Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Recommendation 5
8th Report - Export led growth: Trade with the Asia-Pacific region
Published 29 Jun 2025
Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee Export led growth All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
Education and higher education are critical export sectors in Asia-Pacific and strategic enablers of the best possible export environment in the region. The Government’s trade strategy should confirm that education is a priority sector and the Industrial Strategy Council should ensure there is a cross-Whitehall dialogue that helps maximise the potential of UK education exports. On the ground in export markets, UK embassies should ensure that universities feature in a five-year business plan for advancing local ‘soft-power strategies’ which choreograph taxpayer-funded soft power institutions including UK universities, UK research councils, the British Council and the BBC World Service and connect to better organised drive behind export of UK creative industries, organised through the Industrial Strategy Council. (Recommendation, Paragraph 41)
From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, 8th Report - Export led growth: Trade with the Asia-Pacific region (HC 1048), 29 June 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 19 September 2025 (deadline 29 August 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response sets out how it is using existing trade dialogues, agreements and the Trade Strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, agreeing with the first recommendation while giving qualified answers on others, including digital agreements and defence funding.
- On trade dialogues, the government "agrees" they are "an important and powerful tool", and says that "where appropriate" it works with businesses to influence partner governments in the region.
- On DEPA, it will explore accession "if it is in our national interest", but is "not in a position to confirm that we will seek accession at this point".
- On the Global Combat Air Programme, it remains "committed" to delivery. On longer-term funding, it recognises "the importance of stable funding" but says resourcing must also match "capability requirements and use cases".
- On AUKUS, it "remains supportive" of Japan's participation in Pillar Two activities, but says new participants must be "agreed trilaterally" and the UK cannot decide alone.