Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

High Growth Global Markets

Thursday 25 February 2021 · 8 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial efforts focus on improving access for UK exporters to high growth global markets through securing new free trade agreements and removing trade barriers.
  • The UK is engaged in renewable energy projects in Mongolia, including solar and waste energy projects, to increase its export footprint.
  • The Department for International Trade works with over 200,000 UK businesses, supporting their export ambitions through various initiatives and sector teams.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Miriam Cates
Business & Trade
Context

The question follows from the Department's focus on increasing export opportunities. The questioner is seeking specific steps being taken by the department.

Question

What steps she is taking to improve access for UK exporters to high growth global markets.

Answer from Graham Stuart

Driving access for UK exporters to high growth markets worldwide, securing new free trade agreements, removing trade barriers, and supporting exports. The Department recently applied to join the CPTPP.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific actions or timelines beyond general statements about driving access.

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Q2 Daniel Kawczynski Con
Climate Energy Business & Trade
Context

The question follows from the previous answer. The questioner seeks specific actions for increasing UK exports to Mongolia.

Question

What action is the UK taking to increase our export footprint in future growth areas such as renewable energy, particularly in countries such as Mongolia?

Answer from Graham Stuart

Running a mining export campaign for Mongolia, supporting UK-based investors and supply chain, engaging with Mongolian Government on solar and waste energy projects and infrastructure including hydropower. The Department also supports small-scale and medium enterprises in north Wales to ensure the objectives align closely.

Answered
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Q3 James Davies Con
Business & Trade
Context

The question follows from the previous answer. The questioner is concerned about regular engagement between DIT and businesses.

Question

Can he assure me that the Department for International Trade regularly engages with businesses of all sizes across the UK, including in north Wales, to ensure that the objectives of the Department are closely aligned with the needs of industry?

Answer from Graham Stuart

DIT has a relationship with over 200,000 UK businesses ranging from large multinationals to small start-ups. The Department's sector teams, trade advisers across regions and devolved Administrations, and overseas embassies work closely with businesses supporting export ambitions.

Answered
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Q4 Miriam Cates
Climate Business & Trade
Context

The question follows from the previous answer. The questioner is concerned about opportunities for UK steel manufacturers in the global green steel market.

Question

How will my hon. Friend ensure that UK manufacturers such as Liberty Speciality Steels in Stocksbridge can capitalise on this growing market and make global Britain the world leader in green steel?

Answer from Graham Stuart

The Government have a range of schemes, including establishing a £250 million clean steel fund and providing £66 million through the industrial strategy challenge fund to help steel manufacturers develop technologies and establish innovation centres of excellence.

Answered
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Q5 Drew Hendry SNP
Scotland Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The question follows from the previous answer. The questioner is concerned about Scottish businesses losing out due to increased costs and delays after Brexit.

Question

What steps is the Minister taking to sort out this Government's calamitous mess, and will he now urgently look at measures to compensate the thousands of companies just like Dream Climbing Walls that have lost out as a result of this Government's actions?

Answer from Graham Stuart

The work is ongoing in reducing border frictions and returning to pre-COVID levels. The Department supports exporters to learn how best to do this, and hopes that the SNP will support colleagues to help support exporters.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific steps or compensation measures.

How: Congratulating On Scrutiny, Redirecting Responsibilities

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Q6 Bill Esterson Lab Sefton Central
Immigration Business & Trade
Context

The question follows from the previous answer. The questioner is concerned about delays and red tape affecting businesses trading with Europe.

Question

When are Ministers going to sort out the problems at the border that mean businesses are drowning in red tape?

Answer from Graham Stuart

The work is ongoing to do that. The Department supports exporters and hopes for support from SNP colleagues to help exporters.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific timelines or actions.

How: Redirecting Responsibilities, Personal Attacks

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Q7 Anne McLaughlin SNP
Brexit
Context

A local company, A1 Kilt Hire, which was doing significant business across Europe before Brexit, is now struggling to find clarity on how to continue trading and if they need to pay tax when kilts are returned. HMRC has been unable to provide guidance.

Question

One of the biggest global growth markets for local companies until Brexit was the EU. A1 Kilt Hire in my constituency was doing a roaring trade hiring out kilts to wedding parties across Europe, but nobody in the UK Government has been able to tell it if and how it can continue trading because its products are for hire and not for sale. HMRC could not even tell it if it would have to pay tax when the kilts were returned. Where on earth can hire companies that have survived this double whammy so far go to for advice on continuing to trade in Europe?

Answer from Graham Stuart

I must congratulate the hon. Lady on the speed of her uptake, because yes indeed, as I have said in my previous answers, this is for a different Department of Government. I think she suggested that the EU was a growing share of the global market, but it is not. Twenty years ago it was the majority of our exports; now it is a minority.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Providing guidance on trading and taxation issues for hire companies after Brexit

How: This Is For A Different Department Of Government

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Q8 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
Brexit Culture, Media & Sport Business & Trade
Context

A constituent, Andy Smart, a performer at comedy/ski festivals in Europe, has faced challenges due to increased duties and cancellations of events preferring Irish performers. Additional levies are making it difficult for British artists to continue exporting their culture.

Question

Mounting costs are killing one of our biggest exports—culture—with additional duties on physical product and performers. My constituent Andy Smart has regularly performed at two comedy/ski festivals, but now one of them no longer accepts Brits, preferring the Irish, and the other has been cancelled as unviable because of Brexit obstacles. Can we work cross-departmentally to abolish these levies, because, as one of those festivals is called, it is literally taking the piste?

Answer from Graham Stuart

There is no one better in this House than the hon. Lady at marrying sociological insight with popular culture, and of course as an experienced DJ she knows more about music than most of the rest of us. I entirely agree with her, though, that we have to work flat out, in a cross-governmental way, to ensure that we minimise any frictions at the border for those vital and important cultural exports of which music is an important part.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Abolishing levies on cultural exports

How: We Have To Work Flat Out, In A Cross-Governmental Way

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