Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministerial Statement

Free Trade Agreements: Scrutiny

13 July 2023 · 4 other contributors

Opened by Darren Jones Lab Bristol North West

BrexitBusiness & Trade

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Darren Jones raised concerns about free trade agreements: scrutiny in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.

Key points

  • The Business and Trade Committee has published a report on the scrutiny of free trade agreements.
  • The committee now oversees free trade agreement processes following changes to Government Departments.
  • Current parliamentary oversight powers are deemed outdated and inadequate for modern scrutiny.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Government Statement

Darren Jones

The Business and Trade Committee has published a report on the scrutiny of free trade agreements. Following changes to Government Departments, this committee now oversees such processes. The current powers for parliamentary oversight are outdated and inadequate due to historical reliance on the European Parliament. Today’s powers do not grant access to information during negotiations or allow amendments to draft agreements. Post-Brexit, the Ponsonby rule needs reform to reflect modern scrutiny requirements. The Committee will take a thematic approach when reviewing free trade agreements instead of line-by-line legal scrutiny. It plans to call for substantive motions only if significant issues remain unresolved. The committee pays tribute to James Hockaday and thanks the Backbench Business Committee for this opportunity.

Other contributors (4)
  • Anthony Mangnall

    Question

    Does Darren Jones have concerns about timely information regarding free trade agreements affecting the 21-day period? Would it be beneficial to involve other Select Committees for more comprehensive reviews?

    Minister reply

    The hon. Member welcomes Anthony Mangnall to the Business and Trade Committee. He highlights that reform of the 21-day period under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act is needed, as free trade agreements are often complex and require more than 21 sitting days for proper review. The Minister suggests coordinating with other Committees like the International Agreements Committee in the House of Lords to improve scrutiny capacity.

  • Nia Griffith Lab Llanelli

    Question

    Griffith thanked her hon. Friend Darren Jones and the Committee for their work on the report highlighting the importance of parliamentary scrutiny of trade agreements, noting that due to finite resources, the committee adopts a case-by-case approach but urged the Government to overhaul the wider scrutiny process to allow greater opportunities for parliamentary scrutiny at an earlier stage in negotiations. She also questioned whether resource implications might undermine other vital work.

    Minister reply

    Darren Jones thanked Griffith and addressed each of her points. He emphasised that Committees need more resources post-Brexit, including those related to trade agreements. On transparency, he mentioned the difficulty of obtaining information from the Government compared to press coverage in foreign countries. Regarding Australia and New Zealand deals, he noted an unusual approach taken by Ministers using primary legislation.

  • Nigel Huddleston Con Droitwich and Evesham

    Question

    Huddleston thanked the hon. Gentleman for his work on the report and expressed appreciation from the Government. He asked whether a meeting could be arranged to discuss findings further.

    Minister reply

    Darren Jones welcomed the offer of a meeting, noting that there is a debate about updating rules which were set at a time when the UK was part of the EU and based on conventions from 1929.

Shadow Comment

Anthony Mangnall

The shadow congratulates Darren Jones on effectively running the Business and Trade Committee and sends best wishes to James Hockaday. He questions whether timely information will be received, which could impact the 21-day period allowed for debate under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act. The shadow also suggests involving other Select Committees such as Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or Treasury in specific aspects of free trade agreements.

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