Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent progress her Department has made on negotiating a free trade agreement with India; whether she has had discussions with her Indian counterpart on the potential merits of including tariff reductions for Irish whiskey exporters in that agreement; and if she will make a statement.

A free trade agreement with India offers the opportunity to deepen our already strong trade relationship, worth £34 billion in the year to end Q3 2022.

We seek a forward-looking FTA which includes a solid market access offer that can boost firms like Irish whiskey exporters, as well as easing red tape for services and ensuring greater legal certainty for investment.

On 10 February 2023, the seventh round of UK-India FTA concluded. We do not discuss details of live negotiations, and will only sign a deal that is fair, reciprocal, and ultimately in the best interests of the British people and the economy.