Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Eastwood and Elizabeth Truss

Thursday 19th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

The Government have completed trade deals with 52 different countries covering £146 billion-worth of trade. That is a massive achievement. Unlike the Labour party, we are not prepared to agree to any deal put on the table; we will work hard to get a deal that is in Britain’s interests. There are deals ready to go with the countries the hon. Gentleman has mentioned, but I am not prepared to do a bad deal to push things forward. We are pushing all those deals forward, and we are making good progress.

[Mark Eastwood (Dewsbury) (Con)]

What comparative assessment she has made of the level of inward investment into (a) the UK and (b) other European countries.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mark Eastwood and Elizabeth Truss

Tuesday 12th May 2020 Commons Chamber

[Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan) (Con)]

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of a free trade agreement with the US.

[The Secretary of State for International Trade (Elizabeth Truss)]

A free trade agreement with the United States is set to deliver a £15 billion increase in bilateral trade, benefiting every region of the UK, including the nation of Wales and the great county of Yorkshire, and delivering an extra £1.8 billion for workers’ wages.

[Mark Eastwood [V]]

In the light of the difficult circumstances we find ourselves in globally, I would like to congratulate the Secretary of State on setting up talks with the US. With the UK set to leave the EU at the end of the year, it is also important that we have free trade agreements in place with other nations, particularly our Commonwealth partners and countries in the far east. Therefore, could my right hon. Friend provide an update on progress with the potential trade deals with Australia, New Zealand and Japan?

[Elizabeth Truss]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. We will shortly be launching negotiations with Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and pressing for early accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. This is an important step in diversifying our trade and making sure we are not just dependent on a small number of countries for our imports and exports. It is also important that we work with like-minded free market democracies to help set global standards in trade.