Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with (1) the Department for the Economy, and (2) Invest Northern Ireland, concerning access for Northern Ireland companies arising from trade negotiations between the UK and Israel.

The UK Government is responsible for negotiating international trade agreements on behalf of all the nations and regions in the UK. DBT understands that the devolved governments have a significant interest in international trade policy and works closely with them to deliver policy that reflects the interests of all parts of the UK.

The UK Government, however, suspended trade negotiations with Israel on 20^th May, owing to the actions of this Israeli Government in Gaza and the West Bank. It will take a sustained shift in the positions of this Israeli government for the UK to consider restarting the FTA negotiations.