Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many hours officials in her Department have worked to (a) attend and (b) support the policy agenda of the National Council of Maritime UK since 2019-20 to date.

The National Council meets three times a year. Department for International Trade (DIT) officials have generally attended these meetings, which last around three hours. It is one of the mechanisms used to engage with industry. DIT along with other Government Departments attends to provide an update and hear from Stakeholders about their issues. It is a good forum for engagement with the sector on international trade and investment policy as it relates to the maritime sector.