Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to ensure that (a) hon. Members, (b) NGOs and (c) Trade Unions are able to fully scrutinise future potential trade deals.

On 28 February we published further proposals on transparency and scrutiny of FTAs. During negotiations for future free trade agreements we will publish and lay before Parliament a Round Report following each substantive round of negotiations. This Round Report will also be published online in an accessible format. We will also publish an Annual Trade Report covering progress across the full programme of negotiations. We announced our intention to work closely with a parliamentary committee to put in place measures to ensure effective parliamentary scrutiny throughout the process.

Alongside our regular engagement with stakeholders, we have set up the Strategic Trade Advisory Group, which was recently announced. Another formal engagement mechanism we are setting up is Expert Trade Advisory Groups. Both of these mechanisms are designed to seek expert insight on strategic trade policy issues, including future trade agreements. These groups will represent a variety of interests, including representatives of trade unions and NGOs.