Asked by: Ged Killen (Labour (Co-op) - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps his Department has taken to prevent cold calls from call centres based abroad being routed through UK phone lines to appear as domestic telephone numbers.
Answered by Margot James
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) independently regulate the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, the framework which governs unsolicited direct marketing and nuisance calls. Unsolicited calls coming from beyond our jurisdiction remain a concern, although the ICO has not identified any noticeable or recent increase in volume in respect of this issue.
To help tackle the problem, the ICO engages with the Do Not Call Forum of the Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network, which includes overseas regulators with responsibility for tackling nuisance calls. The ICO works with other members, including the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and regulators in South Africa and Australia, to drive forward co-ordinated actions, including sharing relevant intelligence. They are also exploring with local trade associations, representing call centres based in India and other countries, ways to work with relevant authorities to tackle the problem at source.
The Government have already forced companies to display their number when calling, and made it easier for the ICO to prosecute those in breach of direct marketing legislation. We continue to review the ICO's powers of enforcement, and will consider what we are able to do to assist them in tackling this problem.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many UK arms export licenses have been granted to Saudi Arabia in each of the last five years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
All export licence applications are considered on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, known as the Consolidated Criteria, based on the most up-to-date information and analysis available, including reports from NGOs and our overseas network.
The Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) on export licences granted and refused on GOV.UK and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data
Currently this includes information up to 30 September 2017. Information covering 1 October to 31 December 2017 will be published in April 2018. The data for 2017 is therefore only available for January – September 2017. The figures for licences granted for military exports are as follows:
| India | Indonesia | Saudi Arabia |
2013 | 626 | 173 | 148 |
2014 | 570 | 154 | 148 |
2015 | 615 | 180 | 194 |
2016 | 619 | 190 | 119 |
Q1-Q3 2017 | 469 | 172 | 134 |
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many UK arms export licenses have been granted to Indonesia in each of the last five years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
All export licence applications are considered on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, known as the Consolidated Criteria, based on the most up-to-date information and analysis available, including reports from NGOs and our overseas network.
The Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) on export licences granted and refused on GOV.UK and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data
Currently this includes information up to 30 September 2017. Information covering 1 October to 31 December 2017 will be published in April 2018. The data for 2017 is therefore only available for January – September 2017. The figures for licences granted for military exports are as follows:
| India | Indonesia | Saudi Arabia |
2013 | 626 | 173 | 148 |
2014 | 570 | 154 | 148 |
2015 | 615 | 180 | 194 |
2016 | 619 | 190 | 119 |
Q1-Q3 2017 | 469 | 172 | 134 |
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many UK arms export licenses have been granted to India in each of the last five years.
Answered by Graham Stuart
All export licence applications are considered on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, known as the Consolidated Criteria, based on the most up-to-date information and analysis available, including reports from NGOs and our overseas network.
The Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) on export licences granted and refused on GOV.UK and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data
Currently this includes information up to 30 September 2017. Information covering 1 October to 31 December 2017 will be published in April 2018. The data for 2017 is therefore only available for January – September 2017. The figures for licences granted for military exports are as follows:
| India | Indonesia | Saudi Arabia |
2013 | 626 | 173 | 148 |
2014 | 570 | 154 | 148 |
2015 | 615 | 180 | 194 |
2016 | 619 | 190 | 119 |
Q1-Q3 2017 | 469 | 172 | 134 |
Asked by: Lord Dunlop (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government in how many overseas locations Department for International Trade officials are co-located with the staff of Scottish Development International; and how this has changed over the last five years.
Answered by Baroness Fairhead
The Department for International Trade (DIT) (and previously UKTI staff) are co-located with Scottish Development International (SDI) staff in a number of locations; specific details below. DIT are always prepared, where logistically possible to work with SDI colleagues on co-location overseas.
Brazil Rio de Janeiro
Canada Calgary and Toronto
USA November 2017
Australia & New Zealand Melbourne since 2016 (previously Sydney)
China Beijing
Hong Kong
India Mymbai, New Delhi and Hydrabad
Denmark Copenhagen
Ghana Accra
Saudi Arabia Al Khobar – established February 2014
UAE Dubai
Taiwan Taipei
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress his Department has made on supporting UK investment banks to break into emerging markets.
Answered by Mark Garnier
Working closely with our colleagues at HM Treasury and where industry has appetite, the Department for International Trade here and overseas is supporting UK (investment) banks and other financial institutions with market access and outward direct investment. In particular, the Economic Financial Dialogues and our regular engagement in China, Brazil and India has contributed to some notable developments. Most recently, China announced on November 10 that they will open up their laws in banking and other financial services to allow majority foreign ownership.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to promote the UK as a global financial centre?
Answered by Steve Barclay - Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The UK is home to the world’s preeminent financial centre. In addition to our natural advantages, such as a central time zone and the English language, we have strengths across all the major sectors – banking, asset management, and insurance – alongside a globally respected regulatory system, and world-class legal and professional services.
The government is committed to further enhancing this position, as well as strengthening the UK’s already world-leading positions in the markets of the future, whether in FinTech, green and sustainable finance, or rupee and renminbi products. In addition, the government maintains an open and constructive dialogue with the financial services sector. This includes through the Financial Services Trade and Investment Board, which is tasked with boosting and promoting the competitive position of UK financial services.
The UK also holds a number of annual Economic and Financial Dialogues (EFD) with key emerging markets, such as the UK-Brazil EFD last held in July, the UK-China EFD taking place this December, and the UK-India EFD which will take place again next year. These EFDs are Chancellor led Treasury to Treasury dialogues, aimed at increasing financial cooperation and establishing the UK as the partner of choice for priority overseas markets.
Asked by: Scott Mann (Conservative - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of export opportunities in the dairy sector.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The dairy sector is an important contributor to food and drink exports with increasing demand internationally for our products. For example, cheese is our 5th largest food and drink export and has seen a 26% increase in exports to £292m for the first 6 months of this year. Milk, cream and butter are also seeing increasing demand internationally.
The Department for International Trade’s food and drink team currently run six high value campaigns targeting China, India, Western Europe, North America, Latin America and the Nordics. The dairy sector is integral to the delivery of these campaigns.
To recognise the importance of the food and drink sector, the Great British Food Programme has been designed to allow South West food and drink businesses to directly interact with overseas buyers. Since April 2016 DIT South West has helped businesses in the sector win over £19.5m worth of export business across more than 30 markets.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on the possibility of a future trading relationship and the issue of immigration.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
India is an important trading partner. Ministers and officials in the Department for International Trade are working closely with their Indian counterparts and have discussed all aspects of our trade relationship.
As part of my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade’s visit to India in November 2016, we announced a joint trade review with India. This analytical project is evaluating the range of ways we can strengthen the UK-India trade relationship and remove barriers, both at present and as we leave the EU.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many trade delegates he has led since taking up his position; and to which countries he has led those delegates.
Answered by Mark Garnier
Since July 2016, the Department has led 51 trade missions to key markets across the world covering over 19 sectors, with an average number of 15 delegates per mission. My Rt. Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade accompanied the Prime Minister with a business delegation to India in November 2016.
The Department for International Trade Ministers undertook 134 visits in the Department’s first year; 97 were overseas, underlining the Department’s commitment to helping British companies win business in international markets.