Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many meetings he has had with representatives of UK arms manufacturers on the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade has met a number of defence companies since his appointment. The meetings have covered a range of topics, including the UK’s Exit from the European Union.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK conducts its arms trade in a responsible manner.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
The primary way that the Government ensures responsible trade in defence equipment is through our system of export controls. All export licences are assessed on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. The Consolidated Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework. A licence will not be issued if to do so would be inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if the Government will review its policy on granting export licences to Saudi Arabia, taking into account recent evidence on the incidence of human rights abuses in Yemen.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
All export licences are issued in strict accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. The framework was announced to parliament by the former Secretary of State at the former Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Rt. Hon Member for Twickenham, Sir Vince Cable, as a Written Ministerial Statement on 25 March 2014.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to improve trade relations with (a) Tunisia and (b) other Northern African countries.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
The UK has strong trade relations across North Africa. DIT teams support British companies exporting and investing throughout the region, including through trade missions in both directions. The Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys to Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt (with a watching brief on Libya) support this work, including through trade discussions with Government Ministers in these countries. The Lord Mayor of the City of London also visited the region this year. UK Export Finance (UKEF) has significant capacity to support UK exports to North Africa. UKEF recently increased its capacity for Egypt and will be reviewing its limits for other North African countries.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which areas of the Japanese market are considered to be the most attractive to British exporters.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
As a large and diversified market, the Japanese market is attractive to a wide range of UK exporters in both goods and services and was the 11th largest destination for UK exports in 2015.
In 2016, the top five UK goods exported to Japan were: Machinery and mechanical appliances; Motor vehicles; pharmaceuticals; optical, photographic, cinematographic and medical instruments; and electrical machinery and equipment.
In 2015, the top UK services exported to Japan were financial services, other business services and transportation services.
Sources: ONS Pink Book; HMRC Interactive Database
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many new international trade agreements the Government has concluded since 1 January 2017.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
The UK Government cannot negotiate and conclude trade agreements whilst we are still members of the European Union.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many trade delegates he has led since taking up his position; and to which countries he has led those delegates.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
Since July 2016, the Department has led 51 trade missions to key markets across the world covering over 19 sectors, with an average number of 15 delegates per mission. My Rt. Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade accompanied the Prime Minister with a business delegation to India in November 2016.
The Department for International Trade Ministers undertook 134 visits in the Department’s first year; 97 were overseas, underlining the Department’s commitment to helping British companies win business in international markets.