Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what comparative assessment she has made of the level of inward investment into (a) the UK and (b) other European countries.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Latest ONS figures report that the UK’s inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) stock reached £1.5 trillion in 2018, a new record. According to UNCTAD, the UK held the 2nd highest FDI stock in the world in 2019, after the USA.
The Financial Times FDI Report found that the UK hosted more greenfield FDI projects than any other European country in 2019, with 1,271 landed ahead of Germany at 702 and Spain with 658.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of UK exports.
Answered by Graham Stuart
UK trade was performing strongly before the pandemic, with exports increasing 4.4% to £690.8bn last year and increasing year-on-year since 2016. According to UNCTAD the UK was the only one of the world’s ten largest exporting countries to increase exports in 2019, overtaking France to become the fifth largest exporter. Latest figures show the value of UK exports in the 12 months to September 2020 was £626.8bn, down 7.9% on the same period last year.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate she has made of the projected economic value of the trade deal signed with Japan to (a) Sussex and (b) England.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The published final stage impact assessment shows that all UK regions and nations are estimated to increase output as a result of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (UK-Japan CEPA). Government analysis indicates that the UK-Japan CEPA could boost the economy in the South East by approximately 0.07% in the long-run (equivalent to £177 million based on 2017 gross value added). It should be noted that these monetised value estimates are to be interpreted as indicative magnitudes not precise estimates or forecasts. The analysis does not include a breakdown of the economic value of the deal for Sussex nor an aggregated economic value for England.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions her Department has had with UK businesses seeking to export English wine internationally.
Answered by Graham Stuart
On 22 June we launched, with Defra, and the support of the UK wine industry a Food and Drink Bounce Back Package. The package offers export support tailored towards the English Wine industry and includes masterclasses, webinars, virtual meet-the-buyer events and support from UK Export Finance. DIT is in regular contact with the wineries’ Trade Association, WineGB and sits on their Export Committee as we prepare for new opportunities presented by FTAs. Under a UK-Japan?FTA, English wines will continue to benefit from lower tariffs into Japan.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions her Department has had with UK businesses looking to export hydrogen technology internationally.
Answered by Graham Stuart
I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer given to the Hon. Gentleman, the Member for Ceredigion (Ben Lake) on 9 September (UIN 85097).
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much her Department spent on other catering and hospitality costs in each of the last three accounting years.
Answered by Conor Burns
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has spent the amounts listed below for catering and hospitality in the financial years 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020. This cost includes both the UK and overseas.
The breakdown is as follows:
| Financial Year | Amount |
| April 2017 - March 2018 | £118,579.00 |
| April 2018 - March 2019 | £158,236.00 |
| April 2019 – March 2020 | £207,652.07 |
| Total | £484,467.07 |
Staff at the DIT are located across more than one hundred countries and as we prepare to leave the EU, our ministers and DIT staff regularly travel overseas to build relationships with key global trading partners and the Department provides hospitality or diplomatic entertainment on trade issues.
This includes through the 14 trade working groups we have set up across 21 countries to advance the UK's trade and investment relationships and scope out the potential for future free trade agreements. The figures include overseas spending.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much her Department spent on (a) English wine and (b) wine from other countries in 2017-18.
Answered by Conor Burns
It is not possible to separate the cost of English wine, or wine from other countries, from ‘other catering and hospitality costs’ in the Department’s finance system. As a representative department, small amounts of alcohol may be served at external events where there is a clear business need and it is appropriate given the importance of the occasion and standing of the guests, but we do not keep a separate record of this. Departmental policy states that expenditure should be kept as low as possible, and within specified limits.