Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many non-EU countries he has had discussions with on potential negotiations for a trade deal after the UK has left the EU.

We cannot negotiate and conclude trade agreements while we are a member of the EU, but we can have discussions on our future trading relationships. We have already announced working groups and dialogues on our future trading relationships with seven markets: Australia, China, India, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea and the Gulf Cooperation Council, which comprises six countries. As the Prime Minister has said, we want to build a truly Global Britain—a great, global, trading nation that is one of the firmest advocates for free trade anywhere in the world.