Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she plans to (a) change staffing levels and (b) make redundancies in each of her Department’s regional teams of international trade advisers in the next 12 months.

The International Trade Adviser service is one part of the department’s export support ecosystem that up-skills businesses to take advantage of export opportunities.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) contracts with Delivery Partners to provide an International Trade Adviser service across England. International Trade Advisers are employees of Delivery Partners. Staffing levels are determined by Delivery Partners, in response to commercially agreed outcomes.

DIT provides the maximum possible support to UK business to take full advantage of trade opportunities, including those arising from delivering Free Trade Agreements, and facilitating UK exports.