Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions her Department has had with the (a) Farmers Union of Wales and (b) National Union of Farmers in Wales about the contents of the UK trade deal with New Zealand.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
As members of the Department for International Trade’s Trade Advisory Groups, senior representatives of the Farmers Union of Wales and the National Union of Farmers in Wales were regularly consulted throughout the negotiations with New Zealand and at key milestones: before agreement in principle was reached in August 2021; at the point of agreement in principle in October 2021; and at signature in February 2022.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she plans to appoint a UK Trade Envoy to Zimbabwe.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
We are constantly reviewing suitable markets to identify where the appointment of a Trade Envoy can be of greatest benefit to the Government’s trade and investment objectives.
There are no plans at present to add Zimbabwe to the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy Programme.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what further steps she will take to increase exports of UK steel.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Department for International Trade recently published our refreshed Export Strategy with an action-led 12-point plan. We have introduced a whole new range of support measures to help exporters thrive in the global market, internationalising key trading sectors, and raising the UK’s exporting culture in the long-term.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent progress her Department has made on securing a free trade agreement with the United States.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
We have had five productive rounds of negotiations to date and agreed a significant proportion of legal text across multiple chapters.
In September 2021, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister and the President of the United State agreed to continue working towards a future Free Trade Agreement.
In December 2021, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade travelled to the US to bolster UK-US trade ties, support increased transatlantic trade and investment, and build on our shared interests and priorities with the US.
During my visit in December, I held productive meetings with Governors, Mayors, Commissioners, and business leaders. These stakeholders had great interest in doing more trade with the UK, including Memoranda of Understanding agreement, which we are following up.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that SMEs in Newport West constituency can benefit from free trade agreements.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
It is important that UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including those in Newport West, can trade with confidence.
HM Government has achieved and will continue to seek specific SME chapters in all our Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). These chapters ensure that SMEs are provided with the information necessary to take informed commercial decisions and benefit from the reduction in trade barriers achieved throughout our FTAs. This supports our SMEs to seize these new trade opportunities.
HM Government encourage SMEs to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by our FTAs and it will continue to ensure their needs are factored in throughout new FTAs.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans the Maritime Capability Campaign Office has to engage with the UK's maritime industry to set priorities and support maritime businesses to export.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Department for International Trade (DIT) is developing ambitious plans to support exports and investment in the Maritime sector as part of the upcoming National Shipbuilding Strategy Refresh. We will be able to provide more detail on these plans following publication of the Refresh. DIT is committed to the maritime sector and works closely with it on a wide range of export issues and opportunities.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans her Department has to provide SMEs in the maritime sector with grants to support their attendance at international trade shows.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Department for International Trade recently launched its new Export Strategy which included announcing the UK Tradeshow Programme. The scheme provides eligible UK businesses in all sectors, including Maritime, with bespoke trade show educational support to help maximise their potential and optimise their exhibition experience. Some applicants will also be offered financial assistance towards eligible costs.
Applications opened on 30 November 2021 with the aim of supporting businesses who are looking to exhibit. The programme will expand from January 2022, offering support to businesses to attend a show as a precursor to deciding whether to exhibit in the future. Further information, including details on how companies can apply for the programme, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-tradeshow-programme.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he Department will take to encourage global investment in the UK's maritime sector.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Department is already taking steps to increase global investment into the UK’s maritime sector to complement the Government’s ambitions. The UK intends to establish 10 freeports across the country with at least one in every nation of the UK. Several of these will promote maritime clusters and will act as national hubs for global trade and investment across the UK. Additionally, the recent launch of DIT's Investment Atlas allows prospective investors to navigate the UK’s investment environment. The tool identifies several maritime sub-sectors such as off-shore wind and green shipping as areas of potential.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2021 to Question 75126 on UN Climate Conference 2021: Government, how many Ministers in her Department travelled to COP26 by airplane.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
No Department for International Trade Ministers travelled to COP26 by airplane.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has discussed the role of trade policy in helping to tackle climate change with the Welsh Government.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
We are supporting climate change objectives by using trade policy to facilitate the uptake and spread of low carbon goods and services, addressing market distorting practices, reaffirming the United Kingdom’s sovereign right to regulate and driving cooperation on trade and climate change issues through international forums.
Close engagement and collaboration with all Devolved Administrations across the United Kingdom is important, including on environmental chapters and clauses. The Welsh Government is able to feed into trade negotiations at every stage of the process, and their contribution has directly shaped the development of British trade policy.