argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Trade with the EU — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): This Government continue to seek an excellent trading relationship with our former EU partners, just as we do with other international markets. Hon. Members will be pleased to note that goods exported to the EU for May 2022 were over 17% higher than the 2018 monthly average, so trade here is already increasing. To increase exports, we need to get more British businesses exporting, and to do that the Department has initiatives such as the Export Academy and the export champions scheme that help to give them the knowledge and practical help that they need.
Trade with the EU — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): Thank you, Mr Speaker, for your welcome. I also thank the hon. Member for her question. Of course, she did not support the EU trade agreement that this Government put in place, so it is quite rich for her now to turn around and say that we are not increasing exports. In my previous answer, I talked about the many interventions that this Government are making, including internationalisation and the Brexit support fund of £38 million that is going to small and medium-sized enterprises to help them overcome the barriers that the protectionist EU puts in place.
Trade with the EU — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Education
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): Education is indeed one of the great opportunities, and the lingua franca of English is one of the benefits as we seek to do trade deals not just with our friends in Europe but across the whole world. I am very happy to talk to my colleagues in the Department for Education and between us respond to the hon. Lady.
Trade with the EU — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Dean Russell (Conservative, Centre-right): As we look to the future, does my hon. Friend agree that it goes beyond the EU, as do the opportunities for trade around the world? From my constituency of Watford to the rest of the world, we have the opportunity to build industry and opportunity for everyone.
Trade with the EU — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. He is a champion of small business in his constituency. That is why it is so important that, as we seek to do trade deals such as the comprehensive and progressive trans-Pacific partnership and those with the Gulf, India, Canada and many more, we have SME chapters and SME preference within them.
Trade with the EU — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): I am sure Government Members wish the hon. Member for Harrow West (Gareth Thomas) a speedy recovery as well Tonnage is, of course, only one measure. I note that, for the year to March, the value of British exports actually increased. [Interruption.] It will be a combination of growing markets, a growing number of exporters and a greater ability of exporters to obtain the price for their exports. That is what we on the Conservative Benches are focused on.
Trade with the EU — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): I share the hon. Gentleman’s pain in hearing of the friction presented to British firms in seeking to do trade internationally. That is why Scotland remaining in this great Union is a great advantage to British businesses that want a single one-stop shop. If he has not already availed himself of the Export Support Service’s helpline, I would be very happy to connect his businesses to that.
Free Trade Agreements: Workers Rights — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): Her Majesty’s Government have been clear that there will be no reduction in British labour protections in signing up to new free trade deals. Our new agreements with Australia and New Zealand demonstrate that. We engage extensively with trade unions to make sure that the interests of workers are fully considered in our policy. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has hosted trade unions, including the TUC, at the recent UK-US trade dialogues.
Free Trade Agreements: Workers Rights — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: International Affairs
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): I would point to precedent. The United Kingdom has ratified all eight of the fundamental International Labour Organisation conventions. We continue to encourage our partners to do the same around the world. The agreements with Australia and New Zealand, as I said earlier, reaffirm our commitment to comply with the core international labour obligations that we are party to.
Free Trade Agreements: Workers Rights — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Labor
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for the question and I can confirm that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has met the same bodies. We engage extensively with trade unions to make sure that the interests of workers are fully consulted in our trade policy. We have a trade union advisory group, the TUC is a part of our strategic trade advisory group and, of course, this Conservative side of the House represents the views of hard-working people across the country.
Free Trade Agreements: Workers Rights — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): We decide on future deals based on the potential benefit to our economy, economic trends and whether we can negotiate a quality agreement supporting the British people and the British national interest. Closer engagement is how we increase our influence around the world and support higher standards, including with countries that might have rights that differ from ours. The United Kingdom will not compromise on our high labour standards, and we will continue to work hard to maintain those standards through our free trade agreement programme.
