Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he plans to consult with (a) civil society and (b) the representatives of workers over (i) active and (ii) prospective free trade agreement negotiations.

Economic growth is the first mission of this government and Free Trade Agreements have an important role to play in achieving that, alongside other levers of trade policy.

The Department for Business and Trade deeply values the views of civil society and the representatives of workers. We seek their input, alongside the input of business and the public, through the public consultations that have been conducted before each negotiation begins, and in continuous engagement with ministers and officials throughout the lifecycle of a negotiation.

The input we receive feeds into our negotiating objectives, to ensure we strike agreements that deliver growth for the public.