Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will commission an independent assessment into the compatibility of membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership with membership of the (a) European Patent Office and (b) European Patent Convention.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK has ensured that accession negotiations with CPTPP are consistent with the UK’s interests, the Government’s policies and priorities on intellectual property, and with the UK’s existing international obligations, including the non-EU European Patent Convention (EPC) which establishes the European Patent Office.
The UK has not agreed to any provisions that would require us to diverge from the EPC and therefore an independent assessment is not required. With respect to Article 18.38 of the agreement (Grace Period), the UK has agreed with the CPTPP Parties that we will only comply with that article once necessary amendments to the EPC have been made in line with Article 18.38, and not before.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State of 30 November 2023, Official Report, column 1043, how the £200 million of funding to support small and medium-sized enterprises (a) has been and (b) will be spent.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Department for Business and Trade have a range of programmes dedicated to supporting SMEs to grow and export. This includes the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors, Help to Grow, the Export Support Service, our growth hubs and Business Support Helpline, we also support through the British Business Bank, including Future Fund: Breakthrough.
We are also supporting SMEs to adopt advanced digital technologies through the expansion of our Made Smarter programme; and the setting up of a Digital Adoption Taskforce.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her negotiating objectives for a new trade deal with Canada include access to cheese tariff rate quotas similar for those in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Negotiations with Canada on market access are ongoing. Both countries share the view that free and fair trade is good for economies, good for business and good for consumers. The UK’s key aim is to secure comprehensive access for UK agricultural goods into the Canadian market through the reduction or elimination of tariffs.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether negotiations on a UK-Canada trade deal will include an extension to the rules of arguing provision and annual origin quotas for certain agricultural products.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Negotiations with Canada on this issue are ongoing. The UK is seeking to develop simple and modern rules of origin that reflect UK industry requirements and consider existing, as well as future, supply chains supported by predictable and low-cost administrative arrangements.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether negotiating objectives for a trade deal with Canada include the option of retaining an entry price system which could require certain types of fruit and vegetables to have a pre-determined import price or have a tariff applied.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
The EU’s Entry Price System was removed by the UK with the introduction of the UK Global Tariff in 2021. Market access negotiations between Canada and the UK are ongoing.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will publish a list of global trade shows which her Department has encouraged businesses to attend in each of the last two years.
Answered by Greg Hands
Over the last two financial years (including 2023-24), the Department for Business and Trade has organised international activations for UK export-ready small and medium sized enterprises at over 90 international trade shows listed below.
2022-23 | |
Trade show | Country |
Cannes Lion | France |
Aero India | India |
Arab Health | UAE |
BETT Asia | Malaysia |
Bio Convention - San Diego | USA |
Chemspec Europe | Germany |
DSEI Japan | Japan |
ExpoNaval | Chile |
Fruit Attraction | Spain |
Gulfood (February 2023) | UAE |
IACP | USA |
IDEX | UAE |
Indo Defence | Indonesia |
Indo Pacific | Australia |
Innotrans | Germany |
International Atomic Energy Agency General Conf | Austria |
Intersec | UAE |
Investing in Africa Mining, Indaba | South Africa |
JP Morgan Healthcare conf | USA |
Kidscreen | USA |
Medica | Germany |
Middle East Beauty | France |
Mobile World Congress (MWC) | Spain |
Money 2020 | USA |
International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO | Poland |
Pitti Uomo | Italy |
Posidonia 2022 | Greece |
Sial | France |
Singapore Fintech Week | Singapore |
SMM Hamburg | Germany |
SOFIC | USA |
South By South West (SXSW) | USA |
Web Summit 2022 | Portugal |
2023-24 | |
Trade show | Country |
AAHAR | India |
Agritechnica | Germany |
Anuga | Germany |
Arab Health | UAE |
