Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make it his policy to seek to agree trade deals with the world's poorest countries once the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK’s exit from the EU creates a major opportunity for the UK to send a positive signal that our markets are open and we are determined to promote business with the developing world.
We will continue to play our part in reducing the barriers to trade, developing markets, reducing red tape and by helping to create stable business environments where British companies can invest and create jobs.
The Department for International Development and Department for International Trade are working closely together to ensure that trade with developing countries is central, rather than peripheral, to our new trade approach.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many and what proportion of the recipients of support from UK Export Finance were companies with at least one woman in a leadership position in each fiscal year since 2009-10.
Answered by Greg Hands
UK Export Finance (UKEF) is open to applications for its support from all UK companies looking to export and is raising awareness of its offer among businesses in all sectors and in all regions of the UK. UKEF does not currently collect information on the gender of staff in leadership positions for the companies that it supports.
Where such information is not commercially sensitive, the companies supported by UKEF since 2009-2010 are listed in its Annual Report and Accounts which are presented to Parliament.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to reduce poverty in developing countries through its international trade policy.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK remains committed to ensuring developing countries can reduce poverty through trading opportunities; helping them to leave aid dependency behind and become our trading partners of the future.
The Government is currently reviewing its trade policy as the UK prepares to leave the EU.
The Department for International Trade is working hand in hand with the Department for International Development to ensure that development and global prosperity are at the heart of UK trade policy and shape our future trade arrangements with developing countries.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many bank loans UK Export Finance protected by the NUTS 1 region in each year since 2009-10.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
UK Export Finance’s (UKEF) range of products work through guaranteeing banks (either loans, bonds or letters of credit), providing a loan directly, or through insurance. UKEF records information on the region of the exporter for its trade finance products introduced in 2011 which provide a guarantee to a bank. These products cover contract bonds, working capital loans and letters of credit. They exclude UKEF guaranteed buyer credits. The number of trade finance facilities guaranteed by UKEF are listed by NUTS 1 region in the table below.
NUTS 1 REGION | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 | 2014/15 | 2015/16 | 2016/17 |
North East England | 0 | 2 | 10 | 44 | 58 | 21 |
North West England | 2 | 8 | 52 | 19 | 35 | 8 |
Yorkshire & Humber | 2 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 10 | 7 |
East Midlands | 0 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 46 | 21 |
West Midlands | 2 | 5 | 39 | 13 | 18 | 16 |
East of England | 0 | 8 | 20 | 23 | 37 | 16 |
Greater London | 1 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 15 |
South East England | 0 | 50 | 72 | 40 | 43 | 28 |
South West England | 0 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 20 | 8 |
Wales | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 39 |
Scotland | 5 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 16 | 20 |
Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, for what reasons UK Export Finance does not have export finance managers based in every region of the UK; and if he will make it his policy to employ such managers in every region.
Answered by Greg Hands
UK Export Finance (UKEF) currently has a network of 22 Export Finance Managers (EFMs) who cover all regions of the UK. No regions are overlooked. In some cases, an EFM whose physical office is located in one region will also provide full coverage for a neighbouring region. In January 2017, this network will be enhanced by the recruitment of an additional Senior Export Finance Manager, providing further support to exporters and businesses located across the North of England.
EFMs play an important role in fulfilling UKEF’s mission that no viable export fails for want of finance or insurance from the private sector. EFMs act as local points of contact to introduce exporters and businesses with export potential to finance providers, credit insurers, insurance brokers, trade support bodies and sources of government support (including support provided by UKEF itself).
UKEF publishes the names and contact details of its EFMs on its website here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-an-export-finance-manager
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to page 21 of the Northern Powerhouse Strategy, published in November 2016, when his Department plans to put in place sector and infrastructure and regeneration specialists in the north of England; and in which areas such specialists will be located.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
We have recruited four sector specialists who are located across the North of England and are focussing on the prime and enabling sectors identified in the Independent Economic Review conducted by Transport for the North. A fifth specialist will join the team in February. Two property and infrastructure specialist have been recruited and are in place in the North of England. A recruitment exercise is underway to fill a third, recently vacant, position.