Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she plans to consult UK Fisheries on the interests of the UK far fishing fleet as part of the trade negotiations with Greenland.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom and Greenland have begun negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement, with the aim of securing preferential trade for British businesses and consumers. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will begin negotiations on access to Greenlandic fishing waters in parallel.
Officials have engaged with businesses – including from the British fishing sector – to understand their views on trade with Greenland, and will continue to do so throughout negotiations.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 will affect the proposed establishment of a Maritime Capability Campaign Office.
Answered by Mike Freer
I refer the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend for Harrow East today, UIN: 68231.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what measures are under consideration to ensure that trade deals with (a) Norway, (b) Iceland and (c) Greenland remain fair and balanced in the event that the UK loses access to fishing opportunities previously guaranteed through pre-existing EU agreements with those countries; and what assessment she has made of the potential for tariffs to be introduced for such trade with those countries.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom signed an interim trade agreement on goods with Norway and Iceland, which provides continuity for our trading arrangements, including for fish. This agreement has been in force since 1st January 2021. There is a shared ambition to build on this interim agreement and deliver a comprehensive free trade agreement between the United Kingdom and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
We are in dialogue with the Government of Greenland and are working closely to ensure a prosperous future trade relationship, which meets the needs of both sides. Imports from Greenland are subject to the “UK Global Tariff” at present.
Access to fishing waters negotiations are conducted separately and are ongoing too. HM Government is committed to securing a fair deal for the United Kingdom as a whole and to continue to improve the sustainability of fish stocks.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what support her Department is providing to the maritime industry to help increase exports of maritime (a) products and (b) services.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The maritime sector contributes approximately £17bn GVA to the UK’s economy and is responsible for £12bn in exports. The sector directly supports over 220,000 jobs and transports 95% of the UK’s imports and exports in goods.
To support the maritime industry, the Department for International Trade (DIT) is delivering the Maritime Trade and Investment 5-year Plan which focuses on the key themes and drivers of growth identified in the Government’s Maritime 2050 Strategy. The plan has been developed in partnership with key industry bodies to increase the UK exports of maritime goods and services.