Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the effect on development impact of the TradeConnect initiative.

At the UK-Africa Investment Summit on 20 January 2020, the UK announced its commitment to helping African countries break down barriers for trade and investment. We are strengthening Britain’s trading partnerships with an offer that supports both British and African businesses to trade more and grow faster.

The new £20million Trade Connect programme will help businesses in developing countries overcome these barriers and sell more internationally. TradeConnect will therefore contribute to development by supporting growth creation in targeted firms and sectors.