Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the Government's policy is on arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Graham Stuart
All arms sales are subject to export licensing. The Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, last updated in a Written Ministerial Statement on 25 March 2014, remains the policy for assessing all licence applications.
The Court of Appeal judgment of 20 June 2019 placed the Government under an obligation not to grant any new licences to export items to Saudi Arabia for possible use in the conflict in Yemen. The Court remitted the decision whether to grant export licences for the sale or transfer of arms and military equipment to Saudi Arabia for possible use in the conflict in Yemen to the Secretary of State for International Trade to re-take on the correct legal basis.
Work is underway on the process of retaking decisions in accordance with the Order of the Court of Appeal.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to exclude the NHS from any trade deals that are negotiated after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Conor Burns
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government will take to exempt the NHS and other public services from future trade deals.
Answered by George Hollingbery
I refer [the Honourable Friend for Birkenhead] to the answer I gave to [the Member for Midlothian] on 26 February 2019, UIN 224362.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which service providers are contracted to carry out third party cleaning contracts for his Department; if he will list all of the services delivered by third party contractors to his Department; and how many people working for those third party contractors are paid less than the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Cleaning services in buildings managed by the Department for International Trade (55 Whitehall and 3 Whitehall Place) are provided by the Ministry of Justice under contracts they hold for facilities management. The MOJ have confirmed that all cleaning staff (from their supplier OCS) are currently paid at least the London Living Wage. Where the Department for International Trade is a tenant in buildings belonging to other Government departments, this information is not held.
A list of all services delivered by third party contractors to the Department is not held in a centralised location and the information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive. Those published since 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
Rates of pay for people working for third party contractors are determined by their respective employers and is not held by the Department. All outsourced providers are required to pay as a minimum, either the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to change the balance of trade in manufactured goods.
Answered by Graham Stuart
On an annual basis UK exports continue to grow faster than UK imports, with ONS figures showing the overall trade deficit narrowing by £5.0bn, from £30.9bn in 2016 to £25.9bn in 2017. Internationally comparable data from UNCTAD shows the UK has the lowest trade deficit amongst G8 nations for energy goods, the third highest trade deficit for manufactured goods, and the second highest trade deficit for food products.
We recently launched the government’s new export strategy that sets out a new offer to help boost exports, informed by engagement with businesses across the UK. Our ambition is for the UK to be a 21st century exporting superpower, by raising exports as a percentage of GDP from 30% to 35%, towards the top of the G7 by this measure.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the size of the UK trade deficit in respect of (a) manufactured goods, (b) food and (c) energy; and what recent comparison he has made of each deficit with the size of such deficits and surpluses registered by other major economies.
Answered by Graham Stuart
On an annual basis UK exports continue to grow faster than UK imports, with ONS figures showing the overall trade deficit narrowing by £5.0bn, from £30.9bn in 2016 to £25.9bn in 2017. Internationally comparable data from UNCTAD shows the UK has the lowest trade deficit amongst G8 nations for energy goods, the third highest trade deficit for manufactured goods, and the second highest trade deficit for food products.
We recently launched the government’s new export strategy that sets out a new offer to help boost exports, informed by engagement with businesses across the UK. Our ambition is for the UK to be a 21st century exporting superpower, by raising exports as a percentage of GDP from 30% to 35%, towards the top of the G7 by this measure.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to encourage foreign direct investment in the manufacturing industries.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for International Trade launched its Foreign Direct Investment strategy this year to deliver a more targeted approach to promotion and investor support across all sectors, including manufacturing.
We have worked with local partners and Devolved Administrations to identify “High Potential Opportunities” for targeted promotion, addressing market failures of information for those opportunities which are currently overlooked, misunderstood or under-estimated. The first three of which focus on the manufacturing sector.
In addition, we continue to work closely with Government colleagues strengthening the attractiveness of the UK business environment for foreign investment, especially through the industrial strategy.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department are paid less than the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.
Answered by Greg Hands
No employees of the Department for International Trade are paid lower than the living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation, and we insist that suppliers pay at least the National Minimum Wage as part of our contracting policies and procedures.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has a carer's policy for its employees; and what other steps his Department has taken to support employees with caring responsibilities.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Department for International Trade is intending to develop a carers policy from the carers charter currently being developed by Civil Service Employee Policy, based in the Cabinet Office.
The Department is committed to supporting caring responsibilities of its workforce. This has been a key priority in the department in its first year of operation.
To this end, activities to date have included: provision special leave and unpaid career breaks set out in the department’s special leave policy; developing new policies for staff including flexible working, caring responsibilities, parental leave and career breaks; setting up employee networks; offering access to childcare vouchers and play schemes.
Finally, the department offers an Employee Assistance programme to support staff. This is accessible 365 days a year and includes resources on coping with stress, leading a healthy life and counselling.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what his Department's estimate is of the amount of EU legislation and regulation that can be incorporated into UK law without amendment.
Answered by Greg Hands
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will convert European Union law into UK law as it applies in the UK at the moment of exit. This will ensure that, wherever possible, the same rules and laws will apply the day after exit as they did before.
The Government is still making a detailed assessment of what corrections will be required to make that law function appropriately on exit day. The Department for International Trade, alongside other departments across government, is working closely with the Department for Exiting the European Union to ensure we make the changes required to deliver a functioning statute book on exit in the most efficient manner possible.