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Written Question
Business: East Midlands
Tuesday 29th November 2016

Asked by: David Mackintosh (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department has taken to improve awareness among businesses in the East Midlands of (a) exporting opportunities and (b) government support for exporting.

Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)

On the 14th November the Department for International Trade (DIT) launched a public beta of the new GREAT.gov.uk platform to improve the awareness of exporting opportunities and government support available to businesses. This coincided with the launch of ‘Exporting is GREAT’ marketing activity that drives businesses to the new platform. GREAT.gov.uk aims to inspire UK businesses to export, provide more tailored support and advice online, build on peer to peer networks and connect UK supply with global demand through the promotion of real-time export opportunities. To complement this digital platform, DIT provides a range of face to face support to businesses in the East Midlands through market and sector events, exporting essential workshops and face to face meetings with International Trade Advisers (ITAs). Over the last two months support across the East Midlands has included :

  • A Masterclass in Intellectual Property Rights in Nottinghamshire.
  • A Rail Meet the Buyer event in Derbyshire.
  • A Digital Trade advice clinic in Leicestershire.
  • An event on a Re-opening of the Iranian Market with Northamptonshire Chamber in Northampton.
  • A Food & Drink Business Growth Expo with the Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) in Leicestershire.
  • An Exporting Is It For You? Workshop in Lincolnshire.
  • One to one meetings for businesses with experts from the British Chamber in Mexico held in Derbyshire
Written Question
Foreign Investment in UK: Israel
Tuesday 8th November 2016

Asked by: David Mackintosh (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many jobs were created in the UK by Israeli companies in 2015; and what steps his Department is taking to encourage more Israeli companies to trade in the UK.

Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)

UK Trade and Investment, now known as the Department for International Trade, was actively involved in assisting 29 Israeli companies to set up or expand their operations in the UK and create 560 new UK jobs in 2015.

The UK is the number one destination for Israeli FDI in Europe and there are now more than 300 Israeli companies established in the UK.

Israel is an important trading partner for the UK and we are committed to further strengthening our trade and investment relationship.

Written Question
Business
Monday 19th September 2016

Asked by: David Mackintosh (Conservative - Northampton South)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he plans to take to ensure that local businesses in (a) the UK and (b) Northampton have appropriate information to enable them better to access global markets.

Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)

The Department for International Trade (DIT) runs the Exporting is GREAT campaign, designed to significantly increase exports by inspiring and supporting UK companies to take advantage of the global appetite for UK products, skills and expertise in markets around the world. The Department’s export hub roadshow travels throughout the UK providing face to face export advice and guidance to businesses; indeed it visited Northamptonshire in April and 17 companies attended.

This Department also provides digital services for all businesses including access to live Export Opportunities around the globe and webinars on exporting, both accessible through the Exporting is GREAT website, exportingisgreat.gov.uk/. Businesses also have access to DIT’s sector and market focussed campaigns and tailored advice and support through the Department’s network of international trade advisors. They will have the opportunity to promote their products on the new Export Directory which DIT is launching in November, alongside other new digital services.

Northamptonshire companies have also benefitted from recent events being held on how to access global markets such as China, India and Iran. Seminars in Northamptonshire have informed companies on issues such as managing agents and distributors, e-commerce and international web optimisation, amongst others.

This information is not only accessible in England but also in the rest of the UK through DIT working closely with the devolved administrations’ own export promotion organisations.