Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Fireworks Regulations 2004 for mitigating the impact of fireworks on noise pollution.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Fireworks Regulations 2004 set a maximum noise limit of 120 decibels on all consumer fireworks. It should be noted, however, that many consumer fireworks go off at a noise level below this rate, as demonstrated in the Government’s noise testing research, published in February 2023.
Lower noise fireworks are also commercially available to consumers to purchase if they wish to, potentially reducing distress to vulnerable groups and animals. The Government has no current plans to reduce the maximum permitted noise level of fireworks for consumer use but we continue to monitor the situation.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2023 to Question 188011 on Trade Advisory Groups, if she will list the dates of Trade Advisory Groups meetings that have taken place since June 2023.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Engagement on trade policy continues at all levels and with all our key stakeholders, to help secure the best outcomes for the UK in trade policy. Over summer 2023, convening Trade Advisory Groups have not formed part of our program of engagement.
Following its creation, the Department for Business and Trade is considering how best to broaden and deepen our engagement with business and stakeholders to harness the power of the new Department.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential financial impact of the UKs accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership on the domestic hen egg industry.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Global trade flows on shell eggs are minimal given difficulties in transporting over long distances and exports of egg products are not significant within the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) membership. The UK did not import any eggs from CPTPP Parties in 2022. We will retain tariffs on eggs and egg products until year 10 of the agreement. For Australia, eggs will remain subject to Most Favoured Nation tariff rates.
The British Poultry Council was included in the department’s Trade Advisory Group on agri-food, which met regularly. The British Egg Industry Council was included in a CPTPP roundtable with agricultural stakeholders. The consultation exercises run by the UK Government for CPTPP received almost 150,000 responses, and we published our response to these in 2021.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department held consultations with the (a) poultry and (b) egg industry before the UK's accession Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Global trade flows on shell eggs are minimal given difficulties in transporting over long distances and exports of egg products are not significant within the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) membership. The UK did not import any eggs from CPTPP Parties in 2022. We will retain tariffs on eggs and egg products until year 10 of the agreement. For Australia, eggs will remain subject to Most Favoured Nation tariff rates.
The British Poultry Council was included in the department’s Trade Advisory Group on agri-food, which met regularly. The British Egg Industry Council was included in a CPTPP roundtable with agricultural stakeholders. The consultation exercises run by the UK Government for CPTPP received almost 150,000 responses, and we published our response to these in 2021.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many applications were received by UK Export Finance for green energy projects in (a) 2022 and (b) each of the previous four years; and how many and what proportion of those applications were successful.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The number of formal applications received by UK Export Finance (UKEF) for support for either projects featuring renewable energy generation or companies involved in the green energy sector, and the number of applications that were successful, were as follows:
Calendar year | Formal applications received | Successful applications |
2018 | 1 | 1 |
2019 | 1 | 1 |
2020 | 3 | 3 |
2021 | 2 | 2 |
2022 | 3 | 1 |
This does not include trade finance support for UK exporters operating in the green energy sector, which is typically lower value (facilities valued up to £25 million) and shorter-term (with maximum repayment terms of up to 5 years).
Other businesses made enquiries to UKEF about the nature of support available, but did not make formal applications for support.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many officials in her Department are working on free trade negotiations.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
As of 31/05/23 the Department for Business and Trade (ex-DIT only) had 522 members of staff working on free trade negotiations.
Due to the ongoing Machine of Government changes, this figure does not include staff from ex-BEIS who will transfer over to the Department of Business and Trade, to join the Trade Negotiations group.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on the Energy Charter Treaty.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Ministers and officials from the Department for Business and Trade have been engaging with ministers and officials from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero on the Energy Charter Treaty and will continue to do so, as appropriate.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with which states in the United States of America her Department is negotiating a memorandum of understanding.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are taking a twin-track approach to trade engagement in the United States, strengthening our ties with individual states in parallel to our work with the federal government – including through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on trade and economic cooperation.
We have signed five MoUs so far – with the states of Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Utah. We have further announced our intent to pursue an MoU with Colorado, and are actively engaging with states including California, Texas, and Florida to deepen economic cooperation.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many applications have been made to UK Export Finance for projects relating to green energy in 2023.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
UK Export Finance (UKEF) has received 7 formal applications for support for projects featuring renewable energy generation during the current calendar year. Other businesses have made enquiries to UKEF about the nature of support available, but have not yet made formal applications.
UKEF has also supported other transactions during the year relating to the construction of electric and hydrogen vehicles, including buses.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department has taken to help ensure UK businesses benefit from the rules of origin requirements in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department is supporting businesses by creating a range of products and services to explain what has been agreed in Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and bilateral agreements, and how they can benefit. This will include specific guidance on rules of origin. Businesses can also access support via the Export Support Service, or through our network of International Trade Advisors.
Where the UK also has a bilateral free trade agreement in place with a CPTPP member, traders will be able to choose which agreement they wish to trade under. Businesses can compare preferential tariffs rates but also consider the administrative processes involved, including the rules of origin.