Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
What assessment she has made of how international trade benefits (a) Kettering constituency, (b) North Northamptonshire and (c) England.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Kettering and the wider East Midlands economy already benefit from the higher productivity and better-quality jobs associated with international trade. Over 680,000 jobs in the region were directly or indirectly linked to exports in 2016, and new Foreign Direct Investment created over 2,149 new jobs in 2020/21. We are confident the new Free Trade Agreements we are striking globally will create even more opportunities for Kettering and Northamptonshire companies.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of the value of the UK's international trade in (a) goods and (b) services is conducted under free trade agreements.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
In 2017, UK goods trade with non-EU countries, with which the UK has a preferential trading relationship due to its membership of the EU, accounted for 12.4% (equivalent to £102bn) of total UK goods trade with the world.
In 2016, UK services trade with non-EU countries, with which the UK has a preferential trading relationship due to its membership of the EU, accounted for 11.2% (equivalent to £45bn) of total UK services trade with the world.
Sources
Trade in goods: ONS Trade in goods MRETS (April 2018);
Trade in services: ONS Pink Book (October 2017). The next release is scheduled for 31st July 2018.
The figures referring to non-EU countries with which the UK has a preferential trading relationship exclude those countries with EU trade agreements that have not been provisionally applied yet, according to the European Commission website: http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/negotiations-and-agreements/#_in-place
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the value has been of trade between the UK and the Republic of Ireland (a) in total, (b) across the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland border and (c) between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland in each of the last three years.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Estimates of the value of UK trade in goods and services with Ireland (up to 2016) are available from the ONS Pink Book 2017:
Goods and services, £bn | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
UK exports of goods and services to Ireland | 27.9 | 27.0 | 26.7 |
UK imports of goods and services from Ireland | 17.8 | 18.5 | 20.8 |
UK trade in goods and services with Ireland | 45.7 | 45.5 | 47.4 |
Source: ONS Pink Book 2017. Data on a Balance of Payments basis. Trade figures may not sum up due to rounding differences.
More timely estimates, for trade in goods only, going up to April 2018 are available from the ONS (user requested data):
Goods only, £bn | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
UK exports of goods to Rep. Ireland | 17.4 | 17.2 | 19.7 |
UK imports of goods from Rep. Ireland | 12.7 | 13.6 | 14.9 |
UK trade in goods with Rep. Ireland | 30.2 | 30.8 | 34.6 |
Source: ONS user-requested data (published 18th June 2018). Data on a Balance of Payments basis. Trade figures may not sum up due to rounding differences.
Estimates of the value of trade in goods between Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland are available from HMRC’s interactive trade database (‘Build Your Own Data Tables’). Similar estimates for trade in services are not available.
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/BuildYourOwnTables/Pages/Home.aspx
Goods only, £bn | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
NI exports of goods to Rep. Ireland | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.7 |
NI imports of goods from Rep. Ireland | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.1 |
NI trade in goods with Rep. Ireland | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.8 |
(RTS Data)
Source: HMRC Regional Trade Statistics 2018Q1. Data on a ‘physical movement’ basis. Trade figures may not sum up due to rounding differences.
Estimates of the value of trade in goods between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland are available from HMRC’s interactive trade database (‘Build Your Own Data Tables’). Similar estimates for trade in services are not available.
https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/BuildYourOwnTables/Pages/Home.aspx
(RTS Data)
Goods only, £bn | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
GB exports of goods to Ireland | 13.5 | 13.6 | 15.1 |
GB imports of goods from Ireland | 9.2 | 9.8 | 9.9 |
GB trade in goods with Ireland | 22.8 | 23.5 | 25.0 |
Source: HMRC Regional Trade Statistics 2018Q1. Data on a ‘physical movement’ basis. Trade figures may not sum up due to rounding differences.
Note: The ONS estimates in (a) above are on a Balance of Payments (‘change of ownership’) basis while the HMRC estimates in (b) and (c) are on a ‘physical movement’ basis, hence the two datasets are not comparable.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to his Department's factsheet entitled 9th UK China Economic and Financial Dialogue 16 December 2017, whether David Cameron's new role on investment between the UK and China is a Government appointment.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The new UK-China bilateral investment fund, of which David Cameron will be Vice-Chairman, is a private sector initiative, and not a government appointment. The fund has not received public money. The Department for International Trade welcomes initiatives which support innovative and sustainable commercial growth opportunities between the UK and China.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will initiate a commonwealth trade conference with the objective of increasing intra-commonwealth trade after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Mark Garnier
In March this year my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade hosted the inaugural Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting in London – bringing together politicians, officials and policy makers from over 20 commonwealth nations.
In addition, he will be hosting a commonwealth reception as part of this year’s WTO Ministerial Meeting in Buenos Aires.
As the host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018, and the Chair of the Commonwealth from April 2018-2020, HMG is committed to highlighting the value of and increasing intra-Commonwealth trade. During GHOGM, businesses from across the Commonwealth will meet in a three-day Commonwealth Business Forum that will see a diverse range of sectors represented. This event will help us to promote our vision for a Global Britain as well as to celebrate and grow intra-Commonwealth trade.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will initiate a commonwealth trade conference with the objective of increasing intra-commonwealth trade after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Mark Garnier
In March this year my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade hosted the inaugural Commonwealth Trade Ministers Meeting in London – bringing together politicians, officials and policy makers from over 20 commonwealth nations.
In addition, he will be hosting a commonwealth reception as part of this year’s WTO Ministerial Meeting in Buenos Aires.
As the host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018, and the Chair of the Commonwealth from April 2018-2020, HMG is committed to highlighting the value of and increasing intra-Commonwealth trade. During GHOGM, businesses from across the Commonwealth will meet in a three-day Commonwealth Business Forum that will see a diverse range of sectors represented. This event will help us to promote our vision for a Global Britain as well as to celebrate and grow intra-Commonwealth trade.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he plans to take to facilitate closer and freer trading relationships with Jamaica and other Commonwealth nations when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government is committed to seeking continuity in our current trade and investment relationships as we leave the EU. We look forward to working with our friends and allies in the Commonwealth, including Jamaica, to achieve this.
We want to increase not only UK trading links with the Commonwealth but also encourage greater intra–Commonwealth trade and investment. This will be a theme of the upcoming Commonwealth Summit in London. By creating a more vibrant and free trading environment globally, the UK will be much better placed to expand existing trade and investment relations, thereby promoting prosperity, stability and security.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which the three non-EU countries are with which the UK does not have a free trade agreement and with which the UK trades most by value.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The three countries with which the EU does not currently have a trade agreement and with which the UK traded the most by value in 2015 are the United States of America, China and Japan.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make it his policy to prioritise a free trade agreement with (a) Israel and (b) the Palestinian Authority after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Mark Garnier
Ministers and officials in the Department for International Trade are working closely with counterparts across a wide range of markets, in order to promote the UK as a great place to do business and with which to trade.
We are taking advantage of all the opportunities available to us to ensure that Britain becomes the global leader in free trade once we leave the EU.