Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to include respect for the human rights of (a) consumers, (b) residents, (c) workers and (d) people living in poverty within trade agreements.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to either negotiating trade deals or supporting human rights. The UK assesses and considers appropriate action in response to egregious human rights violations and abuses globally, and this goes much wider than considering trade alone, drawing on the wider tools and levers at our disposal.

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world and we remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights. This is undertaken separately to negotiations on free trade agreements. Free trade agreements are not generally the most effective or targeted tool to advance human rights issues.