Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure that British businesses are able to trade overseas in the context of the UK no longer being part of EU trade agreements.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
To date, we have agreed trade deals with 71 countries plus the EU, covering trade worth £808 billion of our bilateral trade in 2021.
We are just getting started. Negotiations to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership are continuing. In addition, we have launched negotiations with India, Canada, Mexico, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, plus we are preparing to begin negotiations on new trade deals with Israel and Switzerland.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton South)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has had recent discussions with her Indian counterpart on increasing (a) trade with and (b) foreign direct investment from India.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom’s trading relationship with India was worth £24.3 billion in 2021 and we are already India’s top investment destination in Europe. A trade deal with India could take our trading relationship even further.
My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade recently met her counterpart, Indian Minister Goyal in London, to discuss the opportunities between both our countries.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many Departmental staff were stationed in each of the 28 states of India in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Department for International Trade (DIT) employees working overseas are often stationed at a central base, such as a High Commission, but operate across India. DIT has several overseas bases within India as part of the British overseas network, such as Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Chandigrah and Kolkata. Total workforce numbers have been provided to protect anonymity of individuals working at some of these locations:
Date | Headcount |
30-Nov-21 | 121 |
30-Nov-20 | 109 |
30-Nov-19 | 110 |
30-Nov-18 | 97 |
30-Nov-17 | 106 |
Please note: The headcount figures include overseas UK based staff, country-based staff and country-based staff interns (there are no country-based staff interns in India).
These figures do not include UKEF staff, those on loan from Other Government Departments who remain on their home departments payroll, contractors, military staff, people on secondment from other organisations, those who are on loan or secondment out of DIT, or on unpaid special leave or career break.
Asked by: Lord Jordan (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide COVID-19 vaccines to (1) the Republic of Barbados, and (2) other small island states which may currently be experiencing COVID-19 vaccine shortages; and whether they intend to support the proposal of the governments of India and South Africa to suspend parts of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights as they relate to COVID-19 vaccines.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to help bring the acute phase of the pandemic to an end as soon as possible and strongly supports the COVAX Facility as a key mechanism to deliver this. The majority of the UK's doses are being donated via COVAX. We are donating a smaller quantity to bilateral partners and countries facing their own health emergencies, to further support the global response to Covid-19. We are only donating vaccines to countries which are eligible for Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). The FCDO has responded to the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) which includes a breakdown of where doses have been sent to as of the end of November.
Throughout the pandemic our top priority has been to save lives. We firmly believe the best way to do this is to support the world's leading scientists to develop our most important weapon in the fight against COVID-19: vaccines. Our robust international intellectual property framework protects the ability of these pioneering minds to come up with new ideas and innovations. It has and will continue to allow us to develop vaccines and treatments at unprecedented pace and meet our ultimate goal of saving lives. There is no evidence that an IP waiver would help us to meet this goal. The reality is that the proposal for a TRIPS waiver would dismantle the very framework that helped to produce COVID-19 vaccines at an unprecedented pace. More worryingly, the waiver proposal could lead to a dangerous reduction in the quality of products being manufactured and in the already limited supply of key raw materials. This risks compromising vaccine efficacy and patient safety.
Whilst the UK Government has not seen evidence that Intellectual Property is a barrier to the production or supply of COVID-19 goods, including vaccines, the Government will continue to engage constructively in debates at the World Trade Organisation Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Council and other international institutions to promote affordable and equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines for all. The UK affirmed this commitment in the 22 October G7 Trade Ministers' communique, which notes our determination to achieve an impactful outcome on trade and health, including how the international Intellectual Property framework can best support the WTO's pandemic response. The UK remains open to all initiatives that will have a demonstrable impact on vaccine production and distribution. We will continue to engage constructively in discussions at the WTO to that end. To end this pandemic sooner, we must focus efforts on the things that will make a real difference. That includes the promotion of voluntary licensing and technology transfer agreements - several of which have already proven to be successful.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he provide details of the British embassies and consulates that used St Andrew's Night 2021 as an opportunity to promote Scotland.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The United Kingdom's diplomatic and trade network overseas promotes the interests and diversity of the whole of the UK to other countries. This includes, but is not limited to, promoting Scotland at events hosted to mark St Andrew's Day and Burns Night.
We do not hold a central log of all such events hosted across the world. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many UK missions overseas promoted Burns Night and Scotland virtually through social media.
