Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the publication of the negotiation objectives for a US trade deal.
Answered by Conor Burns
A Free Trade Agreement between the US and the UK would represent an important opportunity to deepen the bilateral trade and investment relationship, and set a global benchmark for how two leading, open and mature economies trade with each other.
There are regular conversations with Cabinet colleagues about the UK’s future trading relations once we leave the EU.
As part of our commitment to an open and transparent approach, before negotiations start we will publish our negotiating objectives.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of inserting human-rights related clauses into future trade deals with China or Hong Kong.
Answered by Conor Burns
The UK has a strong history of protecting human rights and has long supported the promotion of our values globally. We are committed to upholding the UK’s high standards and this will continue as we leave the EU. The Government’s priorities for free trade agreements are currently the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many trade missions her Department has led to each country in each of the last five years.
Answered by Conor Burns
Whilst my Department does not hold a central list of all historic missions from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) as well as DIT, on reviewing available data, we estimate that over the last five years DIT and its predecessor UKTI have delivered in excess of 500 formal overseas trade missions to more than 80 countries. The figure may well be higher, as my Department operates in 108 countries globally, and not all facilitated visits are formally recorded as trade missions.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he has taken to enhance UK trade with Montenegro after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The whole Europe region remains a strategic priority for UK trade. Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Montenegro was £67m in 2018.
In August 2018, the Secretary of State launched the Export Strategy, the government’s plan to increase UK total exports as a proportion of GDP to 35% and make Britain a 21st century exporting superpower. The Export Strategy will encourage and inspire more businesses to export; inform businesses by providing practical assistance on exporting; connect UK businesses to overseas buyers and opportunities; and help provide finance through UKEF to enhance the HMG offer to UK exporters. Through this strategy we will also continue to promote the UK as a bilateral trading partner, reassuring Montenegro businesses that the UK remains open for business and remains an advocate for free trade and open markets.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made on ensuring transitional arrangements for the UK to replace the EU's trade agreement with Georgia; and whether he has plans to enhance that agreement after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Hollingbery
We continue to engage with Georgia on replicating the effects of the existing EU trade agreement. Both the UK and Georgia remain committed to concluding a new partnership, trade & cooperation agreement as soon as possible. We are working together to ensure we are prepared for all possible scenarios. The Government will inform Parliament as soon as our discussions have concluded.
Continuity is our primary objective and securing this will be a strong foundation to build on for our trading relationship.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he has taken to negotiate a free trade deal with Grenada after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The UK signed the CARIFORUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Grenada on 22 March 2019. This will provide continuity for businesses, exporters and consumers as the UK prepares to leave the EU.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made in carrying over the existing EU trade agreement with Syria.
Answered by George Hollingbery
Since 2012, the UK Government has suspended any engagement with the Syrian regime and closed the British Embassy in Damascus. Additionally, the EU-Syria Cooperation Agreement is currently suspended, including the chapters on trade in crude oil, petroleum products, gold, precious metals and diamonds. The Department for International Trade has no plans to transition this agreement over at this time.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress he has made on a free trade deal with the United Arab Emirates.
Answered by George Hollingbery
Formal negotiations on free trade deals cannot begin until after the UK leaves the EU.
The UK’s engagement on the future trading relationship with the United Arab Emirates is being conducted through the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The greatest progress in UK-GCC trade liberalisation is likely to come from adopting an “agile” approach to trade policy, in the short-term. This will include exploring non-tariff measures, such as regulatory barriers to market access, that could help facilitate free-flowing trade. We have started to discuss this approach with the GCC.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of reduced legal certainty in Hong Kong on UK trade and investment with China.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The protests in Hong Kong have shown the strength of feeling among its people. It is vital that Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy is respected, including the rule of law. As a strong supporter of the “One country, two systems” principle, we have a high level of ambition for our trade and investment relationship with China and Hong Kong. We are determined to work with both China and Hong Kong to further improve our trade relationship to increase trade and investment flows.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what powers he has to request from the Olympic Organising Committee information on the way in which specific equipment supply contracts (a) have been and (b) will be awarded.
Answered by Graham Stuart
My Department has developed strong relationships with the Organising Committees for Tokyo 2020 (TOCOG) and Paris 2024, and has consistently promoted UK strengths in the Sports Economy sector, via inward and outward missions, one-to-one meetings, events and marketing collateral.
The responsibility for how specific contracts are tendered and awarded for Olympic and Paralympic Games lies solely with each local Organising Committee. HMG has encouraged both Organising Committees to utilise international best practice. Tokyo 2020 has a procurement portal listing upcoming contracts, which is fully accessible to UK companies.
All tenders for the Paris 2024 Games will be published on the “Bulletin Officiel”, the official platform for public procurement in France. This platform is open to companies globally, and UK companies can freely bid for tenders. DIT are working closely with our colleagues in France to ensure relevant opportunities for these games are directed towards potential UK suppliers.