Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact on the UK manufacturing industry of a free trade agreement with India.

On 13^th January, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade formally launched UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, during her visit to New Delhi. An ambitious UK-India FTA could boost UK exports by up to £16.7 billion across a range of sectors, in the long run. This could serve to benefit all nations and regions of the UK. Our analysis shows that UK manufacturers could stand to benefit from an agreement, particularly in the automotive and electrical equipment sectors.