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 - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
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.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions she has had with the (a) Leader of the House of Commons and (b) Chief Whip on finding time for a debate in the Commons Chamber on the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement; and on what dates those discussions took place.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues in order to ensure effective scrutiny of trade policy. The Government recognises the importance of free trade agreements (FTAs) receiving thorough scrutiny and the CRaG process provides Parliament with this opportunity.
The Government commitment to holding debates on FTAs during the CRaG process is subject to the request being made in a timely manner and parliamentary time being available. Regretfully, this was not possible to accommodate during the CRaG period for the UK-Australia FTA.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, whether he has received correspondence from (a) Ministers and (b) officials at the Department for International Trade on the subject of finding parliamentary time for a debate in the House of Commons before the 21 July 2022 on the subject of the proposed free trade agreement between the UK and Australia.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Business Managers regularly engage with ministerial colleagues and departments on all elements of parliamentary business. The Government recognises the importance of free trade agreements (FTAs) receiving thorough scrutiny and the CRaG process provides Parliament with this opportunity. The Government commitment to holding debates on FTAs during the CRaG process is subject to the request being made in a timely manner and parliamentary time being available.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which clauses of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement require parliamentary approval.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
Parliament has a statutory scrutiny role for treaties (including Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)), under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) 2010.
Parliament will also be required to approve any primary and secondary legislation needed to implement the UK-Australia FTA. As per the draft explanatory memorandum for the agreement the need for primary legislation has been identified in order to implement the Procurement Chapter of the Treaty. Secondary legislation will be required for provisions of the Intellectual Property chapter. The Government will also implement changes to tariffs under the Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Act 2018.
Asked by: Caroline Lucas (Green Party - Brighton, Pavilion)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish her Department’s policy process which ensures that the UK's animal welfare standards are not undermined when agreeing new free trade agreements.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government is committed to building a transparent trade policy, which is subject to robust and appropriate parliamentary scrutiny. The Government has made and fulfilled commitments to transparency, including publishing objectives and economic scoping assessments for its proposed Free Trade Agreements. At the end of negotiations, the Government will lay a final impact assessment prior to ratification under the statutory framework provided for by the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.
In all trade negotiations the Government works with industry through our Trade Advisory Groups (TAG), Strategic Trade Advisory Groups (STAG) and the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC). The new TAC will report on whether new free trade agreements are consistent with maintaining UK statutory protections for animal and plant health, animal welfare and the environment.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Penrith and The Border)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had with the Leader of the House on parliamentary scrutiny of trade agreements including the Australia agreement.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 11th June 2021 to Question UIN: 7771.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Penrith and The Border)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when the Trade and Agriculture Commission will be constituted and will able to scrutinise forthcoming trade agreements.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
On 7 June, the Department launched a call for expressions of interest for expert advisors to join the new Trade and Agriculture Commission. The Commission will be established in time to scrutinise the planned Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Australia, to inform parliamentary scrutiny following signature. It will also scrutinise other planned FTAs.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for International Trade on facilitating parliamentary scrutiny of proposed trade deals with other countries before they are signed.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
I have regular discussions with members of the Cabinet. The Government has put a number of arrangements in place to allow for proper scrutiny of proposed trade deals with other countries by Parliament. This includes publishing negotiating objectives and economic scoping assessments before starting negotiations; regular statements to Parliament and briefings with Members and relevant Parliamentary Committees during negotiations.
At the conclusion of negotiations, there will be opportunity for scrutiny of a final deal and Parliament can resolve against ratification of a treaty under the scrutiny processes set out under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Any legislative changes required to give effect to a Free Trade Agreement will need to be scrutinised and passed by Parliament in the usual way before ratification of the agreement can take place.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice his Department has provided to the Department for International Trade on the methodology for the assessment of whether the measures in trade agreements negotiated before the requirements of section 42 of the Agriculture Act 2020 come into force are consistent with minimising antibiotic use in animals.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
In all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high animal welfare, environmental protection and food standards.
Prior to negotiations commencing, the Government will publish a scoping assessment of the broad impacts of new FTAs. Following the conclusion of all negotiations, a full impact assessment will be published prior to implementation. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will feed into this where appropriate.
This commitment is in addition to the usual parliamentary scrutiny process under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) which will ensure the House has sufficient time to scrutinise the detail of any deal.