Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions in the Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom and the Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community on the ability of the UK to (a) agree and (b) implement international trade deals with countries outside of the EU.

The Government has been very clear that the UK will have an independent trade policy under this agreement, that we will be able to set our own tariffs and negotiate, sign and ratify new free trade agreements after we leave the EU on 29 March.

The political declaration includes a commitment to an unprecedented free trade deal with the EU which recognises the development of an independent UK trade policy beyond the economic partnership with the EU. We have agreed in principle the terms of the UK’s exit from the EU, as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement. Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK will be free to negotiate, sign and ratify new trade agreements during the time - limited implementation period, and to bring them into force from January 2021.