Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate he has made of the value of increased British business that will accrue as a result of the opening of the new office of his Department in San Diego in the US.

The UK Government Offices (UKGOs) in Raleigh-Durham, Minneapolis-St Paul and San Diego were announced by my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade in July 2016 and opened in February 2017. Each office is staffed by one officer, recruited locally in the US on behalf of HMG.

The locations were chosen because of their economic productivity and well-established research and development institutions and the three cities offer exciting opportunities for increased trade with and investment in the UK. The officers build relationships with key companies, politicians and educational centres and support wider HMG goals on economic reform, market access, innovation, and climate change. Along with the other UKGOs in Denver and Seattle, they contribute to the achievement of our overall trade and investment goals with the US.