In 2022, like every year, our diplomatic network will be encouraged to use Burns Night and St Andrew's Day to promote Scottish culture, tourism, produce and trade and investment.
In addition to Burns Night and St Andrew's Day events, our overseas network continuously looks to promote Scotland and Scottish interests overseas throughout the year. In October, the Foreign Secretary and Lord Offord used their visit to India, the UK's second biggest investor, to promote Scottish engineering, business and exports, including whisky. UK missions overseas also used Glasgow's hosting of COP26 to increase Scotland's international profile.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps British embassies and consulates are taking to promote Scotland through Burns Night celebrations in their place of location.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The United Kingdom's diplomatic and trade network overseas promotes the interests and diversity of the whole of the UK to other countries. This includes, but is not limited to, promoting Scotland at events hosted to mark St Andrew's Day and Burns Night.
We do not hold a central log of all such events hosted across the world. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many UK missions overseas promoted Burns Night and Scotland virtually through social media.
In 2022, like every year, our diplomatic network will be encouraged to use Burns Night and St Andrew's Day to promote Scottish culture, tourism, produce and trade and investment.
In addition to Burns Night and St Andrew's Day events, our overseas network continuously looks to promote Scotland and Scottish interests overseas throughout the year. In October, the Foreign Secretary and Lord Offord used their visit to India, the UK's second biggest investor, to promote Scottish engineering, business and exports, including whisky. UK missions overseas also used Glasgow's hosting of COP26 to increase Scotland's international profile.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which British embassies and consulates plan to (a) host or (b) support Burns nights in 2022.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The United Kingdom's diplomatic and trade network overseas promotes the interests and diversity of the whole of the UK to other countries. This includes, but is not limited to, promoting Scotland at events hosted to mark St Andrew's Day and Burns Night.
We do not hold a central log of all such events hosted across the world. In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many UK missions overseas promoted Burns Night and Scotland virtually through social media.
In 2022, like every year, our diplomatic network will be encouraged to use Burns Night and St Andrew's Day to promote Scottish culture, tourism, produce and trade and investment.
In addition to Burns Night and St Andrew's Day events, our overseas network continuously looks to promote Scotland and Scottish interests overseas throughout the year. In October, the Foreign Secretary and Lord Offord used their visit to India, the UK's second biggest investor, to promote Scottish engineering, business and exports, including whisky. UK missions overseas also used Glasgow's hosting of COP26 to increase Scotland's international profile.
Asked by: Patricia Gibson (Scottish National Party - North Ayrshire and Arran)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October to Question 52516 on Human Rights: India, what representations her Department has made to the Government of India on ensuring that freedom of religion or belief protections are enshrined in any future trade agreement.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and promoting respect between different communities. Promoting the right to freedom of religion or belief is one of the United Kingdom’s longstanding overseas priorities.
We believe that trade is vital for our economy and future prosperity, but it need not come at the expense of our values. We engage with India on a range of matters, independent of a Free Trade Agreement, as part of our ongoing bilateral relationship. This involves working with Union and State Governments, and with non-governmental organisations, to build capacity and share expertise.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had with her Indian counterpart on increasing bilateral trade and strengthening economic ties.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Strengthening the United Kingdom-India bilateral trade relationship to support jobs and economic growth across the country is a priority for HM Government.
Ministers are in regular contact with our counterparts to make progress on a future bilateral Free Trade Agreement, building on our Enhanced Trade Partnership announced by my Rt Hon. Friend the Prime Minister in May 2021, as well as wider trade ambitions set out in the United Kingdom-India 2030 Roadmap.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to her Department's press release, Creation of four major new Trade and Investment Hubs across the UK, published on 23 March 2021, if she will expand the remit of those hubs to widen outreach by engaging customers on trade across the UK.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The new Trade and Investment Hubs will be home to teams of export and investment specialists. These teams can provide businesses with expert support and advice to help them maximise their export potential. They will also help businesses boost their trade in new markets overseas, gain better access to major trade markets like Japan, the US and India, and feed directly into the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) free trade agreements programme.
The new Hubs build on the nationwide support already offered by DIT. This support includes the UK Export Finance offer, the £38m Internationalisation Fund, the Export Academy programme, our network of around 300 International Trade Advisors across England, and over 400 Regional Export Champions.