Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership

Thursday 21 July 2022 · 6 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 5 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK is in the final phase of market access negotiations for joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
  • Joining CPTPP would grant 99.9% of UK goods tariff-free access and is expected to increase wages in the country.
  • The benefits of CPTPP will also extend to Northern Ireland, with extra support provided for export opportunities, including services.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Michael Fabricant Con
Business & Trade
Context

The UK is in the final phase of negotiations for joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Question

What progress her Department has made on securing UK membership of the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership.

Answer from Penny Mordaunt

The UK is well on the way to joining CPTPP, one of the largest trading blocs in the world. We are now in market access negotiations, which are the final phase of the accession process.

Answered
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Q2 Michael Fabricant Con
Business & Trade
Context

The UK is in the final phase of negotiations for joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The questioner seeks to understand the benefits of this agreement.

Question

Will she outline the real advantages that CTP—whatever the bloody thing is called—will bring, and will she perhaps also say what sort of difference it will make to our trading relationship with the United States?

Answer from Penny Mordaunt

The hon. Gentleman is right to point to the benefits of joining this trading bloc: 99.9% of all UK goods are eligible for tariff-free access, it will increase wages in this country, and obviously it will help our relationships with other nations outside the bloc.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific difference to US trading relationship was not addressed.

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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Northern Ireland Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The UK is in the final phase of negotiations for joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The questioner seeks to understand benefits for Northern Irish businesses.

Question

If the United Kingdom becomes part of this bloc, will the Minister outline what trading advantages will come directly to Northern Ireland and its businesses?

Answer from Penny Mordaunt

Those very same benefits will also apply to Northern Ireland, and the hon. Gentleman will know that we are providing extra support to help with the particular export opportunities, including for services, that are so strong in Northern Ireland.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific trading advantages were not detailed.

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Q4 Andrea Leadsom Con
Business & Trade
Context

The questioner supports the UK's role in promoting free trade internationally.

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that being a force for good in the world for free trade is an absolutely honourable goal and one that the UK should promote at every opportunity?

Answer from Penny Mordaunt

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right that the UK, a G7 nation, leaving the regulatory orbit of the EU is an international event. It gives us a huge opportunity, alongside nations like the United States, to set out our view of the world and of capitalism and to fight for the things we believe in.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific action or commitment was made.

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Q5 Margaret Ferrier SNP
Business & Trade Environment
Context

Campaigners are concerned that UK joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) could affect deforestation commitments.

Question

What assurances can the Minister provide that our trade deals will not put our environmental commitments at risk?

Answer from Penny Mordaunt

I would point to the forestry programmes that this nation has funded—some more than 30 years old—in parts of the world that are covered by this trading bloc. This country has an important history under successive Governments of protecting not only our own environment but that of other nations.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No direct assurance was given.

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Q6 Ruth Cadbury Lab Brentford and Isleworth
Brexit Parliamentary Procedure
Context

There has been criticism that the Department for International Trade is dodging scrutiny regarding the Australia deal, and now there are negotiations for joining CPTPP.

Question

Will the Minister promise that this House will be granted a full and timely debate before any deal is ratified?

Answer from Penny Mordaunt

I will ask my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to set out any parliamentary business and timetable for any future trade agreements. We have clearly committed to a particular process. For my part, every time the International Trade Committee or other body of this House has asked me to go before it, I have.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No promise was given regarding full and timely debate.

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