Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the cost to the public purse was (a) of his Department's legal team and (b) in legal fees to the appellant for his Department's defence of the 2017 High Court case on arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The cost to the public purse of (a) the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) legal team was £146,752.61, and (b) the cost to the public purse in legal fees to the appellant for this Department’s defence of the 2017 High Court case on arms sales to Saudi Arabia was £45,000. In addition, other money disbursed from the public purse for the purposes of this case was £138,292.14. This figure represents DIT legal costs to date associated with the Special Advocate representing the Appellant in closed proceedings in the Judicial Review.
The figures provided comprise net legal costs, including disbursement costs and these represent the legal cost to DIT. The legal costs provided here do not include figures spent by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence. There may also be further legal costs that have not yet been billed to the department.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with Chancellor of the Exchequer on his Department spending more UK-wide expenditure outwith the Barnett formula in Scotland over the last twelve months.
Answered by Greg Hands
My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade meets with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a regular basis to discuss a range of matters of mutual interest.
None of the Department’s funding is subject to the Barnett formula.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic effect of transferring the terms of the EU-South Korea trade deal to the UK after the UK leaves the EU without renegotiating those terms.
Answered by Greg Hands
Total trade between the UK and South Korea in goods and services has increased to approximately £11bn in 2015, from £6bn in 2010 when the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement was signed. The UK Government is committed to seeking continuity in its current trade and investment relationships, including those covered by EU free trade agreements or other EU preferential arrangements.
Sources
Data has been extracted from the latest release of the ONS Pink Book 2016, available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/unitedkingdombalanceofpaymentsthepinkbook2016
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans the Government has to renegotiate the terms of the EU-South Korea trade deal in the event that it is transferred to the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK Government is committed to seeking continuity in its current trade and investment relationships, including those covered by EU free trade agreements or other EU preferential arrangements. The UK-Korea Trade Working Group, which was established in December 2016, will discuss tackling barriers to trade and investment, wider global trade issues and how to ensure continuity for businesses, as well as exploring future trade opportunities following the UK’s exit from the EU.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations the Government has made to countries with trade deals with the EU about applying the terms of those deals to UK trade after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK Government is committed to seeking continuity in its current trade and investment relationships, including those covered by EU Free Trade Agreements or other EU preferential arrangements.
Our objective is to provide continuity for UK businesses as we leave the European Union.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations the Government has made to countries with trade deals with the EU on renegotiating the terms of those deals for trade with the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands
The UK Government is committed to seeking continuity in its current trade and investment relationships, including those covered by EU Free Trade Agreements or other EU preferential arrangements.
Our objective is to provide continuity for UK businesses as we leave the European Union.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations his Department has received from industry on renegotiating the terms of the EU's trade deal with South Korea before its terms are transferred to the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Department engages widely with businesses, representative bodies, civil society, and other stakeholders, and will continue to do so as it works with trading partners to seek continuity in current trade and investment relationships.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department plans to align arms export policy with the EU Common Position on Arms Exports when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
Common Position 2008/944/CFSP is given effect in the UK through the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. This has the status of guidance given under Section 9 of the Export Control Act 2002. After the UK leaves the EU, they will remain in force until such time as any new or amended guidance is announced to Parliament.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations he has received from the the Government of the Dominican Republic on replicating its EU-wide trade deal with the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government is committed to seeking continuity in its current trade and investment relationships, including the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement which includes the Dominican Republic. My noble Friend, the former Minister of State for Trade Policy (Lord Price), and UK trade officials met with representatives of the CARIFORUM Member States, including the Dominican Republic, in the spring to begin discussions to achieve this.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations have been made to the Government of the Dominican Republic on replicating its EU-wide trade deal with the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government is committed to seeking continuity in its current trade and investment relationships, including the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement which includes the Dominican Republic. My noble Friend, the former Minister of State for Trade Policy (Lord Price), and UK trade officials met with representatives of the CARIFORUM Member States, including the Dominican Republic, in the spring to begin discussions to achieve this.