To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of using digital platforms to progress trade negotiations during the covid-19 pandemic.

This Government aims to agree Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with countries accounting for 80% of current UK trade within the next three years.

We have used digital platforms to launch our negotiation programme with the priority countries of the USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. These negotiations are now proceeding at pace on a remote basis mirroring the long-established structures for engagement on trade.