Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the potential for trade policies after the UK has left the EU to support communities in developing countries.

Trade is a key driver of economic growth.

The UK is committed to ensuring developing countries can reduce poverty through trading opportunities. The Department for International Development and the Department for International Trade are working together to ensure development and global prosperity are at the heart of UK trade and investment policy.

The evidence indicates that when countries have the right resources, trade can help bring wider benefits to the community, allowing them to lift themselves out of poverty and become our trading partners of the future.