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) reflect the British portion of the original EU safeguard measure, based on British import data from the original period of investigation under which the measure was imposed.
The Department for International Trade did not conduct an economic impact assessment when transitioning the measures as these were established measures already in effect, not new measures being implemented. However, the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) initiated a review of the current safeguard measures on 1st October 2020. In most circumstances, subject to what it determines as a result of any review, TRID will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State. This specific review will include consideration of the economic impacts of continuation, variation or termination of the measures, except where particular products are not being imported in increased quantities or are not being produced in the United Kingdom. As a part of this evidence-based review, TRID will evaluate the risk of serious injury.
My Hon. Friend is a great champion of British industry, and he will understand that the Secretary of State cannot pre-empt TRID’s recommendation by considering the future of the measures before such a review is complete and the recommendation is received.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential role of (a) global overcapacity, (b) US 232 tariffs, (c) levels of protectionist sentiment in other economies and (d) other factors in the introduction of EU steel safeguards.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Safeguard measures exist under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreements to allow countries to put measures in place to protect domestic industries against serious damage caused or threatened to be caused by unforeseen surges in imports. There are strict evidential requirements and processes that must be followed in order to put safeguard measures in place.
The United Kingdom’s steel safeguard measures were established by the EU when the United Kingdom was a member state. They followed the processes and were on the basis of the criteria provided for in the WTO Agreements. The United Kingdom’s Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs) reflect the British portion of the original EU safeguard measure, based on British import data from the original period of investigation under which the measure was imposed.
The Department for International Trade did not conduct an economic impact assessment when transitioning the measures as these were established measures already in effect, not new measures being implemented. However, the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) initiated a review of the current safeguard measures on 1st October 2020. In most circumstances, subject to what it determines as a result of any review, TRID will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State. This specific review will include consideration of the economic impacts of continuation, variation or termination of the measures, except where particular products are not being imported in increased quantities or are not being produced in the United Kingdom. As a part of this evidence-based review, TRID will evaluate the risk of serious injury.
My Hon. Friend is a great champion of British industry, and he will understand that the Secretary of State cannot pre-empt TRID’s recommendation by considering the future of the measures before such a review is complete and the recommendation is received.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory public inquiries being undertaken by her Department.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for International Trade came into existence in 2016 and since this time there have been no statutory and non-statutory public inquiries.