Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he expects bilateral trade agreements with each country with which such agreements are being negotiated to be (a) concluded and (b) laid before Parliament for approval.

The Government is seeking to increase the pace of EU trade negotiations.

The Government is pushing for conclusion of a deal with the USA under the Obama Administration. We hope to agree the outline of an agreement as soon as possible, preferably by the end of this year. Such a timeframe might see a text laid for UK ratification towards the end of this Parliament.

On the EU-Japan negotiations, we are seeking agreement in principle on an ambitious trade agreement by the end of 2015. Once the text is agreed we would anticipate it being brought to Parliament for approval within 24 months.

The text of the EU-Canada trade agreement should be laid before Parliament next year. Negotiations have concluded for Ecuador to join the EU-Andean Community trade agreement. Signature is expected before the end of this year, leading to a text being laid before Parliament in 2016.

The agreed EU-Singapore text is currently with the European Court of Justice for an assessment on competence. This will delay ratification and timescales are as yet unclear, but this agreement may possibly be laid before Parliament in 2017. EU-Vietnam negotiations could conclude in the coming months. This might therefore see the text being laid before Parliament in 2016 or 2017.

Negotiations between the EU and West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa concluded in 2014. Signature could happen this year leading to the texts being laid before Parliament in 2016.

The Government is pushing for trade negotiations with India and Mercosur to be unblocked; timelines remain unclear. Negotiations with Morocco are currently difficult to predict. Negotiations with Thailand are on hold due to the current political situation. The Gulf Cooperation Council has suspended all its trade negotiations.