Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many information gateways there are in operation in her Department; and how those gateways are managed and monitored.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has a 2 key information gateways in place. One with the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and one with the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
DIT has a legal gateway to receive and access HMRC data via a Memorandum of Understanding. This has been granted under sections 18 of the Commissioner for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 and section 25 of the Taxation (Crossborder Trade) Act 2018. This gives DIT access to HMRC data including (but not limited to) Customs Declarations data with Director level sign-off for the monitoring and investigation of unfair trade. Access is limited to colleagues in the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate that provide digital and operational support to the directorate. The movement, use and destruction of the data must be in line with HM Government’s Security Policy Framework.
The Trade (Disclosure of Information) Act 2022 underwent Royal Assent in December 2020. The Act includes a data sharing clause that allows DIT (and other departments) the opportunity to request data held by HMRC for the purposes of trade. We are currently working closely with HMRC to agree what data can be shared, how it will be shared and held safely on DIT systems and agree protocols on data usage.
DIT also has 4 Data Access Agreements in place with the ONS. This gives access to: the Inter-Departmental Business Register, the Labour Force Survey, the Annual Population Survey and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings to approved individuals in this agreement for the purposes specified within the agreements. Access is restricted to approved individuals via an agreed secure analytical environment and managed by the DIT Microdata team. Records are kept of users and their access arrangements as well as the work that they are undertaking and outputs produced. The processing of these data must be for statistical purposes and in accordance with Data Protection Legislation including the Data Protection Act (1998) and the Statistics and Registration Service Act (2007). All outputs must meet the criteria and Principles established in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics set out by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA).
Finally, over the summer DIT supported HMRC and other departments with engagement with businesses for the end of transition, with a Memorandum of Understanding to cover data sharing. This included using data provided by HMRC, the legal basis for which was Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act Section 18(2) with trader consent. This work is now complete.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she had with the Secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport on the potential effect of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement on Government data adequacy decisions; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands
My department is working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, as we negotiate data provisions in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). Data provisions in FTAs including the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) are separate from, but complementary to, the UK’s adequacy process and international data protection frameworks.
The UK will conduct assessments of countries outside of the UK under an independent UK adequacy capability. These assessments ensure personal data is only transferred via an adequacy decision where countries provide high standards of personal data protection, so that UK citizens’ personal data can be transferred without further safeguards being necessary.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, on the potential effect of Article 8.73 on source code of the Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement on promoting transparency of algorithmic decisions; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands
The ambitious digital package negotiated in the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement includes protections against the forced transfer of source code and coded algorithms. This means that UK businesses will not be forced to share their source code as a condition of entering the Japanese market and serves to protect companies’ trade secrets. As a consequence, these companies can be confident they will retain any competitive advantage that their source code provides.
However, the agreement also ensures that regulatory bodies and judicial authorities are still able to access source code and algorithms when needed. This ensures government can monitor adherence to, and enforce, laws and regulations concerning algorithmic decisions.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of the data flow provisions of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement on (a) data adequacy discussions with EU and (b) data flow agreements with the (i) US and (ii) other countries.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK is committed to maintaining high standards of protection for personal data, including when it is transferred across borders. Data provisions in Free Trade Agreements including the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) are separate but complementary to the UK’s adequacy process and international data protection frameworks.
Through CEPA, we have agreed to avoid unjustified restrictions on the free flow of data between the UK and Japan, and committed to maintaining a legal framework that provides for the protection of personal information. CEPA only addresses data flows between the UK and Japan and does not address onward transfers to other jurisdictions.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment she made the combined potential effects of Articles (a) 8.84 on Cross-border transfer of information by electronic means and (b) 8.80 on Personal information protection of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement on the enforceability of UK data protection rights in respect of data that has left the UK.
Answered by Greg Hands
I refer the Hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central to the answer I gave today, UIN: 91964.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 13 November to Question 113092, whether her Department supports Saudi Arabia's proposed takeover bid for Newcastle United.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Whilst we welcome all overseas investment, the takeover bid has always been a commercial matter for the parties concerned. It is not for the Government to comment on the buying and selling of football clubs.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether (a) correspondence and (b) discussions have taken place between her Department and the (a) Saudi Arabian authorities and (b) Premier League with regards to the proposed Saudi takeover of Newcastle United.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As part of our normal information gathering processes about prospective inward investment into the UK, there has been correspondence and/or discussions on the matter referred to, but I am unable to disclose details owing to their containing personal information, commercially sensitive information, and information provided in confidence.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish any correspondence between her Department and the (a) Saudi Arabian authorities and (b) Premier League with regards to the proposed Saudi takeover bid for Newcastle United.
Answered by Graham Stuart
As part of our normal information gathering processes about prospective inward investment into the UK, there has been correspondence and/or discussions on the matter referred to, but I am unable to disclose details owing to their containing personal information, commercially sensitive information, and information provided in confidence.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to support UK fuel cell manufacturers export their products.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for International Trade has a dedicated team that supports renewable energy businesses, including those exporting fuel cell technologies in which the UK has world-leading capability. The Department engages UK suppliers from within the hydrogen industry, sector specific research centres, and UK Government departments to understand and promote UK capability. UK Export Finance, regional offices, and the department’s overseas network are all part of the support offer available.