Monday 11th March 2024

(1 month, 2 weeks ago)

Ministerial Corrections
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Free Trade Agreement Negotiations: South Korea
The following is an extract from Business and Trade questions on Thursday 7 March 2024.
John Whittingdale Portrait Sir John Whittingdale
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On Tuesday, in my capacity as trade envoy, I attended the Korean embassy for the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the joint development of a small modular nuclear reactor—just one area in which the business between our two countries is growing ever stronger. Will my right hon. Friend press ahead with the enhanced free trade agreement, which will offer huge opportunities to build on the existing £17 billion trade relationship?

Greg Hands Portrait Greg Hands
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My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. In the UK, of course, we have our own, superb Rolls-Royce model of small modular reactor as well. He is right about the importance of our growing trading relationship with Korea. As a former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, he will also know that 71% of our services trade with Korea last year was delivered digitally.

[Official Report, 7 March 2024, Vol. 746, c. 950.]

Letter of correction from the Minister for Trade Policy, the right hon. Member for Chelsea and Fulham (Greg Hands):

An error has been identified in the response given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Maldon (Sir John Whittingdale) in Business and Trade questions. The reply should have been:

Greg Hands Portrait Greg Hands
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My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. In the UK, of course, we have our own, superb Rolls-Royce model of small modular reactor as well. He is right about the importance of our growing trading relationship with Korea. As a former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, he will also know that 79% of our services trade with Korea in 2021 was delivered digitally.