Asia Pacific Maritime | Singapore |
Australia Space Policy Forum | Australia |
Bengalaru Tech Summit | India |
BETT Asia | Malaysia |
Big 5 Construction | UAE |
BIO International | USA |
Cannes Lions | France |
Chemspec | Germany |
CPHI | Spain |
Defense & Security | Thailand |
DIMDEX | Qatar |
Dubai Airshow | UAE |
DUPHAT | UAE |
FoodEx | Japan |
GCC Beauty World ME | Dubai |
Global Health Expo | Saudi Arabia |
Global Space & Technology Convention | Singapore |
GULFOOD 2024 | UAE |
IACP | USA |
Indo Pacific | Australia |
InFlavour | Saudi Arabia |
Intersec | UAE |
Investing in Africa Mining Indaba | South Africa |
International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) | Poland |
International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) | Turkey |
Intersec | UAE |
Intersec KSA | Saudi Arabia |
JP Morgan Health Tech | USA |
Kidscreen 2024 | USA |
Kormarine | ROK |
Medica | Germany |
METSTRADE | Netherlands |
Middle East Rail | UAE |
Mobile World Congress | Spain |
Money 2020 | USA |
NorShipping | Norway |
Paris Air Show | France |
PCHI (Personal Care and Homecare Ingredients) | China |
Photonics West | USA |
Pitti Uomo | Italy |
Prowein | Germany |
ReBuild Ukraine | Poland |
Seafood Expo | USA |
Singapore Fintech Week | Singapore |
Singapore Maritime Week | Singapore |
SOF Week | USA |
Space Tech Expo | Germany |
SXSW | USA |
Web Summit | Portugal |
Wind Europe | Denmark |
Wind Europe 2024 | Spain |
World Defense Show | Saudi Arabia |
World New Energy Vehicle Congress | China |
World Nuclear Exhibition | Paris |
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will publish a list of products that will receive additional tariff rate quotas once the CPTPP accession has been ratified.
Answered by Greg Hands
Tariff rate quotas for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership can be found at https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/free-trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements-in-force/cptpp/comprehensive-and-progressive-agreement-for-trans-pacific-partnership-text-and-resources/, as New Zealand acts as the depositary for all Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership documents.
These documents should be read in conjunction with Annex A of the UK Accession Protocol, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accession-protocol-of-the-uk-to-the-cptpp.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will publish a list of exports that will have tariff free access to CPTPP countries once the UK ratifies the agreement.
Answered by Greg Hands
Tariff rate quotas for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership can be found at https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/trade/free-trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements-in-force/cptpp/comprehensive-and-progressive-agreement-for-trans-pacific-partnership-text-and-resources/, as New Zealand acts as the depositary for all Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership documents.
These documents should be read in conjunction with Annex A of the UK Accession Protocol, which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/accession-protocol-of-the-uk-to-the-cptpp.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will publish a list of domestic agencies that will be required to certify imports from CPTPP countries once the agreement has been ratified.
Answered by Greg Hands
Imports from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Members to the UK must comply with UK import requirements, including any relevant product regulations, and any relevant tariffs. This is true of all imports and includes products from the EU and other longstanding trading partners, which includes many of the existing Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Members.
Food and feed imports from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership countries are already, and will remain subject, to the UK's official controls regime, including documentary, identification, and physical checks at the border. The UK assurance system for official controls in the agri-food chain is published at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/assuring-standards-in-uk-food-and-farming-after-eu-exit.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what her Department’s (a) budget and (b) staff headcount is for trade and investment hubs in (i) Scotland, (ii) Wales, (iii) Northern Ireland and (iv) Darlington.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The budgets and FTE for the trade and investment hubs, as at period end 30 September 2023, are:
Hub | Budget | Headcount |
Scotland | £1,775,602 | 12 |
Wales | £1,351,775 | 12 |
Northern Ireland | £1,251,975 | 10 |
This excludes the budget for the Northern Ireland Investment Summit.
There are Trade and Investment staff based in Darlington; however, they work across part of a larger team which focus on a range of activities across the UK.