Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if the Government will clarify how it intends to negotiate and sign new trade deals while operating an interim customs arrangement with the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands
I refer the hon Member for Streatham to the answer I gave him on 20 October, UIN: 107186.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how the Government plans to negotiate and sign new trade deals while still operating within an interim customs arrangement with the EU and while the UK's future trading relationship with the EU remains undecided.
Answered by Greg Hands
As part of seeking a time-limited interim period with the EU, the UK would intend to pursue new trade negotiations with other countries during this period. It would not bring into effect any new arrangements with third countries which were not consistent with the terms of the interim agreement.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Government is able to guarantee that new trade deals with third-party countries at least match the value of trade lost by leaving the Customs Union.
Answered by Greg Hands
As we leave the EU, the government is committed to ensuring that UK and EU businesses and consumers can continue to trade freely with one another. The UK will seek to agree a time-limited implementation period with the EU, during which access to one another’s markets should continue on current terms. This would help to minimise unnecessary disruption and provide certainty for businesses and individuals in the UK and the EU.
The UK will look to secure greater access to overseas markets for UK goods exports after leaving the EU as well as push for greater liberalisation of global services, investment and procurement markets.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the cost to his Department was of producing the July 2017 report entitled UK trade and investment highlights in the 435 US Congressional districts.
Answered by Greg Hands
The “UK Trade and Investment Highlights in the 435 US Congressional districts” report was developed as a tool to build support for further strengthening the UK-US trading relationship.
There was no direct cost to the Department for International Trade for producing the report.
The report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/631648/congressional_report_print.pdf
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many citizens of other EU countries work in his Department.
Answered by Greg Hands
Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF), Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), as well as some new hires.
Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes the Secretary of State as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes.
As DIT is currently being formed, details of the staff that the Department employs is being finalised, whilst employee transfers and recruitment are taking place.