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Written Question
Tradeshow Access Programme
Tuesday 3rd August 2021

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the return on investment for exporting businesses created by the Tradeshow Access Funding Programme, prior to its cancellation.

Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel

We have not carried out economic analysis of the impact of the Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP) as a standalone service. However, we know that the businesses we support in attending trade shows view it very highly, which suggests a positive return on their investment. When surveyed, 89% of businesses stated they were satisfied with their experience of TAP (DIT Export Client Quality Survey, published July 2020).


Written Question
Tradeshow Access Programme
Wednesday 28th July 2021

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when a replacement scheme for the Tradeshow Access Programme will be announced.

Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel

HM Government will announce further details on plans for a revised trade show support programme when discussions with HM Treasury are concluded.

The £38m Internationalisation Fund, launched last year, provides matching grants for export support including attendance at trade shows.


Written Question
Tradeshow Access Programme
Wednesday 10th March 2021

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what allocations have been made from the 2020/21 Tradeshow Access Programme.

Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel

The Department for International Trade (DIT) entered this financial year with a full calendar of agreed events to be supported by the Tradeshow Access Programme with a budget of £6.5 million.

Regrettably, most of the events have since been cancelled due to the impact of COVID-19.


Written Question
Tradeshow Access Programme: Finance
Monday 1st March 2021

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Tradeshow Access Programme funding is available to UK companies to take part in digital trade shows.

Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel

I am pleased to say that Her Majesty’s Government is currently operating a pilot programme to assess the benefits of providing support, through the Tradeshow Access Programme, to UK companies participating in digital tradeshows. The pilot runs until 31 March 2021.


Written Question
Expert Trade Advisory Groups: Membership
Tuesday 15th September 2020

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel on 4 August (HL7349), who attended the most recent meetings of each of the 17 Expert Trade Advisory Groups (ETAGs) listed; whether the communication of the outcome of the review of the ETAGs will include the publication of (1) their membership during the meetings listed, and (2) their new membership, if different; and when that review is expected to conclude.

Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel

The attendance information that the Department holds for the most recent meetings in July and August is detailed in the attached table.

On 25th August, nine sectoral Expert Trade Advisory Groups (ETAGs) were stood down. 11 Trade Advisory Groups, which are sector-focused, have been created. Their membership can be found online (see here).

The following advisory groups will continue to exist: Continuity; Customs; Financial Services; Intellectual Property; Procurement; Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises; Sustainability; and Trade for Development. The review of how these groups operate is ongoing and will conclude in due course, together with a decision on whether membership will be published.

There is no plan to publish historic membership.


Written Question
Expert Trade Advisory Groups: Membership
Tuesday 4th August 2020

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 31 March (HL2935), when they will publish the membership of each of the 17 Expert Trade Advisory Groups; and why the membership has not been published to date.

Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel

Our Expert Trade Advisory Groups (ETAGs) have met 84 times to date. The table below shows how many meetings there have been for each of the 17 ETAGs and the dates on which they were held.

ETAG name

Total number of meetings held to date

Date of each meeting held

Agri-food

9

04/07/2019, 21/08/2019, 25/09/2019, 24/10/2019, 14/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 05/03/2020, 27/05/2020, 06/07/2020

Automotive

8

13/07/2019, 14/08/2019, 26/09/2019, 21/10/2019, 30/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 27/05/2020, 20/07/2020

Chemicals

2

22/08/2019, 10/02/2020

Creative

3

14/01/2020, 14/02/2020, 03/06/2020

Continuity

9

14/08/2019, 11/09/2019, 09/10/2019, 30/10/2019, 17/12/2019, 24/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 29/04/2020, 08/07/2020

Customs

3

08/07/2019, 14/02/2020, 21/07/2020

Digital

4

04.11.2019, 09/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 01/06/2020

Financial Services

7

16/09/2019, 28/10/2019, 10/01/2020, 31/01/2020, 02/03/2020, 29/05/2020, 03/07/2020

IP

4

30/09/2019, 20/01/2020, 08/06/2020, 21/07/2020

Investment

3

05/09/2019, 24/01/2020, 05/06/2020

Life Sciences

4

27/09/2019, 05/02/2020, 04/06/2020, 09/07/2020

PBS

4

03/09/2019, 28/01/2020, 28/04/2020, 03/06/2020

Procurement

4

17/02/2020, 20/03/2020, 12/06/2020, 02/07/2020

SMEs

3

16/08/2019, 13/02/2020, 15/05/2020

Sustainability

5

18/09/2018, 11/12/2018, 18/06/2019, 20/02/2020, 06/07/2020

TfD

7

02/02/2018, 24/10/2018, 21/03/2019, 15/07/2019, 09/10/2019, 28/02/2020, 19/05/2020

Transport Services

5

16/09/2019, 28/01/2020, 27/01/2020, 02/06/2020, 12/06/2020

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, HMG’s publication priorities shifted and the planned publication of ETAG membership was delayed in the Spring. The Department is now undertaking a review of the ETAGs, the outcome of which will be communicated in due course.


