In Autumn Statement 2022, the Chancellor announced a fund of up to £2 million for the then Department for International Trade, now the Department for Business and Trade, to: “work with local partners including Invest Northern Ireland to host a trade and investment event in Northern Ireland in 2023.”

The Department is working closely with partners at pace to define the event and will deliver the event in collaboration with Invest Northern Ireland. We will shortly engage a range of businesses and organisations across Northern Ireland.

In Autumn Statement 2022, the Chancellor announced a fund of up to £2 million for the then Department for International Trade, now the Department for Business and Trade, to: “work with local partners including Invest Northern Ireland to host a trade and investment event in Northern Ireland in 2023.”

The Department is working closely with partners at pace to define the event and will deliver the event in collaboration with Invest Northern Ireland. We will shortly engage a range of businesses and organisations across Northern Ireland.

In Autumn Statement 2022, the Chancellor announced a fund of up to £2 million for the then Department for International Trade, now the Department for Business and Trade, to: “work with local partners including Invest Northern Ireland to host a trade and investment event in Northern Ireland in 2023.”

The Department is working closely with partners at pace to define the event and will deliver the event in collaboration with Invest Northern Ireland. We will shortly engage a range of businesses and organisations across Northern Ireland.

Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys are appointed to a wide spectrum of countries where they are able to make a significant contribution to the government’s trade and investment objectives and the ultimate decision is the Prime Minister’s. The government tailors our business and investor support in different countries depending on market conditions and opportunities. We are regularly reviewing countries and markets to identify where the appointment of a Trade Envoy can be of greatest benefit.

Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys are appointed to a wide spectrum of countries where they are able to make a significant contribution to the Government’s trade and investment objectives.

They champion Global Britain and promote the UK as a destination of choice for inward investment across all regions of the UK, helping to level up the country by supplementing the UK’s existing trade relations in their respective markets, working with our regional Trade Commissioners and global network to promote British business across the globe.

The Department has not purchased any road legal vehicles in the past 24 months. It uses the Government Car Service for vehicle provision. Cars provided to Departments by the Government Car Service will be included in the return for the Department for Transport.

The UK has secured a number of Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) on Good Manufacturing Practices for pharmaceutical products in recent years. They comprise standalone MRAs with the US, Australia and New Zealand, with similar commitments contained in our Free Trade Agreements with Japan, Switzerland, Israel and Canada. New Free Trade Agreement negotiations are ongoing with Israel and Canada.

We regularly engage states through our network of consulates on how we can enhance our strong, existing trade relationships. My predecessor also met with the Governor of Arkansas in April last year to discuss how we could boost trade further.

We welcome continued interest from states in strengthening trade ties and will continue to focus on how best we can work together to deliver the greatest impact for business.

The UK is committed to ensure trade supports long-term climate action, in line with the Coalition of Trade Ministers’ principles of leadership, transparency, inclusivity and cooperation.

The Secretary of State attended the launch of this at the World Economic Forum in Davos this January and we continue to advocate for collective action at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other multilateral fora. For example, the UK has been a leading voice on the proposed G7-led ‘Climate Club’ – aiming to make it as inclusive as possible. Meanwhile, we are supporting the Net Zero transition through our Clean Growth export programme, foreign direct investment, UK Export Finance, and through overseas aid.

Government officials and Ministers regularly engage with the automotive industry to support the growth of British businesses and address market access barriers.

UK sector experts in the US engaged regularly with industry representatives in the formulation of the UK-South Carolina Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Trade officials further engaged the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and other industry representatives through the Department’s established Trade Advisory Groups. The UK will continue to engage industry in the delivery of this MOU in 2023.

The UK has wholly or partially sanctioned £20 billion of UK-Russia goods trade – 96% of 2021 values. Compared to before the invasion, UK goods imports from Russia have fallen by 99.1%, and goods exports to Russia have fallen by 80%. Additional sanctions on services trade will further erode Russia’s ability to keep pace with Western countries.

Sanctions are starving Russia of advanced technologies and degrading their military capabilities, especially as many high-precision weapons rely on Western components.

Over £20bn of UK-Russia trade is now under sanctions, with a 99.1% reduction in UK goods imports from Russia compared to before the invasion.

The Government is committed to ensuring that third countries are not used by Russia to evade sanctions and takes such allegations seriously. We are working together with our international partners to stop any attempts to circumvent sanctions measures through third party countries. Anyone who directly or indirectly imports prohibited Russian iron or steel products – or facilitates its shipment to other countries from Russia – faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.

I refer the hon. Member for Bristol East to the answer I gave her today, UIN 118845.

We are engaging closely with the US administration to address our serious concerns about the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as talking to our friends and allies across the world who are similarly affected, we will continue to robustly defend the interests of UK industry.

During the Secretary of State's visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, the Inflation Reduction Act was atop of her agenda. She held meetings with US Trade Representative Katherine Tai to reaffirm her concerns about the legislation and a potential global subsidies race, as well as EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, where she continued to push for both sides to work together and with other international partners on our response to the Inflation Reduction Act.

As of 31 January 2023, this department employed UK-based staff in UK embassies in the following countries:

Algeria, Azerbaijan, Chile, China, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Mexico, Morocco, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Myanmar.

UK-based staff in UK consulates in the following countries:

Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United States, Vietnam.

The total cost of support from external recruitment consultants for 2020, 2021 and 2022 was £648,408.47. This covers support for recruiting substantive civil servants at delegated grades and Senior Civil Servants (SCS) grades and Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), at the Department for International Trade and UK Export Finance.

Recruitment consultant support is used when the department is looking to recruit for roles that require a specialised or senior skillset to ensure we maximise our reach, and to help attract external candidates.

There is a range of HR information which is published on GOV.UK and therefore publicly available:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sections-181-185-of-the-trade-union-and-labour-relations-consolidation-act-1992

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-trade

In addition, the Department for International Trade, now the Department for Business and Trade, meets regularly with their recognised Trade Unions and presents and shares a range of information and data where it is appropriate and in line with privacy statements. This helps inform decision making through negotiation, engagement and consultation as appropriate.

This department is therefore complying with section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and we always seek to work constructively with trade unions.

UK Export Finance (UKEF) have also provided a similar response to confirm that UKEF is therefore complying with section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.

Between 14 April 2022 and 30 September 2022, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has not issued licences by exception for the export of luxury fashion items or cars for these specific companies to Russia. This is the latest period published in the Official Export Control Statistics.

Information on Russia Sanctions relating to luxury goods (as specified in Schedule 3A to the Regulations) can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/russia-sanctions-guidance/russia-sanctions-guidance

The Government takes the enforcement of sanctions very seriously, and any UK person or company anywhere in the world that is selling or exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, directly or indirectly, may be in breach of sanctions law and potentially faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.

Between 14 April 2022 and 30 September 2022, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) has not issued licences by exception for the export of luxury fashion items or cars for these specific companies to Russia. This is the latest period published in the Official Export Control Statistics.

Information on Russia Sanctions relating to luxury goods (as specified in Schedule 3A to the Regulations) can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/russia-sanctions-guidance/russia-sanctions-guidance

The Government takes the enforcement of sanctions very seriously, and any UK person or company anywhere in the world that is selling or exporting sanctioned goods to Russia, directly or indirectly, may be in breach of sanctions law and potentially faces a heavy fine or imprisonment.