Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to increase trade between the UK and India.

The Department for International Trade is already working to increase trade between the UK and India and strengthen our trade partnership. Our productive collaboration with the Government of India through ministerial JETCO meetings and the official-led Joint Working Group on Trade is continuing to make progress in unblocking market access barriers, building on the UK-India Joint Trade Review. The appointment of Crispin Simon, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, provides a joined-up and coordinated government effort, with increased focus on tackling market access barriers to grow bilateral trade. Trade continues to grow, in 2018 UK-India overall trade increased by 14% to £20.5bn in comparison to 2017.