Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Export Protection: Leaving the EU

Thursday 20 January 2022 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Questions addressed export protection concerns following the UK's departure from the EU.
  • The UK has secured trade agreements with 70 non-EU countries since leaving the EU.
  • Rupa Huq referenced a constituent's business facing additional import duties from the EU.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
Business & Trade
Context

After leaving the EU, there are concerns about maintaining trade agreements and protecting UK exports to third countries that were in place during EU membership.

Question

What steps she is taking to ensure that protections for exports to third countries negotiated while the UK was a member of the EU are maintained following the UK's departure from the EU?

Answer from Ranil Jayawardena

Since leaving the EU, the United Kingdom has secured trade agreements with 70 non-EU countries, in addition to the deal with the EU. Many of those deals were negotiated to secure continuity of trade, and they cover 99% of the trade under trade agreements we were subject to when we were also subject to the diktats of the EU.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps or mechanisms for maintaining protections for exports to third countries are not detailed

How: Reframing Question As About Broader Trade Agreements, Highlighting Majority Coverage Without Specifics

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Q2 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
Business & Trade
Context

A constituent, Danny Hodgson of Rivet & Hide clothes retail business, faces additional import duties due to UK's departure from the EU. The duties are erroneously imposed 7 out of 10 times.

Question

The Minister's description does not tally with the experience of my constituent, Danny Hodgson, whose clothes retail business Rivet & Hide made the Financial Times exactly a year ago because of the crippling new additional duties he faces in importing from the EU. This time it is even worse, because he is finding that all the goods coming in from Japan are attracting a 12% levy. That is slapped on erroneously and routinely seven out of 10 times, I think, and it is a bureaucratic, red tape, bookkeeping nightmare for him. Will the Government look into the case? They are meant to be the party of small and medium-sized enterprises and low tax, and they have trashed their reputation for all that. Can the Government urgently help my constituent please?

Answer from Ranil Jayawardena

I am delighted that the hon. Lady recognises that this party is the party of business. That is great news and I welcome her remarks. She references a business that trades with Japan, but I note that she did not vote for the deal with Japan nor the deals with Canada, Singapore or even the EU. Of course we will happily look at any business that she wishes to raise with me in writing, but I point out that this party is the party of business.

Not addressed: Request for investigation and urgent assistance was not directly addressed

How: Reframing As General Support For Businesses, Highlighting Voting Record

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