Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she is having discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on including research and innovation into future trade deals.

DSIT and DBT work together to ensure the impact of research and innovation on trade flows is accounted for by including ‘Innovation Chapters’ in the UK’s Free Trade Agreements (FTA). The UK agreed the world’s first innovation chapter in our FTA with Australia in 2021. Future FTAs will maintain this momentum to ensure trade in innovative products and services can thrive.