Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they are expecting to announce the interim measures to improve the retail export scheme.

The Government launched the Retail Industry International Action Plan in March 2013. The plan has two main elements which aims to deliver £500 million of value to the UK economy and assist 1,000 UK companies:

1. We are assisting UK retailers to grow internationally through global campaigns in high growth markets such as China, India, the ASEAN markets and Emerging Europe. The work has included taking 250 companies to new markets through high level trade missions and we anticipate taking another 150 during this financial year. We are supporting UK retailers to participate in activities overseas, such as the World Retail Congress series of events, and targeting UK consumer goods exporters/retailers at trade shows in the UK to offer export assistance.

2. HMG are committed to deliver support to UK consumer goods exporters/retailers seeking to grow globally through online channels. As part of this programme UKTI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TMall (part of the Alibaba Group) to help UK companies sell via China's largest internet retailer. We are now in the process of negotiating MoUs with a number of leading platforms across the globe. We will be officially launching the e-Exporting programme in Autumn 2014. We are recruiting Digital Specialists who will work with UKTI's International Trade Advisors to bring the skills UK companies require to succeed in this fast growing area of commerce.