High Growth Global Markets 2021-02-25
2021-02-25
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The question follows from the Department's focus on increasing export opportunities. The questioner is seeking specific steps being taken by the department.
What steps she is taking to improve access for UK exporters to high growth global markets.
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific actions or timelines beyond general statements about driving access.
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The question follows from the previous answer. The questioner seeks specific actions for increasing UK exports to Mongolia.
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?
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q3
Direct Answer
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Context
The question follows from the previous answer. The questioner is concerned about regular engagement between DIT and businesses.
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?
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q4
Direct Answer
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Context
The question follows from the previous answer. The questioner is concerned about opportunities for UK steel manufacturers in the global green steel market.
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?
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q5
Partial Answer
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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.
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?
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific steps or compensation measures.
Congratulating On Scrutiny
Redirecting Responsibilities
Response accuracy
Q6
Partial Answer
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Context
The question follows from the previous answer. The questioner is concerned about delays and red tape affecting businesses trading with Europe.
When are Ministers going to sort out the problems at the border that mean businesses are drowning in red tape?
The work is ongoing to do that. The Department supports exporters and hopes for support from SNP colleagues to help exporters.
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Assessment & feedback
Did not provide specific timelines or actions.
Redirecting Responsibilities
Personal Attacks
Response accuracy
Q7
Partial Answer
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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.
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?
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Providing guidance on trading and taxation issues for hire companies after Brexit
This Is For A Different Department Of Government
Response accuracy
Q8
Partial Answer
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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.
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?
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.
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Assessment & feedback
Abolishing levies on cultural exports
We Have To Work Flat Out, In A Cross-Governmental Way
Response accuracy