Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to negotiate the reduction or elimination of tariffs on the export of Northern Irish single malt whiskey to the US.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK government is committed to achieving the removal of punitive tariffs impacting UK industries, such as Northern Irish Whiskey Distillers, by de-escalating this dispute.
The Secretary of State for International Trade will be engaging the Biden administration at the earliest opportunity to find a mutually beneficial and balanced settlement that works for the whole of the UK and to the benefit of UK businesses. We want to de-escalate and resolve the disputes so that we can deepen trading ties with the US and move onto the next phase of our trading relationship.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure UK music remains internationally competitive (a) during and (b) after the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for International Trade consistently champions the British music industry and the incredible talent which makes the sector such a great success story for the UK.
The Government has put in place unprecedented support for businesses and workers to protect them against the economic impact of COVID-19. In 2020/21, the Government is providing export support of around £1 million to UK music companies. Most of this is grant support offered to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the UK’s music sector through the International Showcase Fund and the Music Export Growth Scheme. Companies in Northern Ireland have benefited from both schemes, with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland supporting the International Showcase Fund as funding partners.
During the pandemic, the Government has provided support for digital events so music companies can continue to do business with international customers. The Government is working closely with the Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board, which includes music representatives, to develop a creative industries trade and investment recovery strategy which will enable the UK music sector to maintain its strong international position.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to strengthen trade cooperation in the high-tech sector with Israel.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK and Israel have a strong and important trading relationship, and we are committed to strengthening that relationship.
We have a dedicated team based in our Embassy in Tel Aviv which actively promotes trade cooperation between UK and Israeli companies.
We have also established a UK-Israel Tech Hub, which helps to create partnerships between British companies and world class Israeli innovators across a wide range of tech sectors, including agriculture.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to increase trade in the agricultural technology sector with Israel.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK and Israel have a strong and important trading relationship, and we are committed to strengthening that relationship.
We have a dedicated team based in our Embassy in Tel Aviv which actively promotes trade cooperation between UK and Israeli companies.
We have also established a UK-Israel Tech Hub, which helps to create partnerships between British companies and world class Israeli innovators across a wide range of tech sectors, including agriculture.
Asked by: Ian Paisley (Democratic Unionist Party - North Antrim)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to increase trade in medical research and development with Israel.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK and Israel have a strong and important trading relationship, and we are committed to strengthening it. We have a dedicated team in our Embassy in Tel Aviv which actively promotes UK-Israel trade. They have succeeded in increasing the export of medical devices to Israel.
The UK-Israel Tech Hub, based at the Embassy, helps to create tech and innovation partnerships across several sectors, including healthcare. One of their projects, the UK-Israel Dangoor Healthcare Initiative, aims to create a pipeline of digital innovation for the NHS.
There is also extensive bilateral collaborative medical research between the UK and Israel.