Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership on (a) workers' rights in the UK and (b) the ability of trade unions to challenge alleged abuses of workers' rights.

There is nothing in the CPTPP agreement which would cause the UK to weaken its own labour laws. CPTPP contains a comprehensive labour chapter with binding provisions that reaffirms CPTPP parties’ obligations as members of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and helps to protect labour rights and improve working conditions. The Chapter promotes enhanced co-operation and consultation including through public engagement with domestic stakeholders, such as trade unions, on a range of labour issues. It is also subject to the agreement’s dispute settlement mechanism and a range of mechanisms to facilitate implementation of the chapter, including public submissions.