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Free Trade Agreements: Scrutiny
13 July 2023
Lead MP
Darren Jones
Debate Type
Ministerial Statement
Tags
EconomyBrexitForeign AffairsBusiness & TradeParliamentary ProcedureChildren & Families
Other Contributors: 4
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.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Government Statement
EconomyBrexitForeign AffairsBusiness & TradeParliamentary ProcedureChildren & Families
Government Statement
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 The current powers for parliamentary oversight are outdated and inadequate due to historical reliance on the European Parliament.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.
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
Shadow Comment
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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Assessment & feedback
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