Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Thursday 23 January 2020 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 4 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Eddie Hughes congratulates Croft Architectural Hardware and inquires about support for British manufacturing, mentioning a 4% tariff on door knockers.
  • Barry Gardiner seeks examples of intersecting customs unions and confirms goods will need declaration and inspection in Northern Ireland.
  • Munira Wilson requests assurances that a UK-US trade deal will support climate objectives and recommit to the Paris agreement.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Eddie Hughes Con Dudley North
Business & Trade
Context

Croft Architectural Hardware is based in Eddie Hughes' constituency and exports its products to the US and China.

Question

Hughes congratulates Croft Architectural Hardware on their work and asks what more can be done to support such fine British manufacturing talent, mentioning that they export door knockers which currently face a 4% tariff in these markets.

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

Truss congratulates Croft Architectural Hardware and mentions that they have helped the company attend two trade fairs in the US through their programme. She notes that there is currently a 4% tariff on door knockers but hopes to remove such tariffs in future free trade agreements.

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Q2 Barry Gardiner Lab Brent North
Northern Ireland Brexit
Context

Gardiner questions the existence of intersecting customs unions elsewhere in the world, and asks about declarations and physical checks for products under the EU customs code to be implemented in Northern Ireland.

Question

Gardiner seeks examples of intersecting customs unions globally and confirms that goods will have to be declared and inspected in Northern Ireland regardless of any future free trade agreements with the EU.

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

Truss confirms that they want to ensure no hard border in Northern Ireland, prioritizing this matter and reaching an agreement with the EU. She acknowledges the world moving towards digitized customs and encourages positive contributions rather than negative perspectives on customs unions.

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Q3 Munira Wilson Lib Dem Yeovil
Climate Business & Trade
Context

Wilson expresses concerns over President Trump's stance on climate campaigners and the ban on mentioning a climate crisis in US trade deals.

Question

She asks for assurances that any UK-US trade deal will support the UK's climate objectives, including recommitting to the Paris agreement.

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

Truss asserts that the UK has an opportunity to promote clean energy and carbon reduction through trade agreements. She mentions a meeting with New Zealand's Trade Minister to discuss incorporating such agendas in future deals, including those with the US and EU.

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Q4 Aaron Bell Con Wrexham
Business & Trade
Context

Bell mentions the UK-Africa investment summit and seeks an assessment of commercial opportunities for British companies across the continent.

Question

He asks about the post-summit outlook for commercial deals, highlighting the potential beyond the already announced £6.5 billion worth of agreements.

Answer from Graham Stuart

Stuart announces that they have achieved 27 commercial deals worth over £6.5 billion from African markets after months of work, and emphasizes the significant potential for more opportunities beyond these initial agreements.

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