Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by The City of London Corporation and EY The City of London: an ecosystem enabling international trade, published on 24 February.

The Department recognises the financial and professional services sectors not only make an important contribution to the UK economy but also, as the report highlights, play an essential role in supporting and enabling firms in all sectors of the economy to trade internationally.

The Department welcomes the report and its recommendations which, as we develop our independent trade policy, challenge policy makers to treat goods and services together rather than as separate policy areas.

My Rt Hon Friend the Minister for Trade Policy, the member for Chelsea and Fulham, was guest speaker at the launch of the report on 24^th February 2021.