During the Commonwealth Trade Ministers\u2019 Meeting held earlier this month, my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade, and my Noble Friend Lord Price, met many of the 35 visiting Commonwealth Trade Ministers to discuss trade and investment issues of mutual interest during the two day event.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4074", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Garnier"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre Forest"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Garnier"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-03-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-03-23T15:25:25.017Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "202"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-03-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Overseas Trade: Commonwealth"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions he has had with other Commonwealth countries on future trade and investment opportunities.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3960", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Henry Smith"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crawley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Henry Smith"} ], "uin" : "909459"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/710682", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Trade"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/710682/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The great.gov.uk digital platform has received over 2,400,000 page views and 780,000 unique visitors since its launch on 14 November 2016.<\/p>
Since the launch, over 10,000 user accounts have been created on great.gov.uk services and nearly 25,000 enquiries about export opportunities have been submitted.<\/p>
The Department for International Trade is continually evaluating and iterating its services to ensure that it provides the best possible support to businesses.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4074", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Garnier"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre Forest"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Garnier"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-03-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-03-20T12:05:41.447Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "202"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-03-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Small Businesses: Trade Promotion"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the level of business interest in the great.gov.uk digital platform.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3960", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Henry Smith"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crawley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Henry Smith"} ], "uin" : "67571"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/706167", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Exiting the European Union"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/706167/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
As we prepare for negotiations on the UK\u2019s exit from the EU, DExEU ministers are working with their colleagues across government to consult with a broad range of stakeholders in order to secure the best possible deal for the whole UK. In September 2016 the UK government announced its intention to ban microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products. We are currently running a consultation on our proposals, which end on 28th February 2017. Subject to the results of the consultation we anticipate bringing in legislation for England by October 2017, with a ban on manufacture beginning in January 2018 and a ban on sale in June 2018.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4098", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Thérèse Coffey"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Suffolk Coastal"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dr Thérèse Coffey"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-03-02T17:07:19.323Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-02-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Microplastics: Cosmetics"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the planned timetable is for (a) consulting on and (b) bringing into effect a ban on plastic microbeads in cosmetic and personal care products.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3960", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Henry Smith"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crawley"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Henry Smith"}
], "uin" : "64971"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/692647", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/692647/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Network Rail is delivering a package of infrastructure enhancements including new signalling and automatic train operation that will enable 24 trains an hour to operate between Blackfriars and St Pancras International from late 2018.<\/p> <\/p> It is envisaged that this frequency would operate for approximately 2 hours in the morning and evening peaks.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3926", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Paul Maynard"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Blackpool North and Cleveleys"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Paul Maynard"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-02-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-02-23T11:06:40.52Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-02-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Thameslink Line"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the infrastructure for the Thameslink Programme has the capacity to run 24 trains an hour.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3960", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Henry Smith"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crawley"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Henry Smith"}
], "uin" : "908851"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/687156", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/687156/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The EU legislation Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 \u2013 on textile fibre names and related labelling and marking of the fibre composition of textile products<\/em>, ensures consumers are properly protected when purchasing textile products containing \u2018non-textile parts of animal origin\u2019, including fur.<\/p> This requires these products to have the phrase \u2018contains non-textile parts of animal origin\u2019 on the labelling or marking of the product. The regulation stipulates that the presence of non-textile parts of animal origin must be clearly labelled or marked in such a way that is not misleading and that the consumer can easily understand. This enables consumers to make an informed choice between textile products that contain non-textile parts of animal origin and those that don\u2019t.<\/p> The Regulation does not require a detailed description of particular materials or parts, but businesses are free to disclose more details about the materials used (e.g. cowhide, lambskin etc.) as long as this information is not false and misleading and consumers can make enquiries with the retailer as to what the non-textile parts of animal origin are.<\/p> This year, the UK Government is undertaking a review of the Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulation 2012/1102, which sets out the enforcement provisions that apply to Regulation 1007/2011. The UK is obliged to review the enforcement provisions by May 2017. A report will be laid before Parliament. The legislation is also regularly reviewed by the EU, most recently in 2013 when the Commission filed its report on Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011.<\/p> The report is available on the EUR-Lex website:<\/p>
Tourism is a key part of our economy. In 2015 foreign visitors contributed £22bn to our economy and the industry as a whole supports some 1.6 million jobs. Since the referendum result, Government has met with stakeholders from the tourism industry. We are confident our exit presents opportunities for growth in the tourism sector.
Details of Ministerial meetings will be published in the Department\u2019s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which will be made publicly available on GOV.UK.
<\/strong><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4091", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Robin Walker"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Worcester"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Robin Walker"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-03-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-03-08T13:04:29.237Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "203"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Exiting the European Union"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Exiting the European Union"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-02-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Tourism"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions his Department has had with representatives from the tourism sector on the implications of the UK leaving the EU.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3960", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Henry Smith"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Crawley"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Henry Smith"}
], "uin" : "65909"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/693245", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/693245/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "