Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department is seeking further state-level trade and economic memorandums of understanding with US states; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government sees huge potential to grow trade with US states by promoting UK business, tackling barriers, and attracting investment.
Building on Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) concluded last year with Indiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina, the Government is actively engaging with further states, including Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, and California.
Signature is just the start. Using MoUs to deliver results for business, the UK has already completed working groups with Indiana and North Carolina, which highlighted opportunities in government procurement and offshore wind respectively. The Government will hold expanded sessions with each state involving UK industry later this year.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether any chapters have been concluded during negotiations for a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Two rounds of negotiations on a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have been held, covering all the objectives outlined in the UK’s Strategic Approach. The UK has exchanged draft chapter text with the GCC across most policy areas.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff in her Department have formal arrangements to work from home during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department for International Trade (DIT), including UK Export Finance, has been operating a policy of working from home by default for those staff living and working in the United Kingdom, in line with UK Government guidelines. We have provided guidance on working from home, including information on the safe and secure use of technology and data, as well as advice on wellbeing, mental health and staying connected.
There are a small number of essential staff who are working in the office where work cannot be undertaken remotely. We estimate that this is currently in the region of 10 at any one time. This is by exception and requires prior approval from a senior manager.
For our workforce based overseas, we are working closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to adopt appropriate working arrangements based on the specific circumstances of the countries we are operating in. This includes temporary return to the UK in some instances. The vast majority of DIT staff in overseas locations have the ability to work remotely and have been instructed to do so, in line with UK Government advice.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which Government department has the lead responsibility for assessing each of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
Answered by Mark Garnier
Criterion | Lead Department |
Criterion 1 | FCO |
Criterion 2 | FCO |
Criterion 3 | FCO |
Criterion 4 | FCO |
Criterion 5 | MOD |
Criterion 6 | FCO |
Criterion 7 | MOD and FCO |
Criterion 8 | DfID |
Further details are set out in Annex A of the United Kingdom Strategic Export Controls Annual Report 2015. Although this publication predates the creation of the Department for International Trade, the lead departments as set out above are unchanged. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-annual-report-on-strategic-export-controls-2015).
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he discussed deaths related to the war on drugs in the Philippines at his meeting with the President of the Philippines on 4 April 2017.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to the hon Member for Hornsey and Wood Green on 20/04/17 UIN 70775.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many licence applications have been refused under Criterion 2c of the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria in each year since 2008; and what the destination country was of each of those applications so refused.
Answered by Mark Garnier
I refer the hon Member to the answer given by my hon Friend for Broxtowe (Anna Soubry), the then Minister of State for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, to the hon Member for Leeds Central on 4 May, UIN 36102.
Since this answer was provided a further 10 Standard Individual Export Licence applications have been refused under Criterion 2.
Licences granted and refused are published as Official Statistics, on a quarterly basis, at www.gov.uk.