Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Kerr Excerpts

Wednesday 13th June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Alun Cairns]

My hon. Friend is obviously very interested in how the successor to European aid programmes will work, as I am in relation to west Wales and the valleys in general. We have committed to a UK shared prosperity fund, which will allow us—this is one of the benefits of leaving the European Union—to come up with a much simpler and more targeted approach that can help the poorest communities across the UK.

[Stephen Kerr (Stirling) (Con)]

12. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on supporting Welsh companies to export.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Stuart Andrew)]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I hold regular discussions with colleagues on the promotion of Welsh exports, and I am pleased to say that those exports continue to grow. The latest figures show that the value of exports from Wales, including those to destinations outside the EU, increased by more than 7% over the past year.

[Stephen Kerr]

E-commerce gives even the smallest Welsh businesses the opportunity to get into exporting. What will the Department do to encourage the use of e-commerce among small and medium-sized businesses in Wales?

[Stuart Andrew]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to mention that. Indeed, a good example is Net World Sports in Wrexham. That is an example of Welsh success in the retail market. Over 60% of its sales were in foreign markets last year, and it has won numerous industry awards in recognition of its success. There will be more of that in the future.