Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to increase trade between the UK and China.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Government works actively to increase trade between the UK and China, including through our overseas network led by HM Trade Commissioner for China, bilateral working groups, and through the broad support the Department for International Trade provides to UK exporters and to Chinese companies wishing to invest in the UK. Ministerial travel also supports this, and provides the necessary platform to progress market access for British goods and services. The Secretary of State travelled to China five times last year. He secured market access for UK dairy, worth £240m over 5 years, at the Department for International Trade-led Joint Economic and Trade Commission, and led the UK delegation to China’s inaugural International Import Expo in November, where the UK secured over £2bn worth of deals. The Government is also conducting a Joint Trade and Investment Review with China, an analytical exercise to explore all options to increase flows of goods, services and investment.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to increase trade between the UK and India.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The Department for International Trade is already working to increase trade between the UK and India and strengthen our trade partnership. Our productive collaboration with the Government of India through ministerial JETCO meetings and the official-led Joint Working Group on Trade is continuing to make progress in unblocking market access barriers, building on the UK-India Joint Trade Review. The appointment of Crispin Simon, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, provides a joined-up and coordinated government effort, with increased focus on tackling market access barriers to grow bilateral trade. Trade continues to grow, in 2018 UK-India overall trade increased by 14% to £20.5bn in comparison to 2017.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Conservative - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to work with the devolved administrations on future trade deals for UK agriculture.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The devolved administrations will have a direct interest in our future trade policy and we will continue to work closely with them to deliver an approach that works for the whole of the UK.
Working in close collaboration with Defra, DIT engages the devolved administrations regularly to discuss trade and agriculture.
Through the White Paper - 'Preparing for our future UK trade policy' - DIT committed to a transparent and inclusive approach, whereby Parliament, the devolved administrations, the devolved legislatures, local government, business, trade unions, civil society, and the public from every part of the UK has the opportunity to engage with and contribute to future trade policy.