Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Reducing Barriers to Global Trade

Thursday 21 April 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 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial steps include resolving more than 200 trade barriers in the year ending April 2021, marking a 20% increase from the previous year.
  • Regional trade advisers are highlighted as playing a crucial role in supporting British businesses to access international markets.
  • The Department provides support to businesses like Carlton Packaging in constituencies such as Milton Keynes, with exports valued at over 3.4 billion.

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Questions & Answers

Q1 Ben Everitt
Business & Trade
Context

The question addresses the government's efforts to reduce trade barriers, specifically mentioning actions taken by the Department for International Trade.

Question

What steps her Department has taken to reduce barriers to global trade for British businesses. The questioner highlights the importance of easing access to international markets and the positive impact on exporting goods and services.

Answer from Ranil Jayawardena

Bulldozing trade barriers enables countless British businesses to export goods and services around the world with greater ease and at lower cost. We resolved more than 200 barriers in the year ending April 2021—a 20% increase on the previous year. This includes securing access to Japan's poultry market worth up to £13 million per year, lifting a decades-long ban on British lamb exports to the US worth £37 million over five years, and cutting costs in services trade valued at £304 billion in 2021 by up to 7% annually.

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Q2 Ben Everitt
Business & Trade
Context

The supplementary question builds on the initial query, focusing on regional trade advisers and their role in supporting businesses like Carlton Packaging in Milton Keynes.

Question

Breaking down barriers to trade and providing businesses with the right tools and support to reach global markets is exactly what we should be doing. The Department's regional trade advisers play a key role, and I welcome this. To further support business opportunities post-Brexit, will my hon. Friend work with me to bring together local businesses in Milton Keynes, the Department, and those regional trade advisers?

Answer from Ranil Jayawardena

I am very pleased to know that businesses in my hon. Friend's constituency, including Carlton Packaging, are receiving support from this Department. Milton Keynes has exports worth over £3.4 billion and a champion of our trade deals in him. I shall be delighted to work with him to help businesses use those deals to create jobs and boost wages while lowering prices for consumers.

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