Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to increase food and drink exports from Scotland to (a) Asia (b) South America and (c) Africa.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) supports companies in Scotland and the rest of the UK to trade globally through initiatives including the GREAT campaign, Export Campaigns, the Tradeshow Access Programme and financial support offered by UK Export Finance. The Department’s Export Strategy sets out how we will put in place the right practical, promotional and financial support to help businesses to grow sustainably by exporting. This also includes support from dedicated food and drink teams working for Her Majesty's Trade Commissioners across Asia Pacific, Latin America and Africa.

DIT also supports the Government’s work to gain overseas market access for produce from the UK. In China, we have secured market access for seed potatoes, a huge boon to the Scottish farming industry which delivers about 70% of the UK seed potato export volume, alongside access for beef, where UK exports are expected to be worth £250m over 5 years.