Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department is taking steps to provide financial support to companies whose export trade is affected by the sanctions on Russia.
Answered by Marcus Fysh
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has expanded its Export Support Service (ESS) to act as a single point of enquiry for businesses and traders with questions relating to the situation in Ukraine and Russia. Any business that has questions about trading with Ukraine or Russia, can visit https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team, or call our helpline using the number 0300 303 8955.
DIT continues to support business and traders financially. The UK Export Finance programmes aim to ensure no viable export fails due to lack of finance. Exporters can also apply for the Internationalisation Fund, with 70% allocated outside of London.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what (a) advice and (b) support she provides to UK businesses (i) trading and (ii) operating in Western Sahara.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom regards the status of Western Sahara as undetermined.
We would advise businesses that our newly transitioned Association Agreement with Morocco, once in force, will apply in the same way as the EU-Morocco Association Agreement. It treats products originating in Western Sahara in the same way as the EU-Morocco Association Agreement, in line with the European Court of Justice's ruling on that issue and the subsequent amendment of the EU-Morocco Association Agreement.
British businesses trading and operating in the region should take note of our travel advice for Western Sahara.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the devolved Administrations on the future composition of the Trade and Agriculture Commission.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade is in contact with relevant Cabinet colleagues with regard to the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC). The Government also works closely with the devolved administrations on all aspects of our trade policy and I have written to my counterparts seeking their views on the Commission.
The TAC will ensure that public and industry interests are protected in Britain’s agriculture trade policy.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 28 July to Question 76780 on Whisky: USA, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in the US on the tariffs applied to Scotch Whisky exports to the US since the meeting on 10 July 2020; and what the US Administration's position is on the removal of those tariffs.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government continues to raise this issue at the highest levels with the US administration. In July, the Secretary of State for International Trade discussed the threat of additional tariffs on UK industry with US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer. In early August the Secretary of State visited the US raising this issue again with Robert Lighthizer, pressing for the removal of tariffs as soon as possible.
Whilst revisions made by the US on 12 August to the retaliatory tariffs on EU and UK products were limited in scope, it is disappointing that the US continues to apply its retaliatory tariffs under the Airbus dispute ten months on.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 28 July to Question 76780 on Whisky: USA, whether the effects of the imposition of tariffs on blended scotch whisky was discussed at the meeting on 10 July 2020; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government continues to raise this issue at the highest levels with the US administration. In July, the Secretary of State for International Trade discussed the threat of additional tariffs on UK industry with US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer. In early August the Secretary of State visited the US raising this issue again with Robert Lighthizer, pressing for the removal of tariffs as soon as possible.
Whilst revisions made by the US on 12 August to the retaliatory tariffs on EU and UK products were limited in scope, it is disappointing that the US continues to apply its retaliatory tariffs under the Airbus dispute ten months on.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she last met her counterpart in the US Administration to discuss tariffs applied to Scotch Whisky exports to the US; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
On 10th July,?my Rt Hon. Friend?the Secretary of State?for International Trade?spoke to the US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, and once again raised how current and any potential tariffs could affect Britain’s distilleries.
HM Government?takes?the negative impact of?US?tariffs on Scotch Whisky very seriously. These tariffs are unnecessary, unhelpful and harm industry on both sides of the Atlantic.
We continue to raise the issue of tariffs with the highest levels of the US administration at every opportunity. Instead of escalating existing tariffs, we need to work together towards a negotiated settlement.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to Question 63402 on Renewable Energy: Exports, how much funding his Department has provided to support renewable energy exports from Scotland.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for International Trade has supported exports from the renewable energy sector across the UK since its inception, including in the UK’s strengths in offshore wind, smart energy systems, low-carbon advisory services and energy from waste.
DIT’s remit spans across the entirety of the UK and the department does not directly fund additional trade promotion activity by the Devolved Administrations. The Department works closely with the Scottish enterprise agencies, who are funded by the Scottish Government, to support their energy export ambitions.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2020 to Question 63402, how many renewable energy export projects from Scotland her Department has supported; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for International Trade supports businesses from across the UK to grow internationally. DIT has a dedicated renewable energy team that supports renewable energy businesses to export from all four nations but does not record data or projects on a devolved country basis. In 2018, across the UK, renewable energy exports reached £5.3 billion.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of the proposals by Scottish Renewables to export Scotland’s renewable energy skills to countries which are seeking to undertake green economic recoveries from the covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
I welcome Scottish Renewables commitment to supporting Scottish businesses to export their knowledge, goods, and services to markets around the world. Trade will play an important role in delivering an economy that is stronger, cleaner, more sustainable, and more resilient across the UK after this crisis.
My Department has a team dedicated to supporting renewable energy exports and works closely with the Scottish enterprise agencies, for whom energy is a key sector. To support an international low carbon recovery, the UK Government recently announced the Green Recovery Challenge Fund to disburse £12 million, over two years, to projects that will help countries accelerate their low-carbon transition.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make an assessment of the contribution of the Scotch whisky industry to the international reputation of the UK food and drink industry; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Scotch Whisky is an important part of the UK’s overall exports, representing 20% of UK food and drink exports.
Ministers and officials from this department have regular discussions with the Scotch Whisky Association and other representatives from the industry and actively work with them to help increase whisky exports. Representatives of the Scotch Whisky Association recently joined business delegations to Africa and India led by the Prime Minister. The industry is supported in a similar way to other food and drink producers; we help them take advantage of a wide range of overseas opportunities. The importance of the industry to the UK economy cannot be overstated, being the largest export within the sector with international sales valued at over £4 billion in 2017.