Written Question·Department for Business and Trade·UIN 100662
Trade Agreements
Tabled: 16 December 2025
Answered: 22 December 2025
Question
Andrew Griffith
Conservative — Arundel and South Downs
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of his Department’s international trade advisors for negotiating new free trade agreements.
Answer
Chris BryantThe Member is confusing two separate roles. Our International Trade Advisors (ITAs) support businesses to sell overseas: they do not conduct trade negotiations, which are led by chief negotiators, who are senior DBT officials.