Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to promote opportunities to access high growth markets abroad to businesses in the Leeds City Region.

Increasing exports, to all overseas markets, is a key factor in the Government’s long-term economic plan. Government departments are working together to support UK businesses looking to take advantage of overseas opportunities and to create a strong business environment that allows them to flourish both at home and overseas. A key part of this work is to identify export opportunities, many of which are based around the needs of high-growth and emerging markets.

This effort to drive economic growth is supported in part by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy Programme, a group of appointed parliamentarians drawn from across the political spectrum. Envoys are carefully selected for their experience, skills and knowledge of particular sectors or markets, or their knowledge of business in an effort to identify substantial trade and investment opportunities. There are now 24 Trade Envoys covering 50 high-growth and emerging markets.

In addition, UK Trade and Investment is working on a joint international trade plan with Leeds City Region and other partners which will focus on key international markets, including high growth ones.