Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) veterinary certification guidance, (b) trade missions and (c) inclusion in mentorship schemes on Lancashire producers.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We will continue to work with Defra colleagues to support businesses and producers where appropriate.
Trade missions are promoted widely to companies in Lancashire through direct marketing and partners. Following the mission to Food & Hospitality China, in November 2024, Lancashire companies have forecast increased sales from new international business.
International Trade Advisers provide support for eligible businesses that require tailored advice to grow their international sales. DBT has seven Food & Drink Export Champions in the North, one of which is based in Lancashire.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his speech at the British Chamber of Commerce on 20 March 2025, what (a) the priority markets are that he has identified, (b) (i) targets and (ii) key performance indicators will be applied to ambassadors in priority markets, (c) additional diplomatic capacity will be provided to priority markets and (d) the forthcoming programme of domestic roadshows announced will be; on what dates the Lancaster House Business Engagement Series will be taking place in (i) 2025 and (ii) future years; and which businesses he intends to invite to the Lancaster House Business Engagement Series.
Answered by Catherine West
The FCDO's approach to driving growth is focusing on the EU, the US and China, and a range of other economically important markets, such as India and Japan. Our Heads of Mission have begun producing Strategic Economic Growth Plans, identifying top opportunities and key deliverables across the Industrial Strategy's growth-driving sectors. Given trade and commercial sensitivities, these plans will not be published. The programme of domestic roadshows, the Lancaster House Business Engagement Series, and the Diplomatic Placement Programme are currently under development. The FCDO is finalising a workforce strategy for the next Spending Review period. This will ensure that resource and capability prioritises the Government's Missions with a clearer focus on accountability and delivery.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his speech to the British Chamber of Commerce on 20 March 2025, with which firms he has discussed seconding diplomats to; and for how long a diplomat will be seconded to BAE Systems.
Answered by Catherine West
The FCDO's approach to driving growth is focusing on the EU, the US and China, and a range of other economically important markets, such as India and Japan. Our Heads of Mission have begun producing Strategic Economic Growth Plans, identifying top opportunities and key deliverables across the Industrial Strategy's growth-driving sectors. Given trade and commercial sensitivities, these plans will not be published. The programme of domestic roadshows, the Lancaster House Business Engagement Series, and the Diplomatic Placement Programme are currently under development. The FCDO is finalising a workforce strategy for the next Spending Review period. This will ensure that resource and capability prioritises the Government's Missions with a clearer focus on accountability and delivery.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his speech to the British Chamber of Commerce on 20 March 2025, if he will make an estimate of the potential impact of each of the policies announced in that speech on economic growth.
Answered by Catherine West
The FCDO's approach to driving growth is focusing on the EU, the US and China, and a range of other economically important markets, such as India and Japan. Our Heads of Mission have begun producing Strategic Economic Growth Plans, identifying top opportunities and key deliverables across the Industrial Strategy's growth-driving sectors. Given trade and commercial sensitivities, these plans will not be published. The programme of domestic roadshows, the Lancaster House Business Engagement Series, and the Diplomatic Placement Programme are currently under development. The FCDO is finalising a workforce strategy for the next Spending Review period. This will ensure that resource and capability prioritises the Government's Missions with a clearer focus on accountability and delivery.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his speech at the British Chamber of Commerce on 20 March 2025, by what date he expects ambassadors to have produced Strategic Economic Growth Plans; and whether those plans will be published.
Answered by Catherine West
The FCDO's approach to driving growth is focusing on the EU, the US and China, and a range of other economically important markets, such as India and Japan. Our Heads of Mission have begun producing Strategic Economic Growth Plans, identifying top opportunities and key deliverables across the Industrial Strategy's growth-driving sectors. Given trade and commercial sensitivities, these plans will not be published. The programme of domestic roadshows, the Lancaster House Business Engagement Series, and the Diplomatic Placement Programme are currently under development. The FCDO is finalising a workforce strategy for the next Spending Review period. This will ensure that resource and capability prioritises the Government's Missions with a clearer focus on accountability and delivery.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many UK-based staff in his Department have been solely focused on relations with Asia Pacific nations in each year since 2010.
Answered by David Rutley
Data on the detail of individual staff roles and responsibilities is not held centrally.
