Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the reduction of bureaucracy in international trade.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
Through the Export Strategy, the Department is working across government to identify areas where we can reduce the regulatory burden, including through initiatives like the Single Trade Window which will create a single gateway for all data from traders into government. This streamlining of how businesses interact with the UK border will ease the business burden through efficiency and cost savings.
The Export Support Service provides a single point of entry for advice and support for businesses who export or wish to do so to Europe, and the Export Academy offers training on the nature of exporting such as Preferential Tariffs.
In the last financial year, we resolved over 200 barriers across 74 countries. And we have secured trade deals with 70 countries plus the EU, these deals covered trade worth £772 billion in 2020.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what geographic protection has been secured for (1) English products, (2) Northern Irish products, (3) Scottish products, and (4) Welsh products, in the Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom and Japan for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
The new agreement includes all UK geographical indications in the previous agreement: Stilton Blue Cheese, Stilton White Cheese, West Country Farmhouse Cheddar, Scotch Whisky, Scottish Farmed Salmon, Irish Cream, and Irish Whiskey.
New protected recognition for more iconic UK goods will be possible under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), with the possibility to increase Geographical Indications (GIs) from seven under the terms of the previous agreement to around 70 as soon as next year. These could include English sparkling wine, Yorkshire Wensleydale and Welsh lamb, Arbroath Smokies, Jersey royal potatoes, Kentish ale, Cornish Clotted Cream, and Irish poteen.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what tariffs have been agreed for the sale of meat from (1) the UK to Japan, and (2) Japan to the UK, in the Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom and Japan for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
Under The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), we have secured reduced tariffs on key British products such as beef and pork, as well as reduced tariffs for flagship Japanese products into the UK, like Japanese beef and bluefin tuna. Further detailed information on tariff lines for individual products is available in the now published agreement text and parliamentary report.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of discussions with (1) the Northern Irish Executive, (2) the Scottish Government, and (3) the Welsh Government, about the Trade Bill.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
Department for International Trade Ministers and officials have been engaging regularly with Devolved Administration Ministers and officials on the Trade Bill to seek consent from all the devolved legislatures. We have made a number of amendments and commitments to address their concerns. I am pleased that, as a result of this, Scottish Government have recommended consent to all the relevant clauses of the Bill, and the Welsh Government to those that were previously contained in the Trade Bill 2017-19. We are working hard to ensure that the Northern Ireland Executive also feels able to recommend legislative consent to the Bill.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what arms and equipment the UK exports for use by police services in the United States; and what restrictions, if any, are placed on such exports.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade and I have been sorry to see the violence that has taken place in the United States of America.
All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (‘Consolidated Criteria’). In reaching a decision, the Department for International Trade (DIT) receives advice from a number of Departments including the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Together, we draw on all available information, including reports from Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and our diplomatic missions. The Consolidated Criteria provides a thorough risk assessment framework and requires us to think hard about the impact of exporting any equipment. These are not decisions my Department takes lightly, and we will not license the export of items where to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.
The United Kingdom has issued licences that permit the export of crowd control equipment to the United States. The details are published online on GOV.UK. We publish information on all export licences issued, refused and revoked on a quarterly and annual basis as official statistics on GOV.UK. The most recent publication was in April, covering decisions taken up to the end of December 2019.
Any licence granted by my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade may be subject to conditions. In addition, in line with the Consolidated Criteria, my Department are able to review licences – and suspend or revoke as necessary – when circumstances require. There are currently eight extant licences that may be linked to law enforcement agencies. Six are Open Individual Export Licences (‘OIELs’), which have potential end users that include law enforcement agencies. Two are Standard Individual Export Licences (‘SIELs’), which have numerous potential end users that include law enforcement agencies. There are also fifteen Open General Licences (‘OGLs’) for which businesses can register that cover the export of anti-riot gear.
We are able to review licences and suspend or revoke as necessary when circumstances require, and this is done in line with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. We have suspended or revoked licences when our assessment changes. This shows how seriously we take the guiding principle of responsible export controls.
Asked by: Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the sales of arms to police services in the United States; and, if so, how.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade and I have been sorry to see the violence that has taken place in the United States of America.
All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria (‘Consolidated Criteria’). In reaching a decision, the Department for International Trade (DIT) receives advice from a number of Departments including the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Together, we draw on all available information, including reports from Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and our diplomatic missions. The Consolidated Criteria provides a thorough risk assessment framework and requires us to think hard about the impact of exporting any equipment. These are not decisions my Department takes lightly, and we will not license the export of items where to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.
The United Kingdom has issued licences that permit the export of crowd control equipment to the United States. The details are published online on GOV.UK. We publish information on all export licences issued, refused and revoked on a quarterly and annual basis as official statistics on GOV.UK. The most recent publication was in April, covering decisions taken up to the end of December 2019.
Any licence granted by my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade may be subject to conditions. In addition, in line with the Consolidated Criteria, my Department are able to review licences – and suspend or revoke as necessary – when circumstances require. There are currently eight extant licences that may be linked to law enforcement agencies. Six are Open Individual Export Licences (‘OIELs’), which have potential end users that include law enforcement agencies. Two are Standard Individual Export Licences (‘SIELs’), which have numerous potential end users that include law enforcement agencies. There are also fifteen Open General Licences (‘OGLs’) for which businesses can register that cover the export of anti-riot gear.
We are able to review licences and suspend or revoke as necessary when circumstances require, and this is done in line with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. We have suspended or revoked licences when our assessment changes. This shows how seriously we take the guiding principle of responsible export controls.