Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with the (a) Leader of the House of Commons and (b) Chief Whip on finding time for a debate in the Commons Chamber on the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement; and on what dates those discussions took place.

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues in order to ensure effective scrutiny of trade policy. The Government recognises the importance of free trade agreements (FTAs) receiving thorough scrutiny and the CRaG process provides Parliament with this opportunity.

The Government commitment to holding debates on FTAs during the CRaG process is subject to the request being made in a timely manner and parliamentary time being available. Regretfully, this was not possible to accommodate during the CRaG period for the UK-Australia FTA.