Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Trade Deals: Environmental Standards

Thursday 21 October 2021 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The UK seeks ambitious environmental provisions in all future trade deals, including with Australia and New Zealand.
  • Economic growth and climate change are not mutually exclusive according to the Government; they go hand in hand.
  • The environment and climate change will continue to be a key priority for the UK, aiding British businesses in the green agenda.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Stephen Morgan Lab Portsmouth South
Climate Business & Trade
Context

A leaked document suggests the UK prioritises economic growth over climate protection in trade negotiations, raising concerns about environmental commitments.

Question

What recent discussions has she had with UK trade partners on including clauses on environmental standards into future trade deals? Last week, a leaked document by departmental officials revealed that it is the Government's policy to prioritise economic growth over climate protection. If this is not true, can she explain why such a document was written and circulated?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The UK seeks ambitious environmental provisions in all future trade deals, including with Australia and New Zealand. The Australian deal includes a substantive article affirming both parties' commitments to address climate change under the UN framework convention on climate change and the Paris agreement.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific prioritisation of economic growth over environmental standards was not directly addressed.

How: Economic Growth And Climate Protection Are Not Mutually Exclusive

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Q2 Stephen Morgan Lab Portsmouth South
Economy Climate Business & Trade
Context

A leaked document suggests the UK prioritises economic growth over climate protection in trade negotiations, raising concerns about environmental commitments.

Question

Can she explain why a leaked document by departmental officials revealed that it is the Government's policy to prioritise economic growth over climate protection. If this is not true, can she confirm whether the Government will rule out trade deals with countries such as Brazil and Malaysia if they continue destroying their rainforests?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Economic growth and climate change are not mutually exclusive; they go hand in hand. The environment and climate change will continue to be a key priority for the UK, helping British businesses driving the green agenda with clean technologies of the future.

Not addressed: The question about ruling out trade deals was not addressed directly, focusing instead on economic growth and environmental commitments in general terms.

How: Economic Growth And Climate Protection Are Not Mutually Exclusive

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Q3 Bill Esterson Lab Sefton Central
Climate Business & Trade
Context

A leaked document suggests that the UK prioritises economic growth over climate protection in trade negotiations, raising concerns about environmental commitments.

Question

Can she confirm whether the Government will rule out trade deals with countries such as Brazil and Malaysia if they continue to destroy their rainforests?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

Economic growth and the UK's world-leading commitment to climate challenges are not mutually exclusive; they go hand in hand. The environment and climate change will continue to be a key priority for the UK, helping British businesses driving the green agenda with clean technologies of the future.

Not addressed: The question about ruling out trade deals was not addressed directly, focusing instead on economic growth and environmental commitments in general terms.

How: Economic Growth And Climate Protection Are Not Mutually Exclusive

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