UK Arms Exports: Transparency — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): We publish more licensing data than any other country. Yesterday, we published our annual report covering 2021. The data reveal that of 4,234 licensing decisions on standard individual export licences, 96.1% were issued, 1.5% were refused and, because of our sanctions on Russia and Belarus, 2.4% were revoked. The Government remain committed to openness on strategic export licensing to provide Parliament with the means to hold us to account.
UK Arms Exports: Transparency — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): As we have left the European Union, we have decided that it is right to review many aspects of our system. This is one part, and we have made the wording of the criteria clearer than before to provide certainty to exporters and others.
Export of UK Services — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are committed to promoting the UK’s world leading strengths in services. Latest figures published by the Office for National Statistics show that service exports were £316 billion in the 12 months to the end of May, an increase of 7% on the previous 12 months. The Government’s export strategy, published in November 2021 by the Secretary of State, recognises the importance of services and commits the Government to working with the sector in its implementation. That includes working with the CBI-led Trade in Services Council to understand and promote trade in services.
Export of UK Services — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): As we recover, we expect to see a continued increase in services exports. The hon. Member is right that Scotland is a significant exporter of services—worth more than £21 billion in 2020-21—making it the third largest exporting region in the UK. I wish all of our Scottish service exporters well, and it is the work of this Department to try to continue to grow that.
Barriers to Global Trade — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): Removing trade barriers boosts our exports to new and familiar markets around the world. We have resolved 396 barriers around the world in the past two years, and just 45 of the 192 barriers we resolved in the last financial year could be worth around £5 billion to businesses across our country. If we can remove the next 100 trade barriers on our most wanted list, it has the potential to deliver export opportunities for British businesses worth around £20 billion. As one example, last month we removed barriers in Mongolia that prevented the export of British poultry and fish, opening up a market worth £10 million.
Barriers to Global Trade — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Agriculture
Selaine Rachel Saxby (Conservative, Centre-right): Many of my North Devon farmers and the National Farmers Union are concerned about food imports, but given the quality of our British food and drink, and the vast global market for our superior produce, what support has my hon. Friend’s Department put in place to promote and help farmers export around the world?
Barriers to Global Trade — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We see real potential for British food and drink exports to grow, particularly in high-growth markets where the middle classes are expanding—notably the Asia- Pacific region. We work closely with farming and food organisations, such as the NFU, to deliver a practical range of export support for farmers and food businesses. We are removing trade barriers globally, as I have referenced, including the ban on British beef in the Philippines, opening up a market worth £375 million a year to British farmers. We are expanding our overseas network of more than 100 agriculture, food and drink trade advisers to include eight new dedicated attachés, who will focus on unlocking trade barriers for our great British farmers.
Barriers to Global Trade — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, which he puts in his usual way. The truth is that we continue to bang the drum for British exports of all kinds around the world, and we will continue to do that with the EU and beyond.
Exports to the EU: Devolved Nations — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): The Department is delivering prosperity through trade and investment to all parts of the United Kingdom. In addition to UK-wide initiatives such as the UK Export Academy for smaller enterprises, we have established teams in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, and I hope in my role to be visiting them over the coming months. Those teams will bring business support closer to businesses in the nations and work in partnership with devolved Administrations.
Exports to the EU: Devolved Nations — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Agriculture
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): I note that Invest in Angus, based in the hon. Member’s constituency, estimates that food and drink is worth more than £200 million to the Angus domestic economy. We are supporting farmers and food producers across Scotland, including in Angus, and that is one of the reasons why we are seeking opportunities for greater agricultural exports through the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership and the Indian trade deal, and with the Gulf.
Exports to the EU: Devolved Nations — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: International Affairs
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): I look forward to meeting Scotland Food & Drink and hearing about the positive opportunities. I hope that it is not overly infected by the hon. Lady’s pessimism about the prospects for this great Union outside the European Union.
