Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government which directorate produces the list of invitees for the Turkmenistan United Kingdom Trade and Industry Council; and what are the criteria for selection for the invitees.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Turkmen Government choose participants on their side, made up mainly of government ministries, but of late, with business representatives. On the UK side, the British Embassy in Ashgabat suggests companies that might be interested in joining, in consultation with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Department for Business and Trade. Our criteria is to identify companies with an interest in exporting to the market.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the rules produced by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments apply to the Prime Minister's trade envoys.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Business Appointment Rules do not apply to the Prime Minister's Trade Envoys.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what were the UK's export figures to the EU for (1) 2022, and (2) 2019; and what, if any, estimates they have made of figures for 2022 if the UK had remained in the EU.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The latest revised figures from the ONS show that UK exports of goods and services to the EU totalled £344 billion in 2022, this is up 15% in current prices compared to 2019 (£299 billion). Since leaving the EU, we have agreed trade deals with 73 countries and the EU, UK exports to the world totalled £834 billion in 2022, this is up 18% in current prices compared to 2019 (£707 billion).
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what figures they hold for UK exports to the EU in (1) 2019, and (2) 2022; and what assessment they have made of the estimated difference in the figures for 2022 if the UK had remained in the EU.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Latest figures from the ONS show that UK exports of goods and services to the EU totalled £340 billion in 2022, this is up 14% in current prices compared to 2019 (£298 billion). Since leaving the EU, we have agreed trade deals with 73 countries and the EU, UK exports to the world totalled £815 billion in 2022, this is up 17% in current prices compared to 2019 (£700 billion).
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidelines they offer to parliamentarians wishing to (1) communicate with, or (2) be communicated to, by officials from foreign embassies.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There is no formal guidance held by the FCDO for parliamentarians relating to their engagement with foreign diplomatic missions in the UK. Parliamentarians continue to be welcome to contact the relevant geographical desk within the FCDO for country specific advice.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to seek examples and best practice in the formulation of freight and logistics plans.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department seeks to implement plans and policies that best support the UK freight and logistics sector. The 2022 ‘Future of Freight: A long-term plan’ was developed in close collaboration with industry and sets out a cross-modal approach towards a freight and logistics sector that is cost efficient, reliable, resilient, environmentally sustainable and valued by society.
Our ministers regularly engage the freight industry on the implementation of this plan along with other best practice issues; be this through fora such as DfT’s quarterly Freight Council and its delivery groups, or ad hoc discussions with industry leaders. My Department is also working collaboratively with industry to further invest in the sector, both by promoting its career opportunities through the Generation Logistics campaign, and in awarding £8million to improve lorry parking facilities. Additionally, we remain outward facing, sharing with and learning from international partners to ensure the UK freight network continues to protect our economic security.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they assess and measure the value to the UK economy of freight and logistics in the formulation of any new planning framework.
Answered by Baroness Swinburne - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government has launched a call for evidence on the interaction between freight and logistics and the planning system in England. The evidence we receive will help underpin any new or amended planning policies that reflect the government’s vision and expectations for local planning authorities in planning for freight.
The call for evidence closes on 9 October 2023.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they define (1) a hostile state, and (2) which states they consider currently meet that definition.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
HMG does not have an agreed definition of the term ‘hostile state[s]’. While the term is sometimes used by officials and Ministers, it is not centrally defined and does not describe any specific category of states.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there has been any increase in the number of young people entering the logistics industry following their involvement in the Generation Logistics campaign.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Since launching in August 2022, we have assessed the Generation Logistics campaign is successfully raising awareness and improving perceptions of the logistics sector, which is why we are pleased to provide a further £300,000 of government funding for its second year.
The campaign has exceeded the original objectives set, with social media communications targeted at young people and other underrepresented groups having reached an audience of over 340 million people and visits to the campaign’s online hub totalling over 500,000. Alongside print advertisements, educational materials, and an Ambassadors Network of hundreds of professionals, these communications are ensuring young people better understand the importance of the logistics sector.
The campaign will continue to engage young people and will begin to support educators of 13-to-18-year-olds, laying the groundwork for the next generation of talent to enter the sector in the coming years.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis they have conducted, if any, of shortage occupations in the logistics sector, ahead of the Christmas peak period.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department recently established a People and Skills Delivery Group to deliver on priority commitments within our published ‘Future of Freight: A Long-Term Plan’.
To support the work of this group, the Department has conducted an assessment of the freight and logistics sector workforce, to get a baseline on the health of the sector that the group will monitor over time. This forum will enable Government and industry to collectively identify any shortage occupations for the sector and collaborate on activity to ensure we have sufficient labour and skills pipeline year-round, examining factors such as training provision, awareness and perception, and terms and conditions.