Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the criteria for selecting the countries to which the Prime Minister has appointed trade envoys; and when all national priority countries will have trade envoys appointed.

The Trade Envoy Programme supports British businesses and attracts investment into the UK. The programme works in collaboration with other trade promotion activities and focuses on emerging and high growth markets where additional senior interactions can be valuable, or larger economies where multiple interactions at different levels are effective.

We are regularly reviewing countries and markets to identify where the appointment of a Trade Envoy can be of greatest benefit to the trade and investment aims of the UK with the Prime Minister ultimately making that decision. Consideration is also given to appointing multiple trade envoys where this could be advantageous to the UK.

The Prime Minister has not appointed a Trade Envoy to India.

The UK remains committed to strengthening its long, positive and wide-ranging trading relationship with India which was worth £24.3 billion in 2021 by continued ministerial engagement and dialogue including the desire to secure a Free Trade Agreement.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) analyses suitable countries, regions, and markets to identify where the appointment of a Trade Envoy can be of greatest benefit to the trade and investment aims of the UK, with the Prime Minister ultimately making the decision to appoint.

DIT following a review will make recommendations of the future size and scope of the Trade Envoy programme, including for India, to the next Prime Minister in due course.