Exports to the EU: Devolved Nations — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Agriculture
Fay Alicia Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): Welsh food and drink exports have no better showcase than the Royal Welsh show—the largest agricultural show in Europe—which concludes in my constituency today. It has been fantastic to see visitors from right around the world back on the showground. I want to pay particular tribute to Steve Hughson, who is stepping down as the show’s chief executive after 10 very successful years. Does my hon. Friend agree that agricultural shows are fantastically helpful for boosting our exports around the world?
SMEs: Trade with the EU — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): Small and medium-sized businesses make up a huge part of Britain’s economy, accounting for over 60% of employment and more than half of all turnover from the UK private sector. The Department for International Trade is doing all it can to help businesses overcome the barriers that the protectionist bloc of the European Union now imposes when consumers seek to buy goods from elsewhere in the world.
SMEs: Trade with the EU — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): I am proud of the endeavours of my colleagues and those in local enterprise partnerships up and down the UK in disbursing the £38 million internationalisation fund to support businesses as we go through some of the changes that result from leaving the European Union and seek opportunities elsewhere in the world. I will of course undertake to look at any way we can make it simpler for small businesses, in particular, to engage with the Department.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Michael Louis David Fabricant (Conservative, Centre-right): May I first say what a great pleasure it is to ask my right hon. Friend—and she will always be my friend—this question? Will she say—[Interruption.] Sorry, that was an emotional moment, Mr Speaker; I hope you will forgive me. Will she outline the real advantages that CPT—whatever the bloody thing is called—[Interruption.] Whatever the ruddy thing is called. Will should outline the benefits of membership, and will she perhaps also say what sort of difference it will make to our trading relationship with the United States, which is also a member?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Penelope Mary Mordaunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my very dear hon. Friend for that question. He is right to point to the benefits of joining this trading bloc: 99.9% of all UK goods are eligible for tariff-free access, it will increase wages in this country, and obviously it will help our relationships with other nations outside the bloc. The UK moving to the accession process will encourage and strengthen other like-minded free-trade nations around the world to co-operate and do more together, and to reform the World Trade Organisation.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Penelope Mary Mordaunt (Conservative, Centre-right): Those very same benefits will also apply to Northern Ireland, and the hon. Gentleman will know that we are providing extra support to help with the particular export opportunities, including for services, that are so strong in Northern Ireland. We are determined not only with this accession, but with the other FTAs we are doing, that all businesses can benefit, because that is obviously our end goal.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrea Jacqueline Leadsom (Conservative, Centre-right): I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend for a fantastic, brave, clean campaign for the leadership of the Conservative party and to be Prime Minister As a passionate Brexiteer, does my right hon. Friend agree that being a force for good in the world for free trade is an absolutely honourable goal and one that the UK should promote at every opportunity?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: International Affairs
Penelope Mary Mordaunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend. I am amazed to find myself here this morning given my reported work ethic, but here I am My right hon. Friend is absolutely right that the UK, a G7 nation, leaving the regulatory orbit of the EU is an international event. It gives us a huge opportunity, alongside nations like the United States, to set out our view of the world and of capitalism and to fight for the things we believe in.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Environment
Penelope Mary Mordaunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I would point to the forestry programmes that this nation has funded—some more than 30 years old—in parts of the world that are covered by this trading bloc. This country has an important history under successive Governments of protecting not only our own environment but that of other nations. I ask the hon. Lady to point those programmes out to any of her constituents who are concerned.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Penelope Mary Mordaunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I will ask my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to set out any parliamentary business and timetable for any future trade agreements. We have clearly committed to a particular process. For my part, every time the International Trade Committee or other body of this House has asked me to go before it, I have. That is the attitude of the ministerial team, and we will continue to do that.
Australia and New Zealand FTAs: UK Food Sector — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Macroeconomics
Questions: What assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the impact of the Australia and New Zealand free trade agreements on employment in the UK food sector.
Penelope Mary Mordaunt (Conservative, Centre-right): If the hon. Lady would like to write with the specific details, I am sure the Department will be able to provide a full answer to her assertions. The economic modelling was based on full employment, which does not reflect the change in employment between sectors and, critically, does not estimate jobs lost or gained in any sector. However, if she writes with the specific details, I am sure we can address that for her.
