Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what plans his Department has to increase the role of Accredited Chambers of Commerce in supporting UK exporters.

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) works extensively with accredited Chambers of Commerce. The delivery of UKTI trade services in England is contracted to Chamber or Chamber related organisations in 5 (of 9) regions. In all regions UKTI works closely with Chambers on a wide range of trade delivery activity. In addition, UKTI has a non-exclusive Memorandum of Understanding in place with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) for issuing non-preferential Certificates of Origin. Those arrangements generate millions of pounds of revenue for the accredited Chamber network.

Under the Overseas Business Networks initiative (OBNi) Government has invested more than £20m since 2013 in a partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce to increase Chamber-led delivery of trade support overseas. Chamber delivery partners have delivered more than 20,000 high-quality company interventions in 2014. Government continues to work with the BCC to accredit overseas delivery partners, and the BCC will deliver a series of global conferences under contract this year.