Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to support UK (a) business, (b) technology and (c) cyber-security consultancies to gain access to developing markets overseas.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) supports the UK's world-leading business, technology and cyber-security consultancies to succeed in the global marketplace, including developing markets. On the 1 December 2017, my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion (Baroness Rona Fairhead) launched the DIT Export Strategy, focusing on where government can make a real difference to UK companies looking to trade overseas, in line with the recently published Industrial Strategy. This will incorporate access to finance and insurance offered by UK Export Finance.

DIT's Defence & Security Organisation (DSO) have a cyber security export team, led by the UK Cyber Security Ambassador, that seeks to promote UK cyber security expertise and capability for commercial and national security objectives. UK cyber security exports were valued at c.£1.5 billion in 2016, forecast to rise to c.£2.7 billion by 2021. DIT supports UK cyber security companies to secure and grow their overseas sales and will publish a refreshed Cyber Security Export Strategy shortly.