Oral Answers to Questions

Wendy Morton Excerpts

Thursday 15th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Greg Hands]

The first thing to say is that TTIP is still on the table, and we have always been clear that the rights of Governments to regulate in the public interest will still be there in all these different trade deals. As the hon. Gentleman will know, TTIP has been debated in the Commons on at least five occasions, and the views of parliamentarians have been made clear. We will make sure that there will be no reduction in regulatory standards if TTIP comes to pass.

[Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)]

6. What steps his Department is taking to support businesses in establishing future trading opportunities abroad.

[Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough) (Con)]

8. What steps his Department is taking to support businesses in establishing future trading opportunities abroad.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade (Mark Garnier)]

The Department is working across the UK, as well as in both current and future export markets overseas, to help British businesses. We are helping them to export their goods and services, identify new export opportunities and win those export sales. We are doing this digitally, through the GREAT.gov.uk website, and in person, through our network of international trade advisers across the UK and through our overseas staff in 109 countries.

[Wendy Morton]

Businesses in my constituency do not always have the resources to explore export markets but are keen to maximise opportunities. What is the Department going to do to help those businesses, so that they can find more opportunities abroad?

[Mark Garnier]

May I refer my hon. Friend, who is a champion of businesses in her constituency, to the GREAT.gov.uk website? Although it has been going for only one month, 174,000 users have visited it, more than 6,000 users have already made use of our selling online overseas services and nearly 1,000 businesses have created a profile on our “Find a buyer” service. This was highlighted to all hon. Members when the Department sent out our MPs’ toolkit, so that all MPs can help their constituents to find new markets and raise their eyes to the horizon.