Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a business-led Joint Working Group on Food and Drink as part of the India-UK Joint Trade Review.

The UK-India Joint Trade Review successfully reported back to the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) in January. Ministers endorsed several recommendations from the Review, including further collaboration between our Governments to explore addressing non-tariff barriers to trade specifically in the food and drink sector. Detailed inputs from industry will be crucial to informing this work so we welcome continued engagement with business. As my officials finalise workplans with their Indian counterparts they will be communicating to business how they might provide input.