Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2021 to Question 144942, on UK Trade with EU, how many businesses in (a) Alyn and Deeside and (b) the UK have been advised by her Department to transfer some operations to the EU in order to facilitate exports following the UK's departure from the EU regardless of whether or not this is her Department's policy.

The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Customer Relationship Management System currently has over 200,000 active company records, and our advisers have many interactions with UK businesses every day. Whilst it is not possible to determine what was discussed in each of those interactions, DIT guidance to its staff is clear. Any decision to set up an operation in the EU is a commercial decision for the business, and it is not the role of DIT staff to advise companies on such decisions.

Of the interactions recorded since 1 December 2020, only one was with a company located in Alyn and Deeside, and that interaction related to a virtual trade mission to Canada. This reflects the fact the companies based in Wales receive local support on international matters from the Welsh Government, in line with their devolved responsibilities.