Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the opening of trade negotiations with India, (1) what is their timetable, and (2) what are the key milestones, for a free trade agreement between the UK and India.

HM Government began negotiations of the United Kingdom-India free trade agreement on 17^th January. The Written Ministerial Statement that I laid in the House on 31^st January (UIN: HLWS557) provides more detail on the progress and outcomes of the first round of talks. We opened a second round of negotiations on 7^th March, and will continue our work until such time that we have negotiated a deal that is in the British national interest.