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Written Question
Drugs: Exports
Friday 10th February 2023

Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to support exports of pharmaceutical products produced in the UK.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Pharmaceuticals are one of the UK’s top exports, valued at £20.3 billion in 2021, employing more than 136,000 people with a turnover of £64.2 billion. In line with the Export Strategy’s 12-point plan and as set out in the Board of Trade report on Life Sciences, the Department pursues an ambitious, targeted and strategic approach to promoting exports. This includes addressing market barriers, global defence of free trade, running novel innovation challenges, publishing targeted international sector-specific propositions and delivering focused export campaigns. These initiatives have been and continue to successfully showcase the UK's pharmaceutical national strengths to international audiences.


Written Question
Trade Promotion: Ukraine
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, to outline how many times the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy for Ukraine has visited that country since (a) being appointed and (b) February 2022.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Due to travel restrictions arising from Covid 19 and FCDO’s strict advice not to travel due to the ongoing war, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ukraine has been unable to visit since being appointed.

However, the Department for International Trade, now known as the Department for Business and Trade, has delivered trade sanctions to help cripple Putin’s war machine, agreed a Digital Trade Agreement with Ukraine, removed all tariffs under the UK-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement, and continues to play a big role in supporting Ukrainian reconstruction efforts.


Written Question
Trade Promotion
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) opportunities have been introduced to the UK, and (2) transactions have been completed, by each of the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys in respect of (a) each sector, and (b) each country, in the last two years.

Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Trade Envoys are appointed by the Prime Minister to support the Government’s trade and investment objectives. Trade Envoys add value in their respective markets, through the soft power influence they bring in developing relationships with key influencers and feedback has been very positive. Trade Envoys are one part of the Department’s support for British businesses seeking to export and win contracts overseas and we do not separate out the impact of Trade Envoys from our broader departmental work.


Written Question
Overseas Trade: Colombia and Dominican Republic
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the visits to the Dominican Republic and the Republic of Columbia by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Americas and Caribbean), what plans they have to assist UK businesses in trading with companies in those countries.

Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for International Trade, now known as the Department for Business and Trade, works to support UK businesses in their trading endeavors in the Dominican Republic and Colombia.

This includes promotional activity in the UK, such as the upcoming LATAC Roadshow where our experts will showcase opportunities in these markets for UK businesses. Additionally, my noble Friend Baroness Hooper and my Hon. Friend for Fylde are active Trade Envoys for these countries, engaging with businesses in the UK and abroad.

Following recent Ministerial visits, the Government has hosted a senior Colombian rail delegation to promote UK expertise in this sector and is pursuing an ambitious multi-billion pound pipeline of infrastructure projects in the Dominican Republic.


Written Question
Trade Promotion
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the roles and lines of accountability for UK trade envoys and trade commissioners, including their accountability to Parliament.

Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Trade Envoys are Parliamentarians appointed by the Prime Minister to support the Government’s trade and investment agenda in one or more specific markets. They report to my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State and are ultimately accountable to the Prime Minister.

HM Trade Commissioners are senior Civil Servants recruited under fair and open competition and appointed to head the overseas operations for this department. They are accountable to the Permanent Secretary and ultimately to the Secretary of State.


Written Question
Trade Promotion
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what administrative, logistical, and financial support is provided to UK trade envoys when they travel overseas in that capacity.

Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for International Trade, now known as the Department for Business and Trade, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the programme and each Trade Envoy has a Civil Servant relationship manager. Relationship managers act as the Trade Envoy’s point of contact, coordinating their activity and provide administrative support when they undertake overseas visits, by arranging flights, visas, a programme of activity and briefing.

The Trade Envoy role is unpaid, but this department meets the costs of any travel expenditure such as transport and accommodation to allow them to carry out their role.


Written Question
UK Tradeshow Programme
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many applications have been made to the Attendee element of the UK Tradeshow Programme; and how much has been spent on that element in 2022-2023.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

A total of 258 and 164 applications have been submitted to the UK Tradeshow Programme, seeking support to either exhibit at, or attend, overseas trade shows respectively.

Forecasted spend for 2022-23 is £228k for exhibitor support and £53k for support to attendees. In addition, there is a further £16k of spend on Export Academy training across both elements of the programme.


Written Question
UK Tradeshow Programme
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Nick Thomas-Symonds (Labour - Torfaen)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many applications have been made to the Exhibit element of the UK Tradeshow Programme; and how much has been spent on that element in 2022-2023.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

A total of 258 and 164 applications have been submitted to the UK Tradeshow Programme, seeking support to either exhibit at, or attend, overseas trade shows respectively.

Forecasted spend for 2022-23 is £228k for exhibitor support and £53k for support to attendees. In addition, there is a further £16k of spend on Export Academy training across both elements of the programme.


Written Question
Trade Promotion
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

ORIGINAL: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2023 to Question 126639 on Trade Promotion, whether her Department identifies a difference between diaspora and diversity.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The question answered on 27 January, UIN: 126639, made reference to both diversity and diaspora, and the response from my Hon. Friend for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, the former Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Exports, highlighted our department’s commitment to diversity, however, we do not hold data on the involvement of diverse diaspora in trade delegations.


Written Question
UK Trade with EU
Thursday 9th February 2023

Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of Brexit on exports from the UK to the European Union.

Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

UK trade has been affected by several shocks in recent years, including the Covid Pandemic, exiting the EU and war in Ukraine. In the period since leaving the EU, the value of UK exports to the EU is back to pre-Covid levels. Latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that the UK total exports of goods and services to the EU were worth £330.2bn in the 12 months to September 2022. This represents an overall increase of 10% in current prices compared to pre-Covid levels in 2018, with services exports growing by 12% in current prices in this period.