Nigel Huddleston: We launched negotiations for an upgraded Free Trade Agreement with Israel in July and held the first round of technical discussions in Jerusalem on 12 – 20 September. The Government is clear that in negotiations we will not sacrifice quality for speed. We already have an existing deal providing tariff-free trade for 99% of the value of current goods trade. This upgraded agreement is...
Nigel Huddleston: An enhanced agreement would expand a trading relationship already worth £5 billion per year. By reducing trade barriers, it could lead to gains in services trade and could benefit around 6,600 UK businesses that export goods to Israel and employed over 1.7 million people in 2020, including around 5,600 small and medium-sized enterprises. Israel’s service sector has grown by 45% in 10 years...
Nigel Huddleston: As of 12 October 2022, there were 41 full-time staff in the Indian state of Maharashtra working for Department for International Trade (DIT). This figure includes staff in UK Export Finance. For clarity, DIT has two posts/locations (Mumbai and Pune) in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai has 37 staff and Pune has 4 staff, totalling 41 staff.
Nigel Huddleston: The Provision of severance payments for Ministers is set out in legislation (Section 4 of the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991). Details of the severance payments made to ministers when leaving office are published in departments’ annual reports and accounts. Similarly, the provision of severance payments for special advisers is set out in the Model Contract, which is...
Nigel Huddleston: Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is vital for the growth of UK trade. Therefore, in all Free Trade Agreements the government seeks a dedicated SME chapter and SME-friendly provisions throughout. These signpost SMEs towards the information they need to pursue new trading opportunities and make informed decisions. Businesses wishing to benefit from Free Trade Agreements...
Nigel Huddleston: I refer the Hon. Member for Streatham to the answer given by my Rt Hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade Policy to the Hon. Member for Harrow West on 17 October 2022, UIN: 61708.
Nigel Huddleston: We have checked records of licences granted over the past twenty years and I can confirm that no licences for the export of crowd control equipment have been approved for Iran. HM Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including if there is a clear risk that the items might be used in the commission of a...
Nigel Huddleston: I refer the honourable Member to the answer given to her by my right honourable Friend, the Member for Portsmouth North (Penny Mordaunt), on 30 May 2022, UIN 5414. The Department for International Trade (DIT) has spent a total of £243,892.79 on flights and accommodation between April 2022 and September 2022 for officials and Ministers visiting the United States of America. DIT...
Nigel Huddleston: The UK continues to make good progress on negotiating accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership, having demonstrated to members of the partnership that we are a high-standards, fair trading economy. In person market access negotiations were held in Tokyo in July, followed by a subsequent round in Sydney in October. Negotiations will continue over the coming...
Nigel Huddleston: The UK is the second-largest exporter of other business services, which includes professional, and financial services, in the world. To improve the access these important and diverse sectors have to foreign markets HMG seeks ambitious commitments in its free trade agreements to support all elements of the services ecosystem. This includes provisions on market access, regulatory transparency,...
Nigel Huddleston: All departments have access to regular training led by the Parliamentary Capability Team through the Government Campus. The Department for International Trade (DIT) is committed to providing effective, timely answers to written Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and correspondence. We review our processes and performance at regular intervals and run tailored training sessions for staff to drive...
Nigel Huddleston: The UK currently grants preferential tariff access to food imports from 51 African countries through the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) or one of the nine Free Trade Agreements the UK has secured with African regions and countries. These arrangements offer tariff-free access for all food products from 43 African countries and preferential rates on many products from the other 8...
Nigel Huddleston: Free trade agreement negotiations are ongoing with India. We have provisionally closed the majority of chapters. To date, there have been five formal rounds of talks and we look forward to the next formal round of negotiations soon. The Government is clear that in negotiations we will not sacrifice quality for speed. We will continue to review progress and only sign when we have a deal that...
Nigel Huddleston: The Department for International Trade (DIT) spend on taxi cabs in each of the last three years for both ministers and civil servants is as follows 2020 2021 January – October 2022 £52,110.37 £28,383.35 £97,016.49 DIT Ministerial travel, gifts, hospitality and meetings are published on www.gov.uk -https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dit-ministerial-...
Nigel Huddleston: In 2021, the Department for International Trade (DIT) paid a total of £14,000 to officials who relocated to DIT offices outside of London through the cross-Government Places for Growth programme (PfG).
Nigel Huddleston: The Government have put in place enhanced scrutiny arrangements for free trade agreements. We publish extensive information prior to negotiations, including our strategic objectives and an economic scoping assessment. During negotiations, we engage closely with Parliament, publishing updates and holding briefings for colleagues. I particularly look forward to working closely with the...
Nigel Huddleston: I thank my hon. Friend, who is always a fantastic champion for her constituents and constituency, as evidenced by Anglesey Day, which was a fantastic event earlier this week here in Parliament. Also this week, my officials gathered over 20 small businesses from across north Wales and Ynys Môn to discuss how they can internationalise their businesses and take advantage of our free trade...
Nigel Huddleston: I am afraid that I have to disagree with what the Opposition Front Bencher has laid out. The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010—that date is significant, because it was introduced that April under the previous Labour Government—outlines the process, which is rigorous and stacks up well with other parliamentary democracies around the world, such as Australia, New Zealand and...
Nigel Huddleston: Again, I disagree with that characterisation —respectfully, because I am looking forward to a constructive relationship with the Scottish National party, Opposition Members and the devolved Administrations on trade deals. Let us be very clear: we will not sign any deals that are not in the UK’s interests.
Nigel Huddleston: The hon. Member mentions “every deal that this place brings forward”, and again, it would be nice if we actually got support from Opposition Members at some point. He will know that our friends, colleagues and trading partners in Australia, in particular, given the situation they face, are as concerned about climate challenges as we are.