Asked by: Chris Loder (Conservative - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK's membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership on (a) the local economy and (b) job creation in Dorset.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Accession could see 99.9% of British exports being eligible for tariff-free trade with members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP/TPP-11). £1.8bn worth of goods were exported to CPTPP countries by over 1,300 businesses in the South West of England last year.
HM Government published a scoping assessment in June 2021 that showed accession could result in a gross value added benefit to the South West of England of £106m, and increase real wages across the United Kingdom by £800m in the long run, compared to 2019 levels.
Asked by: Chris Loder (Conservative - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the effect on Dorset of free trade agreements signed by the UK since leaving the EU.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
We have secured trade agreements with 70 countries, plus the EU, covering trade worth £766 billion last year, delivering benefits for communities across the country.
An impact assessment is published when the text of a new free trade agreement is laid in Parliament, which presents the economic benefits of the deal. For example, compared to the United Kingdom not having an agreement with Japan, output in the South West of England is expected to be £90 million higher in the long run (in 2017 terms).
Asked by: Chris Loder (Conservative - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she has taken to ensure that free trade agreements protect and support British (a) agriculture and (b) agricultural exports.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government will always consider the opportunities and other impacts on the agricultural industry of any trade agreement we negotiate. In addition, the independent Trade and Agriculture Commission will scrutinise new free trade agreements once they are signed, providing an additional layer of independent scrutiny.
Our trade agreements unlock new opportunities for our agriculture, food and drink sector and we will continue to work with producers and suppliers to make sure the sector is represented in future free trade agreements.
Asked by: Chris Loder (Conservative - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate she has made of the number of UK jobs created each time the UK signs a new free trade agreement.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government publishes scoping assessments to provide a preliminary assessment of a free trade agreement (FTA) in advance of negotiations. Following the conclusion of negotiations, a full Impact Assessment is published.
These set out HM Government’s current assessment of a new FTA, including the impact on wages and composition of employment across sectors.
Asked by: Chris Loder (Conservative - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
What steps she is taking to support UK farmers during negotiations on a future trade deal with Australia.
Answered by Greg Hands
A UK-Australia deal will open up new opportunities for British farming. British beef and lamb are the best in the world and a deal with Australia is a first step to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and opening up new opportunities for our agri-food exports in growing CPTPP markets across four continents. Any deal we sign with Australia will also include protections for UK agriculture and will not undercut UK farmers or compromise our high standards.
Asked by: Chris Loder (Conservative - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
What recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of her Department’s trade policies on UK farmers.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Our trade policies will open global markets for UK farmers and lower their input costs. We have successfully rolled over EU FTAs but now want to give farmers enhanced access to countries with whom the EU could not or would not do a deal. We are giving farmers a stronger voice in trade policy, putting the Trade and Agriculture Commission on a statutory footing and we have just launched a major promotion campaign for the industry.