Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the statement of losses and special payments in her Department’s annual report for 2021-22, what organisation was her Department’s contracted supplier of in-market support to UK businesses exporting to China in 2021-22; what the original (a) effective date, (b) duration and (c) value was of that contract; and (c) what revisions were made to the value of the contract for the remainder of its term.

Grant Thornton LLP was the department’s contracted supplier.

a) The effective date of the contract was the 3^rd August 2020

b) The duration of the contract is for 3 years with termination due on the 28^th July 2023.

c) The total, non-committed value that can be spent under the contract is £4.6m over 3 years

d) No revisions were made to the total value of the contract noted above; however the monthly fixed rate was reduced to reflect the demand for services in market.