Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans she has to meet with the TUC to discuss the membership of the Trade Advisory Groups.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The sector-specific Trade Advisory Groups are just one way that the Department for International Trade engages on trade policy. A representative of the TUC was appointed a member of the Strategic Trade Advisory Group in 2019 and my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade and I continue to consider ways in which the Department can engage further with the TUC and individual trade unions.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to promote the export of organic produce from the UK.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The UK’s food and drink exports increased by 5% to £23.8bn in 2019. The UK’s organic produce is exported widely around the world, and we work closely with industry to support the sector.
On 22 June, in partnership with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for International Trade launched a Bounce Back Plan to support the food, drink and agriculture industries. The package offers initiatives to support the organic industry including export masterclasses and virtual meet the buyer events. This bespoke package will further boost our trade efforts and complement the new opportunities presented by free trade agreements such as that with Japan.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she plans to respond to correspondence from Paul Aiger of UK Export Partners of 11 August 2020.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for International Trade (DIT) is in discussions with Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) regarding amendments to the Tradeshow Access Programme. Those discussions are ongoing, and the Secretary of State will reply to Mr Alger once they are resolved.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the UK's potential membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, what representations she has received from her international counterparts on the import of palm oil into the UK after the transition period.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government continues to engage with all Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) members on the United Kingdom’s potential accession – and my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade recently met High Commissioners, Ambassadors and senior officials from all CPTPP countries.
We are in discussion with the Malaysian and Indonesian Governments in relation to the very important issue of palm oil supply chains separately, and are interested in the responses from the public consultation on due diligence requirements for commodities that risk our world’s rainforests, to help protect forests being illegally converted into agricultural land.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she or her officials have had with representatives of the Malaysian and Indonesian Governments on the production of palm oil and the UK's potential accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government continues to engage with all Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) members on the United Kingdom’s potential accession – and my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade recently met High Commissioners, Ambassadors and senior officials from all CPTPP countries.
We are in discussion with the Malaysian and Indonesian Governments in relation to the very important issue of palm oil supply chains separately, and are interested in the responses from the public consultation on due diligence requirements for commodities that risk our world’s rainforests, to help protect forests being illegally converted into agricultural land.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of EU regulations on the import of palm oil on reducing deforestation; and whether the Government plans to bring forward similar legislative proposals for the UK after the transition period.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Both the EU and the UK have sustainability criteria for biofuels. These have minimised the import of biofuels with a high risk of causing indirect land use change, such as from palm oil.
On 25 August, the Government published a public consultation on a legislative proposal for due diligence on forest risk commodities, which could include palm oil.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress her Department has made on a trade agreement with Greenland.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Until the end of the Transition Period, Britain’s trade relationship with Greenland will be governed by an EU framework given Greenland’s status as a Danish dependency and an EU overseas territory.
The Department for International Trade is working across government to review the future of Britain’s trading relationship with Greenland and remain in close contact with counterparts in the Greenland Representation.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans she has for tariffs on the import of prawns after the transition period.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
On 19 May 2020, we announced our permanent Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff schedule, the UK Global Tariff (UKGT). The UKGT will enter in force on 1 January 2021 and will apply to all goods, such as prawns, imported in the UK unless an exception, such as preferential agreements, applies.
Businesses can check what tariffs will apply after the transition period on GOV.UK, at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-tariffs-from-1-january-2021.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans she has to use primary legislation to implement free trade agreements with (a) the US, (b) Australia, (c) New Zealand and (d) Japan.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government will, where necessary, bring forward primary legislation to implement future Free Trade Agreements where existing powers do not exist on the statute book. The agreement with Japan, as with all of the countries that have an existing trade agreement with the EU, is included in the scope of the Trade Bill.
This Government remains committed to the principles of transparency and scrutiny. The Department for International Trade (DIT) is working to ensure future Free Trade Agreements such as with the US, Australia and New Zealand, are implemented smoothly and transparently. DIT is considering options on legislative implementation for these new agreements and is working closely with other Departments, including the Foreign Office.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what her objectives are in negotiations on international trade agreements with (a) Turkey, (b) Canada and (c) Mexico.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom’s ambition is to sign continuity trade agreements with (a) Turkey; (b) Canada; and (c) Mexico by the end of the transition period to make sure that existing trade flows are protected, as far as possible. To this end, our trade negotiators have engaged in technical discussions, including on tariffs, rules of origin and regulatory matters.
Consistent with the approach taken for all previous continuity trade agreements, agreement texts will be shared publicly after they have been laid before Parliament. My Department organises regular meetings with industry to keep them as informed as possible on our progress in this important work.