Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if the Government will appoint a trade envoy to the Republic of India.

As the Honourable Member is aware, India is a dynamic, fast-growing trade partner and negotiating a free trade agreement offers the opportunity to deepen our already strong relationship, which was worth £34 billion in the year to end Q3 2022.

The position remains the same and there are currently no plans to appoint a Trade Envoy to India, however, we regularly review countries and markets to identify where the appointment of a Trade Envoy can be of greatest benefit to the trade and investment aims of the UK, alongside the Department’s other support for exporters and investors.