Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department when drafting the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill made an assessment of the effect of implementing that legislation on the (a) EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and (b) Trade in Services Agreement.

The Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill is enabling legislation and is intended to support the implementation of comprehensive reciprocal healthcare arrangements with countries both within and outside the European Union. There is no intention to the use the Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill to implement trade agreements.

Free trade agreements, including the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and all other agreements that we are party to as EU members, contain specific wording to safeguard public services, including the National Health Service. As we leave the EU, the United Kingdom will ensure that future agreements have the same protections.