Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what representations he has received from the Welsh Government requesting the exemption of the Welsh National Health Service from negotiations on the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership (TTIP) and the NHS have been raised and discussed with the Welsh Government at official and Ministerial level during Joint Ministerial Committee meetings.

In the negotiations, the European Commission has explicitly ruled out public services from the scope of any market liberalisation in TTIP, and it has therefore not been necessary to discuss any exclusions related to specific public services.