Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans his Department has to support export businesses grow the sales talent required to take advantage of new export markets.
Answered by Greg Hands
As announced in the Industrial Strategy, My noble Friend the Minister for State for Trade and Export Promotion (Baroness Fairhead) will lead the creation of a new export strategy. Reporting in spring 2018, the Export Strategy review will ensure that the government has the right financial, practical and promotional support in place for new and existing exporters to sell overseas as we leave the EU. My noble Friend will be engaging with a number of government departments across Whitehall.
In addition to our existing services, we are already piloting intensive export growth support for potential scale-ups and particularly ambitious medium sized businesses.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on ensuring that businesses have access to the sales skills they need for exporting after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands
As announced in the Industrial Strategy, My noble Friend the Minister for State for Trade and Export Promotion (Baroness Fairhead) will lead the creation of a new export strategy. Reporting in spring 2018, the Export Strategy review will ensure that the government has the right financial, practical and promotional support in place for new and existing exporters to sell overseas as we leave the EU. My noble Friend will be engaging with a number of government departments across Whitehall.
In addition to our existing services, we are already piloting intensive export growth support for potential scale-ups and particularly ambitious medium sized businesses.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations he has made to his US counterpart on lifting the US ban on haggis imports.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
We are working with the US authorities to ensure the restrictions on British lamb are lifted as soon as possible. The US has a longstanding ban on the use of animal lungs as food, but the Scottish haggis industry is working on a US-specific recipe to allow the industry access to the US market at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the dates were of the most recent meetings between Ministers of his Department and their counterparts in the devolved administrations; and what the dates are of the next planned meetings.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
DIT Ministers and officials engage with the Devolved Administrations in a variety of ways, including having given evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee. We will continue to engage closely with the Devolved Administrations in the future to support trade and investment across the UK.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many businesses in Stirling constituency are engaged with his Department in promoting their export sales.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
The Department for International Trade (DIT) does not publish export data on a constituency or a country level. Nevertheless, DIT can identify that Scottish companies have used DIT export support programmes including the Tradeshow Access Programme, services accessed through the great.gov.uk digital platform, activities in the High Value Campaigns and commissioned Overseas Market Information Services. Companies such as Alexander Dennis have also utilised UK Export Finance support such as their recent contract to supply buses to Mexico.
Asked by: Stephen Kerr (Conservative - Stirling)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what programmes his Department provides to small and medium-sized businesses in Scotland to support the expansion of export sales.
Answered by Mark Garnier - Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Work and Pensions)
The Department for International Trade provides support to businesses in all four nations of the Union, through programmes like the Overseas Market Information Service and via the High Value Campaigns. In addition, our digital platform GREAT.GOV.UK provides access to millions of pounds’ worth of business opportunities; and provides a searchable export directory to match businesses.
UK Export Finance (UKEF) offers finance and credit insurance to Scottish businesses to ensure no viable export fails. UKEF has Export Finance Managers based in Scotland to help businesses get paid for their overseas sales.