The publication of the Integrated Review in March 2021 affirmed the UK's increased focus and long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific tilt is a whole of UK Government effort with staff focused on delivering UK objectives across the region, including to strengthen defence, security and trade partnerships, and to and uphold and promote the international rules based system.
A significant and increasing number of FCDO roles in the UK and across the global network, involve an element of China policy. This shift in focus and resource has been underway for a number of years. The FCDO dedicated an additional £3 million in 2020/21 and a further £3 million in 2022/23 to increase our capability on China, including a significantly expanded China Department and new China-related roles in the overseas network.
In addition, the UK continues to increase focus on the region. We have doubled the number of British High Commissions across the Pacific Island Countries over the past three years. The UK now has six High Commissions in the Pacific including: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu.
The UK also opened the UK Mission to ASEAN in 2019 to strengthen UK-ASEAN engagement. Since achieving ASEAN Dialogue Partner Status, the UK Mission to ASEAN has expanded with further roles planned by March 2023. We have also increased resourcing in a number of key Missions including Canberra, Jakarta, and Singapore. Recruitment is underway for new roles across trade, economics, cyber, media/communications, science and technology.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list the specific benefits that have accrued to (1) the UK music industry, and (2) musicians, as a result of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
HM Government is working with every sector to seize the economic and political opportunities arising from our departure from the European Union – ensuring that our laws, regulations, and policies are helping to boost growth, drive innovation, and increase the competitiveness of the United Kingdom. We are developing trade deals with priority markets – something we could not do while a member of the European Union – focusing on alleviating trade barriers to enhance the movement of goods, global sales of services, and a forward-thinking intellectual property framework.
We are already delivering on some of the key opportunities for the UK music industry and musicians. Recent analysis shows that the fastest-growing recorded music markets are outside the EU, in Latin America and Asia – driven by the rapid growth of streaming. The Department for International Trade delivers an export programme for music, focusing on these priority markets, with upcoming trade missions to the USA, Australia, India, China and Japan, and the British Music Embassy at ‘South by Southwest’ in Austin, Texas.
The Government recognises that the way musicians work in and with the European Union has changed that now we are no longer a member of it. The Government is committed to supporting the sector to adapt to these new arrangements, and has worked with sector representatives and directly with Member States to clarify what this entails.
In addition, the Government continues to provide export support for the UK’s creative industries through a range of export support programmes, including the successful Music Export Growth Scheme and the International Showcase Fund, designed to introduce successful UK music projects across the globe, in Europe and beyond.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many meetings her Department has had with representatives of the People's Republic of China since 12 January 2021; what was discussed at each of those meetings; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands
Neither Ministerial colleagues nor officials in London have met with the Chinese administration during this time.
Through the UK’s diplomatic missions in China, there is regular engagement with Chinese government counterparts to support UK trade interests.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of recent trade missions in promoting Scottish exports.
Answered by Lord Jack of Courance
In 2018- 2019, DIT organised 88 Ministerial visits to 49 export markets, to strengthen trading relationships, promote the UK as a destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and help grow demand for UK exports. A number of Ministerial Trade Dialogues were also held, including with China, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam.
Additionally, the Prime Minister’s 33 Trade Envoys undertook 55 overseas visits in 2018-19 to 42 different markets, supporting the Government’s overall strategy to drive economic growth.
The benefits of DIT’s activities in this sphere reach across the whole of the UK, including for Scottish businesses. HMRC estimated that over 6,700 businesses exported their goods from Scotland in the first quarter of 2019 - more than ever before. Recent work has also resulted in breaking down trade barriers for British businesses in Japan, following successful work by DIT to lift the ban on British beef and lamb.
Asked by: Lord Brennan of Canton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much money has been spent on promoting British tourism in (a) Europe, (b) Asia, (c) North America and (d) in total in each year since 2010.
Answered by Michael Ellis
VisitBritain and VisitEngland are responsible for promoting the UK as a tourist destination, through a range of different initiatives and campaigns. VisitBritain receive grant-in-aid totalling £19.4m from DCMS and VisitEngland receive £7m. They also receive £22.8m of GREAT funding to support promotion activities. For every £1 the Government has invested in VisitBritain for international marketing, an overseas visitor spends £20 in Britain.
Additionally, in 2017 VisitBritain participated in travel trade missions across the world such as Destination Britain: China, the World Travel Market, World Routes and Destination Britain: North America. They also hold a variety of domestic promotion events throughout the country.