Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the proposal from the International Agreements Committee, set out in its letter to the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, published on 23 March 2023, that the Department for Business and Trade should publish a trade policy framework, setting out strategic policies and objectives for trade negotiations, to facilitate better parliamentary scrutiny of all trade.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel
The Government communicates its trade strategy in publicly available documents: the Integrated Review Refresh, speeches and committee appearances, and our Export Strategy. Publishing a framework may risk revealing our positions, undermining our ability to negotiate effectively and therefore place UK businesses in an uncompetitive position.
The Government is committed to providing updates to Parliament, which are also then available to the public. This information includes the Government’s strategic approach to free trade agreements, providing written updates after negotiating rounds, engaging with committees throughout negotiations, and in debates during Bill scrutiny. Ministers also provide information when answering written and oral questions.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to adapt the process under section 20 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 for when third-party states accede to plurilateral trade agreements after UK implementing legislation has been passed.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston
The Government currently has no plans to make changes to the process under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRAG). Where a third-party state’s accession to a plurilateral trade agreement would require the UK to ratify a treaty in accordance with terms of CRAG, that process will apply.
It is Government policy that ratification of an agreement should only take place once necessary domestic legislation is in place.
As the Government pursues its ambitious trade agenda, we will continue to ensure arrangements remain fit for purpose.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has had discussions with the Leader of the House on making time for a debate on a substantive motion on the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership during the ratification process.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government is committed to effective scrutiny of its trade agenda and has put in place a comprehensive framework for scrutiny of free trade agreements (FTAs). This includes a commitment to seek to hold a general debate on a new FTA where one is requested by the relevant Select Committee in a timely manner, subject to parliamentary time. The Government's view is that a general debate is the appropriate mechanism for Parliament to debate a new FTA.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department plans to take to help ensure there is adequate (a) public scrutiny and (b) accountability of (i) trade negotiations and (ii) any future trade agreement between the UK and India.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government has put in place enhanced scrutiny arrangements for free trade agreements. This included publishing our negotiating strategy, including objectives, in January 2022.
Since negotiations commenced, we have published twelve negotiation updates. In addition the Chief Negotiator has briefed the relevant select committees on a number of occasions. Once the deal is concluded it will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, prior to ratification. The Government will also commission and publish advice from the independent Trade and Agriculture Commission. Finally, any legislation needed to implement the agreement will be scrutinised and passed by Parliament in the usual ways.
Asked by: Andrew Western (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to ensure meaningful engagement with parliamentary committees on trade negotiations.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government has put in place a suite of transparency and scrutiny arrangements that go well beyond statutory requirements. These were outlined in an exchange of letters with the Lords International Agreements Committee in May 2022.
The Government’s commitments include engaging with the relevant Select Committees during the pre-negotiations phase, providing regular written updates during talks and offers of private briefings with negotiating teams; and sharing key documents with Committees prior to publication where possible. We have also committed to ensuring there is extended time for Select Committees to scrutinise final agreements prior to ratification.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the procedure and available time for the ratification of the Australia and New Zealand free trade agreement allows for sufficient parliamentary scrutiny.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston
The Government has committed to additional measures for new free trade agreements which go beyond our statutory scrutiny requirements.
The Australia and New Zealand agreements were made available for scrutiny for an additional six months before commencement of the statutory period under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRaG). We have made additional reporting commitments to support scrutiny, including publishing the advice of the independent Trade and Agriculture Commission.
The Trade (Australian and New Zealand) Bill is currently being scrutinised by Parliament. The agreements cannot be brought into force until the legislation has been passed by Parliament.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when her Department plans to respond to the fourth report of the International Trade Committee entitled Parliamentary scrutiny of free trade agreements, published on 27 October 2022.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Department responded to the fourth report of the International Trade Select Committee on 5 January 2023.
Asked by: Lord McCabe (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she will take to enable parliamentary scrutiny of the proposed UK-India free trade agreement.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Government has put in place enhanced scrutiny arrangements for free trade agreements, going beyond the statutory requirements.
We have provided extensive information to Parliament, including our strategic approach and regular updates following each of the six rounds of negotiations so far.
In addition, Ministers regularly meet with the International Trade Select Committee and International Agreements Select Committees.
The UK-India Free Trade Agreement will be subject to the usual procedures under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act. In addition, the Government will commission and publish the advice from the independent Trade and Agriculture Commission to inform parliamentary scrutiny.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of strengthening existing requirements under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 for parliamentary (a) scrutiny and (b) debate on international trade deals.
Answered by Greg Hands
The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) provides an effective and robust framework for scrutiny of treaties that require ratification, including free trade agreements.
Nevertheless, the Government has also in place a suite of enhanced transparency and scrutiny arrangements that go well beyond the statutory obligations of CRaG.
The Government recognises the importance of Parliament being able to consider new free trade agreements, therefore a debate was held in Government time on 14 November to consider the Australia and New Zealand deals.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the letter from the Minister for Investment to the Chair of the International Arrangements Committee of 19 May 2022, how many sitting days' notice his Department would require for a debate on a new free trade agreement.
Answered by James Duddridge
The scheduling of Parliamentary business is not a matter for the Department for International Trade.
The Government has made clear it will seek to facilitate requests for debates on free trade agreements, subject to the availability of parliamentary time. The Department for International Trade will continue to work with colleagues across Government to support effective scrutiny of Free Trade Agreements.