Written Question
Expert Trade Advisory Groups
Tuesday 4th August 2020

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings there have been of each of the 17 Expert Trade Advisory Groups, either in person or virtually; on what dates these meetings were held; and what plans there are for further meetings of each group.

Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel

Our Expert Trade Advisory Groups (ETAGs) have met 84 times to date. The table below shows how many meetings there have been for each of the 17 ETAGs and the dates on which they were held.

ETAG name

Total number of meetings held to date

Date of each meeting held

Agri-food

9

04/07/2019, 21/08/2019, 25/09/2019, 24/10/2019, 14/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 05/03/2020, 27/05/2020, 06/07/2020

Automotive

8

13/07/2019, 14/08/2019, 26/09/2019, 21/10/2019, 30/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 27/05/2020, 20/07/2020

Chemicals

2

22/08/2019, 10/02/2020

Creative

3

14/01/2020, 14/02/2020, 03/06/2020

Continuity

9

14/08/2019, 11/09/2019, 09/10/2019, 30/10/2019, 17/12/2019, 24/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 29/04/2020, 08/07/2020

Customs

3

08/07/2019, 14/02/2020, 21/07/2020

Digital

4

04.11.2019, 09/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 01/06/2020

Financial Services

7

16/09/2019, 28/10/2019, 10/01/2020, 31/01/2020, 02/03/2020, 29/05/2020, 03/07/2020

IP

4

30/09/2019, 20/01/2020, 08/06/2020, 21/07/2020

Investment

3

05/09/2019, 24/01/2020, 05/06/2020

Life Sciences

4

27/09/2019, 05/02/2020, 04/06/2020, 09/07/2020

PBS

4

03/09/2019, 28/01/2020, 28/04/2020, 03/06/2020

Procurement

4

17/02/2020, 20/03/2020, 12/06/2020, 02/07/2020

SMEs

3

16/08/2019, 13/02/2020, 15/05/2020

Sustainability

5

18/09/2018, 11/12/2018, 18/06/2019, 20/02/2020, 06/07/2020

TfD

7

02/02/2018, 24/10/2018, 21/03/2019, 15/07/2019, 09/10/2019, 28/02/2020, 19/05/2020

Transport Services

5

16/09/2019, 28/01/2020, 27/01/2020, 02/06/2020, 12/06/2020

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, HMG’s publication priorities shifted and the planned publication of ETAG membership was delayed in the Spring. The Department is now undertaking a review of the ETAGs, the outcome of which will be communicated in due course.


Written Question
Expert Trade Advisory Groups
Tuesday 31st March 2020

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government which Expert Trade Advisory Groups have been created by the Department for International Trade; and who are the members of those groups.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)

There are currently 17 Expert Trade Advisory Groups (ETAGs), covering a range of sector and thematic policy areas. Over 250 organisations are members of the network of Expert Trade Advisory Groups. The Department intends to publish the names of these organisations in due course.

We have established engagement mechanisms, such as the ETAGs, to ensure a broad range of stakeholders have the opportunity to inform the UK’s trade policy. Any further opportunities for engagement during negotiations will be set out in due course.

The membership of ETAGs varies according to the needs of the Group, and may include a range of stakeholders from industry, consumer groups, business associations, trade unions or NGOs. Members were selected based on experience and?expertise in the relevant sectoral or thematic area.


Written Question
Expert Trade Advisory Groups
Tuesday 31st March 2020

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what the role of the Department for International Trade’s Expert Trade Advisory Groups will be as negotiations on trade agreements progress.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)

There are currently 17 Expert Trade Advisory Groups (ETAGs), covering a range of sector and thematic policy areas. Over 250 organisations are members of the network of Expert Trade Advisory Groups. The Department intends to publish the names of these organisations in due course.

We have established engagement mechanisms, such as the ETAGs, to ensure a broad range of stakeholders have the opportunity to inform the UK’s trade policy. Any further opportunities for engagement during negotiations will be set out in due course.

The membership of ETAGs varies according to the needs of the Group, and may include a range of stakeholders from industry, consumer groups, business associations, trade unions or NGOs. Members were selected based on experience and?expertise in the relevant sectoral or thematic area.


Written Question
Expert Trade Advisory Groups: Public Appointments
Tuesday 31st March 2020

Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Department for International Trade selected the membership of its Expert Trade Advisory Groups.

Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)

There are currently 17 Expert Trade Advisory Groups (ETAGs), covering a range of sector and thematic policy areas. Over 250 organisations are members of the network of Expert Trade Advisory Groups. The Department intends to publish the names of these organisations in due course.

We have established engagement mechanisms, such as the ETAGs, to ensure a broad range of stakeholders have the opportunity to inform the UK’s trade policy. Any further opportunities for engagement during negotiations will be set out in due course.

The membership of ETAGs varies according to the needs of the Group, and may include a range of stakeholders from industry, consumer groups, business associations, trade unions or NGOs. Members were selected based on experience and?expertise in the relevant sectoral or thematic area.