UK Exports — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): Increasing the volume and reach of British exports is at the heart of the Department’s export strategy. It includes a comprehensive set of support for exporters, combined with seeking trade deals in the areas of greatest opportunity internationally.
UK Exports — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Paul Howell (Conservative, Centre-right): I welcome the Exports Minister to his place. I hope he will join his Front-Bench colleagues, both past and present, who have on many occasions come to Sedgefield to visit our outstanding export businesses. At last week’s Great Yorkshire show, I met Billy Maughan, one of my local farmers, and other members of the National Farmers Union, who talked to me about the opportunities from deals such as the India deal. It would be great if he could meet them to explore those opportunities further.
UK Exports — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Agriculture
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is a doughty champion for all sorts of businesses in Sedgefield, including his local farmer. I would be very happy to arrange to meet him and Billy and continue what is clearly a tradition.
UK Exports — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Andrew Griffith (Conservative, Centre-right): As we seek to get more businesses exporting, the first step is clearly often the hardest, so it seems thoroughly reasonable to put the highest amount of support into helping businesses make that first step outside the UK. The trade show programme supports over 128 different overseas trade shows across 28 different markets. I will listen to the hon. Lady, and I have been meeting business organisations in my first few days in this role. We will make sure that the trade show programme, which is a great example of the Department supporting British businesses, remains fully supported.
Free Trade Agreements: Scrutiny — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Anne-Marie Belinda Trevelyan (Conservative, Centre-right): The Government are committed to effective scrutiny of trade agreements. We have put in place enhanced transparency and scrutiny arrangements for every stage of FTA negotiations. That includes publishing our objectives prior to talks, providing additional time for scrutiny at the end of the process and putting in place the independent Trade and Agriculture Commission to report on new agreements. We are delivering on those agreements. The Australia FTA has been available for scrutiny for seven months, enabling three Select Committees to take evidence and to report on the agreement prior to ratification.
Free Trade Agreements: Scrutiny — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Anne-Marie Belinda Trevelyan (Conservative, Centre-right): As I set out, we have followed a broad and open process. There is no breach of any situation such as the right hon. Member suggests. The arrangements in place are robust. We want to make sure that as we go through the process—there will be enabling legislation for the Australia and New Zealand trade deals in the autumn—there will be an opportunity for colleagues who wish to raise issues. We know that this process is effective. I talk to fellow Trade Ministers around the world who work with us and it is interesting that they consider our process to be very robust and very inclusive, both at a parliamentary level and with the business community.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Foreign Trade
Anne-Marie Belinda Trevelyan (Conservative, Centre-right): Our exports strategy, coupled with our trade, investment and foreign policy, are a potent combination. For our brilliant UK exporters to reach the people and places where they can be most effective, we need to be able to build closer relationships around the globe, so my Department has launched our Government-to-Government capability. We can now bring industry experience and UK support to provide tailor-made solutions around the world. G2G is a powerful new tool for the UK. It better connects our prosperity, trade and diplomacy agendas and opens exciting new possibilities for our businesses. We are working closely with our Ukrainian counterparts to get UK businesses delivering crucial repairs to bridges, modular homes and railways before the winter sets in. New tools such as our G2G capability will allow us to achieve more in Ukraine and globally, ensuring that UK trade acts as a force for good in the world.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2022-07-21
Topic: Agriculture
David James Duguid (Conservative, Centre-right): We have heard today about the value of agricultural shows across our United Kingdom, not least in my constituency where we had the New Deer show last weekend and we have the Turriff show, the largest two-day agricultural show in Scotland, at the end of the month. They provide a huge opportunity to showcase the wonderful Scottish food and drink that we have to offer. Will my right hon. Friend confirm what DIT support is available directly to the fabulous Scottish food and drink producers, and what conversations she has had with the Scottish Government to make sure that that support is made directly available to those producers?