Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Trade: Australia and New Zealand

Thursday 3 March 2022 · 5 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand will remove tariffs for British exporters and increase bilateral trade by 53% with Australia and 59% with New Zealand.
  • The Secretary of State agreed to liaise with the Farmers Union of Wales for clarity on trade deal details and to publish all relevant documents.
  • The Minister for Trade Policy committed to discussing the Australian and New Zealand trade deals in detail with the International Trade Committee.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Rosindell Reform Romford
Business & Trade
Context

The MP is following up on the signing of free trade agreements between the UK and these countries, focusing on potential benefits for British exporters and smaller businesses.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to increase trade with (a) Australia and (b) New Zealand. I congratulate my right hon. Friend on signing the free trade agreement with New Zealand, which is another positive step in rebuilding the bonds and historic links we have with Commonwealth nations. But does she agree that we must do all we can to maintain the benefits secured by this deal by ensuring that any changes to alcohol duty will deliver for UK consumers?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The free trade agreements will end tariffs for British exporters, slash red tape, increase bilateral trade by 53% with Australia and 59% with New Zealand in the medium term. The deals remove all tariffs on New Zealand products, saving up to 20p a bottle on New Zealand wine. The question on domestic taxation continues to be one that the Treasury looks at based on the health of our citizens.

Answered
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Q2 Andrew Rosindell Reform Romford
Brexit Business & Trade Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The president of the Farmers Union of Wales expressed concerns about both the Australia and New Zealand trade deals regarding imported meat tonnage, whether it will be bone-in or deboned.

Question

Could the Secretary of State clarify here at the Dispatch Box what is meant by the importation of meat in terms of being on the bone or filleted, as this will make a significant difference to the scale of flooding of the UK market?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The Secretary of State agreed to ensure that officials liaise with the Farmers Union of Wales for clarity on trade deal details. She mentioned publishing all paperwork and relevant support documents for Parliament and the wider community to inspect, specifically addressing the issue this week.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a direct answer regarding whether imported meat will be bone-in or deboned; instead committed to liaising with the Farmers Union of Wales.

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Q3 Chris Elmore Lab Bridgend
Business & Trade Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The International Trade Committee was not given adequate time to scrutinize the New Zealand deal, as contrasted with the eight-day notice provided to the Trade and Agriculture Commission.

Question

Can she tell us why the International Trade Committee was not given the scrutiny of the New Zealand deal that it should have had?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The Minister for Trade Policy answered a point of order detailing communications. The Secretary stated looking forward to discussing the Australian and New Zealand trade deals in detail with the International Trade Committee, acknowledging they will hold her accountable.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a direct answer regarding why the International Trade Committee was not given adequate time for scrutiny; instead committed to future discussions.

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Q4 Anthony Mangnall
Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The New Zealand trade deal's impact assessment acknowledged a £150 million hit to fishing, forestry, agriculture, and food manufacturing sectors as part of an economic adjustment process.

Question

Can the Secretary of State tell us whether she is content for those sectors to just go down with the Brexit ship?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The New Zealand free trade agreement will see bilateral trade increase by almost 60%, boosting the UK economy by nearly £1 billion in the next few years. It will offer new opportunities for smaller businesses to discover and grow into the New Zealand market, with advantages over international rivals.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not address whether sectors would suffer significant losses; instead focused on potential benefits of increased trade.

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Q5 Deidre Brock SNP
Business & Trade
Context

The MP emphasized the importance of ensuring that the benefits of trade deals are accessible to smaller UK businesses.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to increase trade with Australia and New Zealand, specifically noting the expected boost to smaller businesses.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The Government's deals will end tariffs for British exporters, slash red tape, and increase bilateral trade by 53% with Australia and 59% with New Zealand. These FTAs are expected to boost the UK economy by over £3 billion.

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