Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what trade arrangements the UK have with Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
Answered by Conor Burns
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries form an important market for UK businesses. Total exports of goods and services from the UK to GCC countries were £27.9 billion in the year to the end of June 2019, 4.3% of total UK exports. The UK and GCC countries do not currently trade on preferential terms. The UK is committed to deepening our trading relationship with the GCC countries and has a number of Government-to-Government trade dialogues, including the annual Joint Economic Committee with the United Arab Emirates and Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) with Qatar.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which Departments she has directed to be responsible for attracting foreign direct investment.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As outlined in the Explanatory Note accompanying the Prime Minister’s Written Ministerial Statement on Machinery of Government changes laid on 18 July 2016, the Department for International Trade is responsible for ‘both inward and outward investment enabling the Government to take a more strategic approach to how both can contribute to UK prosperity and serve the nation’s long-term economic aims’.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what (a) staff and (b) funding the Government provides to the World Trade Organisation.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The UK’s assessed contribution to the WTO for 2019 is 7,446,595 Swiss francs. The UK also supports and funds several projects, such as those run by the International Trade Centre (a joint agency of the WTO and UNCTAD), the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Facility, the Enhanced Integrated Framework (a multi-donor trust fund) and the WTO Standards and Trade Development Facility which all focus on helping developing countries engage and participate in global trade. The UK funding for these projects is £55.25 million between 2016 and 2023.
In addition, the United Kingdom is represented at the World Trade Organization by Julian Braithwaite, our Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Geneva. The Ambassador and his team play an active role in the work of the WTO, which is a member-led organisation. Since July 2016 the Government has increased its resourcing for the UK Mission to the UN and Other International Organisations in Geneva.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the amount of foreign direct investment into the Coast to Capital local enterprise partnership area since 2016.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Although we do not publish data specifically for this particular enterprise partnership, the South East region has seen a steady increase in the past few years. The region saw 217 FDI projects increase to 294 from 2016/17 to 2017/18 with 5,432 and 5,238 new jobs being created in each year. This demonstrates the attractiveness of the UK regions to foreign investment, and the benefits these investments bring to our economy. The UK remains the number one foreign direct investment destination in Europe.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the objectives of the Government's independent trade policy for the future are.
Answered by George Hollingbery
As set out in the Government’s White Paper, ‘Preparing for our future UK trade policy’, the overarching objective of the UK’s trade policy is enhanced economic prosperity for the UK, through the development and delivery of a UK trade policy that delivers benefits for business, workers and consumers across the whole of the UK. The Government will:
• pursue economic prosperity for the UK and lead by example through our liberal economy and pursuit of free trade;
• develop, support and enforce a fair and proportionate rules-based system for trade, domestically and internationally;
• develop a trading framework which supports foreign and domestic policy, sustainability, security, environmental and development goals; and
• develop a trade agenda that is inclusive and transparent.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many preferential trade agreements he plans to have (a) in draft and (b) agreed with which countries by March 2019.
Answered by Greg Hands
We are currently talking to a number of countries on a variety of future trading options, which could include new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). As a priority, we are working to secure continuity for our existing EU trade agreements with over 70 countries.
In accordance with the terms of the draft Withdrawal Agreement, we will be able to negotiate, sign and ratify new trade agreements after we leave the EU in March 2019, allowing us to establish and enhance our trading relationships with old allies and new friends.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with which countries the EU has trade deals; and how many of those countries he has visited since taking office.
Answered by Greg Hands
A list of countries with which the European Union has trade agreements in place is available on the European Commission website: http://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/negotiations-and-agreements/#_in-place
Through a combination of ministerial and official engagements, the Department for International Trade is currently engaging with all countries with which the EU has trade agreements to discuss continuity of current trading arrangements as the UK leaves the EU.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the Government's strategy is for increasing education exports by 2020.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
The Department for International Trade's education team work together with the Devolved Administrations, other government departments, our Trade Envoys, Business Ambassadors, our embassies and consulates around the world. They seek out new export opportunities and support the UK education supply chain through actively making representations to overseas buyers and governments, organising key meetings and missions showcasing UK products. Particular campaigns are focussed on China, Hong Kong, the Middle East, ASEAN and Latin America. UK Export Finance, the UK's export credit agency, offers finance and insurance to help UK-based companies of all sizes and across all sectors (including the education sector) win, fulfil and get paid for overseas sales.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what proportion of UK trade was with (a) Germany, (b) France, (c) Italy, (d) Spain, (e) Australia, (f) China, (g) Singapore, (h) US, (i) Canada and (j) other EU member states in each of the last five years.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
The proportion of UK trade (exports and imports) with Australia, Canada, China, Singapore, the US and all EU member states in each of the last five years is given in the attached table. The estimates are based on data sourced from the latest Office for National Statistics’ Pink Book 2016 release.