Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of seeking a comprehensive trade agreement between Commonwealth member states.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There is already a strong 'Commonwealth advantage'. Members on average benefit from a 21 per cent reduction in trading costs, and 27 per cent higher bilateral investment within the Commonwealth. The UK has taken a range of actions to strengthen this. We have agreed trade deals with 33 Commonwealth countries and introduced the Developing Countries Trading scheme (DCTS) in 2022 - which benefits 18 Commonwealth countries. Our assessment is that a Commonwealth-wide Free Trade Agreement would be extremely hard to achieve; we will instead continue to prioritise practical steps which will benefit intra-Commonwealth trade and investment.
Oral Evidence May. 21 2024
Committee: Business and Trade Committee (Department: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy)Found: Department for Business and Trade, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, and Department for Business
Nov. 26 2007
Source Page: Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Uganda 23 - 25 November 2007. 20 p.Found: Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Uganda 23 - 25 November 2007. 20 p.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what progress his Department has made on its preparations for this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in October will be an important opportunity to mobilise Commonwealth action on shared interests, including boosting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment; enhancing access to climate finance and protecting the environment; and reaffirming our shared commitment to Commonwealth Charter values. We are working closely with Samoa, other Commonwealth partners and the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure CHOGM delivers strong outcomes that offer benefits to Commonwealth members and citizens. Ministerial attendance plans will be finalised closer to CHOGM.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how many Ministers are scheduled to attend this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in October will be an important opportunity to mobilise Commonwealth action on shared interests, including boosting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment; enhancing access to climate finance and protecting the environment; and reaffirming our shared commitment to Commonwealth Charter values. We are working closely with Samoa, other Commonwealth partners and the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure CHOGM delivers strong outcomes that offer benefits to Commonwealth members and citizens. Ministerial attendance plans will be finalised closer to CHOGM.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the impact of the conflict in Sudan on UK trade and investment in that region; and what support he is providing to British businesses potentially affected by that conflict.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Neither the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office nor Department for Business and Trade hold data centrally on the impact of the conflict on UK trade with and investment in Sudan. Trade between the UK and Sudan has been limited because of historic and continued sanctions against Sudan since 1997. With the British Embassy temporarily closed, it is regrettably not possible to provide support to British businesses affected by the conflict.
Apr. 23 2024
Source Page: EM on the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (COM(2024)127)Found: EM on the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (COM(2024)127)
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many individuals were projected to visit virtually the UK House venue run by her Department at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games from 28 July to 8 August 2022 in the final business case approved by her Department for that event.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
UK House was part of the wider Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Tourism, Trade & Investment Programme business case led by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) & West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for International Trade and Visit Britain.
The final business case provides no UK House visitor projections, either virtually or in person.