Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 28 January on United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy Programme,HCWS392, how the countries to which United Kingdom Trade Envoys have been appointed were selected.

Trade Envoys enhance the value of HMG export and investment services already provided in a market. The following criteria are used to establish whether a market offers opportunities for a Trade Envoy to be effective; High growth and emerging market which attracts fewer ministerial visits; significant opportunities for commercial exploitation; where Government to Government relationships can open doors for UK businesses and whether there is appropriate DBT resource to support the Trade Envoy in market.

Markets where there are no Trade Envoys such as the United States, Europe and India already receive regular high level ministerial visits plus have networks in place that maintain our relationship.