Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Edward Leigh and Mark Garnier

Thursday 15th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough) (Con)]

8. What steps his Department is taking to support businesses in establishing future trading opportunities abroad.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Trade (Mark Garnier)]

The Department is working across the UK, as well as in both current and future export markets overseas, to help British businesses. We are helping them to export their goods and services, identify new export opportunities and win those export sales. We are doing this digitally, through the GREAT.gov.uk website, and in person, through our network of international trade advisers across the UK and through our overseas staff in 109 countries.

[Mark Garnier]

May I refer my hon. Friend, who is a champion of businesses in her constituency, to the GREAT.gov.uk website? Although it has been going for only one month, 174,000 users have visited it, more than 6,000 users have already made use of our selling online overseas services and nearly 1,000 businesses have created a profile on our “Find a buyer” service. This was highlighted to all hon. Members when the Department sent out our MPs’ toolkit, so that all MPs can help their constituents to find new markets and raise their eyes to the horizon.

[Sir Edward Leigh]

With only 5% of businesses trading directly with the EU, surely leaving the internal market will allow us to relieve the other 95% from the shackles of over-regulation? Will the Minister say a bit about the balance his Department is going to strike between inward and outward investment?