Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she discussed the contents of the UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement with the Welsh Government before it was signed.

We have not yet signed a Free Trade Agreement with New Zealand but we did reach Agreement in Principle (AIP) on Wednesday 27th October. My officials have been holding discussions with the Devolved Administrations through the entire negotiation and were in constant contact in the run up to AIP. My predecessor, Minister Hands, spoke to the Welsh Government on a number of occasions to update them on progress in negotiations with New Zealand, most recently at the Ministerial Forum for Trade on the 14^th July. We offered meetings to all DAs in advance of the AIP for NZ being announced. The Welsh government accepted a meeting but the Minister was then not able to attend. We offered a further meeting which was accepted.