Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council on human rights in member states of that council.

We’re proud of the UK’s role as a leading human rights advocate worldwide. This work takes place separately to trade negotiations, but growing our trading relationships is one way to promote British values abroad while boosting our economy. The GCC is an economically and strategically important group of countries and an ambitious trade deal is firmly in the UK’s national interest, helping to achieve the highest sustained growth in the G7.

Strengthening our trading relationships increases UK influence, enabling open discussions with partners on a range of issues. Our close relationship with our partners in the Gulf allows us to discuss important issues such as human rights at official and Ministerial level.