Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how much her Department estimates the UK’s GDP to increase by in the next 10 years as a result of current trade deals made since Brexit.
Answered by Andrew Bowie - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Our published impact assessments set out the potential marginal long-run impacts of new free trade agreements on the United Kingdom’s GDP. Agreements with Japan, Australia and New Zealand are part of a set of deals with 71 countries plus the EU that the government has negotiated. These partners accounted for £814bn of UK bilateral trade in 2021.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what consultation her Department is holding on whether the TRIPS Agreement should be extended to cover covid-19 therapeutics and diagnostic tests.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Consultations with other government departments are ongoing on whether the MC12 TRIPS Decision be extended to include COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics. UK Government officials will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders, as well as with other World Trade Organization Members at the TRIPS Council. The UK looks forward to making progress in this area and remains committed to engaging constructively.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with (a) The Secretary for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, (b) Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, (c) The Secretary for Health and Social Care and (d) her G7 counterparts on the potential merits of including covid-19 treatment and diagnostics in the TRIPS Agreement.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Consultations with other government departments are ongoing on whether the MC12 TRIPS Decision be extended to include COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics. UK Government officials will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders, as well as with other World Trade Organization Members at the TRIPS Council. The UK looks forward to making progress in this area and remains committed to engaging constructively.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether all products (a) made in and (b) imported from Russia are allowed to be sold in the UK.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
In lockstep with our allies, the UK government has announced a range of trade sanctions against Russia since the invasion of the Ukraine. Sanctions include UK import bans on strategic products such as steel, iron and luxury goods. We have also announced tariff increases of 35 percentage points on Russian products including cereals, vodka and high-end products like caviar.
Currently, the UK is imposing import tariffs and bans on over £1bn of Russian goods.
Whilst we do not speculate on future sanctions, we continue to consider further measures to increase pressure on Putin’s regime.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make it her policy to exclude the NHS from potential future trade deals.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Trade is vital for the NHS, which relies heavily on crucial goods and services that come wholly, or in part, from suppliers based overseas. Trade enables the NHS to buy the best possible medicines and medical devices that industry – here and overseas – has to offer.
At the same time, Britain’s international public procurement commitments do not apply to the procurement of British healthcare services.
In fact, Britain’s public services are protected by specific exclusions, exceptions and reservations in the trade agreements to which we are party, and HM Government will continue to make sure that the same rigorous protections are included in future trade agreements.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will suspend arms exports to Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government is able to review licences – and suspend or revoke as necessary – when circumstances require, and this is done in line with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
Specifically, Criterion 2c makes sure that we do not grant licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations her Department has made to the US Government on the proposed imposition of tariffs on gin from the UK; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
HM Government takes the negative impact of US tariffs very seriously. These tariffs are unnecessary, unhelpful and harm industry on both sides of the Atlantic.
HM Government continues to raise the issue of tariffs with the highest levels of the United States administration at every opportunity. On 10 July, my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade engaged the US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, on how the potential tariffs being consulted on would threaten the United Kingdom gin industry. Instead of escalating existing tariffs, we need to work together towards a negotiated settlement.