Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK withdrawing from the EU on the promotion of UK trade with other Commonwealth countries.

Withdrawing from the EU will give us the opportunity to shape our own international trade and investment opportunities, drive even greater openness with international partners and put Britain firmly at the forefront of global trade and investment.

We already enjoy excellent trading relationships with Commonwealth partners and we are committed to strengthening these further.

The UK is co-hosting, with Malta, the inaugural Commonwealth Trade Minister’s meeting in London in March 2017. This will be an excellent opportunity to promote greater trade and investment within the Commonwealth.