Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of investor-state dispute settlement systems and the outcomes of such disputes on decisions about the provision of public services in the UK.

The UK has Bilateral Investment Treaties in force with 94 countries and has never faced a serious investor-state dispute claim.

The UK Government regulates in a responsible manner – by not discriminating on the basis of nationality or expropriating assets without compensation – therefore the existence of investor-state dispute settlement systems doesn’t impact on decisions about public service provision in the UK.