Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department provides for projects to develop the Chinese fashion and film industry.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
This financial year, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has funded one project in China working with the fashion industry, with £65,420 funds allocated. This project involves UK cultural institutions and Higher Education providers working with Chinese policymakers and fashion professionals.
The FCO has funded three projects working with the TV and film industry in China. These projects are all implemented by British organisations working with China's film industry and television production companies and policy makers improve skills, expertise, and policy frameworks for operating in international markets. One project, with £80,000 funds allocated, is designed to enhance UK-China collaboration, including on co-productions and film exports. Another project, with £79,325 funds allocated, supports building of capacity building in the Chinese TV industry. The third project, with £28,390 funds allocated, is designed to strengthen skills and Intellectual Property protection in Jiangsu's creative sector.
All these projects aim to develop China's domestic and international creative and cultural industries, and to generate opportunities for international business, including UK companies already in China and other UK companies seeking access to the growing Chinese market. As an example, at the annual high-level People to People Dialogue between UK and Chinese Ministers in December, the UK agreed a TV Co-Production Treaty with China, which will deliver a boost of around £55m per year for the UK television industry by helping UK exporters access the Chinese market. FCO projects in these sectors help develop links between UK and Chinese companies.
Asked by: Philippa Whitford (Scottish National Party - Central Ayrshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department provides for care in the community for the elderly in China.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office does not provide direct support for care in the community for the elderly in China. However, this financial year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has funded three projects that relate to the provision of care to the elderly in China, which all involve collaboration between UK and Chinese partners in the healthcare sector.
The three projects amount to £200,000. It is worth noting that in December British organisations signed deals worth in excess of £100 million during the largest ever healthcare trade mission to China. Given wider demographic trends, the elderly care sector in China is an area of potential future commercial opportunity, to which UK providers are well-placed to respond. Sharing world class British expertise in public healthcare will therefore help to create further commercial opportunities for UK companies in China, which in turn will help safeguard and create jobs in the UK and strengthen the healthcare sector in the UK.