Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many meetings (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had with the business managers in the House of Commons in that last 12 months.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues in order to ensure effective scrutiny of trade policy.
Details of correspondence between officials is not held centrally.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many (a) special advisers and (b) other civil servants accompanied her on her visit to New York on 28 and 29 September 2022.
Answered by James Duddridge
On my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade’s first visit to New York on 28 and 29 September 2022 to deliver a keynote address at the Atlantic Future Forum and undertake a wider trade visit programme, she was accompanied by a Private Secretary, a Press Secretary and a Special Adviser.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether a Government Minister attended the Trade and Sustainable Development Domestic Advisory Group meeting on 7 September 2022.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) Domestic Advisory Group (DAG) met for the first time on 7 September 2022. This provided stakeholders and senior Department for International Trade (DIT) officials with an opportunity to discuss the implementation of our non-EU free trade agreement TSD chapters, and for the group to agree how it will work going forward. The relevant DIT Minister was engaged throughout the process of establishing the DAG and appointing DAG members but was unable to join the inaugural meeting: DIT’s Director General for Trading Systems attended. Ministers regularly engage stakeholders across multiple forums.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when did each individual Trade Advisory Group last meet.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Each of the 11 Trade Advisory Groups (TAGs) met most recently on the following dates:
Automotive, Aerospace & Marine – 27th April 2022
Agri-Food – 12th May 2022
British Manufactured and Consumer Goods – 23rd June 2022
Chemicals – 19th July 2022
Creative Industries – 21st September 2022
Financial Services – 7th March 2022
Investment – 19th May 2022
Life Sciences – 10th June 2022
Professional Advisory Services – 18th May 2022
Telecoms & Technology – 5th May 2022
Transport Services – 21st June 2022
All TAG members are also invited to attend Advisory Group Updates. The most recent were:
Developing Countries Trading Scheme Update – 1st September 2022
UK – Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement Update – 27th September 2022
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which organisations she visited on her visit to New York on 28 and 29 September 2022.
Answered by James Duddridge
The details requested will be released as part of the Government’s existing transparency agenda. The estimated release date for the period in question is December 2022/January 2023.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many officials from her Department are based in each state of the United States as on 10 October 2022.
Answered by James Duddridge
As of 10 October 2022, the Department for International Trade maintains 151 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions based in the United States, as shown in the table below. This includes currently vacant positions.
These officials are based in the British Embassy and Consulates General across the US.
State | Consulate General/ Embassy | FTE Staff |
California | Los Angeles | 16 |
San Francisco | 13 | |
Florida | Miami | 5 |
Georgia | Atlanta | 8 |
Illinois | Chicago | 20 |
Massachusetts | Boston | 13 |
New York | New York | 46 |
Texas | Houston | 14 |
Washington DC | Washington DC | 16 |
| Total | 151 |
UK Export Finance is co-administered with the Department for International Trade and employs one official based in Texas.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the cost was for (a) flights, (b) accommodation and (c) food and drink for her visit to the Atlantic Future Forum and New York on 28 and 29 September 2022.
Answered by James Duddridge
The details of the costs requested will be released as part of the Government’s existing transparency agenda. The estimated release date for the period in question is December 2022/January 2023.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many responses her Department received to its consultation on the negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer the Hon. Lady to the answer given to her by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for North East Hampshire on 22 February (121792).
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many freedom of information requests are awaiting a response from her Department.
Answered by James Duddridge
On 10 October, 35 freedom of information requests were awaiting response. One is overdue.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Investment to the Chair of the International Arrangements Committee of 19 May 2022, how many sitting days' notice his Department would require for a debate on a new free trade agreement.
Answered by James Duddridge
The scheduling of Parliamentary business is not a matter for the Department for International Trade.
The Government has made clear it will seek to facilitate requests for debates on free trade agreements, subject to the availability of parliamentary time. The Department for International Trade will continue to work with colleagues across Government to support effective scrutiny of Free Trade Agreements.