Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent progress has been made on securing UK participation in the plurilateral Government Procurement Agreement.
Answered by George Hollingbery
We remain committed to maintaining participation of the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) and ensuring that UK businesses can continue to access government procurement opportunities overseas.
The UK market access offer, which is in line with our current rights and obligations in the GPA, was circulated formally to WTO GPA parties in June and discussed at the GPA Committee meetings on 27 June and 17 October. Officials have engaged extensively and openly with all GPA parties throughout this process and continue to work towards securing our continued participation in the GPA.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 29 October to Written Question 182665 on Department for International Trade: World Trade Organisation, how many additional (a) permanent staff and (b) representatives at the World Trade Organisation have been recruited to the UK Mission in Geneva at the World Trade Organisation in preparation for the UK’s independent trade policy; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of recruiting those additional staff.
Answered by George Hollingbery
Since the Referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union the Government has recruited, or is in the process of recruiting, 13 additional members of staff to work on economic issues at the UK Mission in Geneva, including the UK’s engagement in the World Trade Organization. Staff were recruited either internally from the Civil Service or locally in Geneva. All recruitment was carried out in-house by existing government HR teams and the specific costs attributable for the recruitment for these positions at the UK Mission are not readily available. There was no recruitment (or advertising) through external suppliers. We continue to keep the level of staffing at the UK Mission under review.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he plans to increase the number of permanent staff and representatives at the World Trade Organisation in the event of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The Government has significantly increased resource at the UK Mission in Geneva dedicated to representing the UK at the World Trade Organization and other economic institutions, and is continuing to do so, in preparation for the UK’s independent trade policy upon leaving the European Union.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether gagging clauses have been used in contracts drawn up between his Department and any charities, voluntary sector organisations, social enterprises or companies with the intention of stopping any criticism of Ministers of his Department.
Answered by George Hollingbery
Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive
Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Government plans to devolve aspects of trade policy to the Northern Ireland Executive in the event that the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by George Hollingbery
International Trade is a reserved matter and the Department for International Trade is, and will remain, responsible for the UK’s future trade policy. As I set out in my Oral Statement on 16th July 2018, we will work closely with the Devolved Administrations on an ongoing basis to deliver an approach that works for the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will publish the (a) dates and (b) countries his Department's trade working groups have held meetings with since the creation of his Department.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The Government has announced 14 trade working groups across 21 countries to explore the best ways of progressing our trade and investment relationships, details of which have been made public. Individual announcements and statements on Working Groups are available on the department’s website.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Written Statement of 13 March 2018 on Spring Statement, HCWS540, how much of that funding he has allocated to (a) programmes, (b) administration and (c) staffing in his Department.
Answered by George Hollingbery
HM Treasury has allocated over £2 billion of additional funding to departments and the Devolved Administrations for EU exit preparations so far. This breaks down as:
£412m of additional funding over the spending review period for the Department for Exiting the European Union, Department for International Trade and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office at Autumn Statement 2016.
£286m of additional funding for 17/18 (a full breakdown of which can be found in Supplementary Estimates 17/18).
Over £1.5bn of additional funding for 18/19. A full breakdown of which can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, laid on the 13th March (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-13/HCWS540/)
The Department for International Trade was allocated £74m for costs arising as the UK leaves the EU in the Spring Statement 2018. The final breakdown between programme and administration spend will be confirmed in the Supplementary Estimates.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal the UK will be able to trade on WTO terms immediately with the EU.
Answered by George Hollingbery
We are negotiating to secure an ambitious and comprehensive future economic partnership with the EU, which will allow frictionless movement of goods between the UK and the EU. In the event of “no deal”, we will immediately revert to WTO terms for trade with the EU.