Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Free Trade Agreements: Scrutiny

Thursday 21 July 2022 · 2 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government are committed to effective scrutiny of trade agreements.
  • Enhanced transparency and scrutiny arrangements have been put in place for every stage of FTA negotiations.
  • There is no breach of any situation such as the right hon. Member suggests.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alistair Carmichael Lib Dem Orkney and Shetland
Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The adequacy of scrutiny mechanisms for future UK free trade agreements is being questioned due to concerns about transparency and effectiveness.

Question

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of scrutiny mechanisms for future UK free trade agreements. The questioner expresses skepticism towards government commitments on trade agreements, citing farmers and crofters in his constituency who have experienced breaches of undertakings in previous trade deals.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The Government are committed to effective scrutiny of trade agreements. Enhanced transparency and scrutiny arrangements have been put in place for every stage of FTA negotiations, including publishing objectives before talks, providing additional time for scrutiny at the end of the process, and setting up the independent Trade and Agriculture Commission to report on new agreements. The Australia FTA has been available for scrutiny for seven months, enabling three Select Committees to take evidence and report prior to ratification.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide a direct assessment of the adequacy of scrutiny mechanisms but instead outlines existing processes.

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Q2 Alistair Carmichael Lib Dem Orkney and Shetland
Business & Trade
Context

There are concerns among farmers and crofters in the constituency regarding a breach of undertakings in the trade agreement with Australia, leading to skepticism about future commitments.

Question

Is the breach of the undertaking on the trade agreement with Australia to be a one-off or is it the start of a course of conduct? The questioner notes that previous government undertakings regarding trade agreements are not worth much and cites farmers and crofters in his constituency as evidence.

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

There is no breach of any situation such as the right hon. Member suggests. The arrangements in place are robust, and there will be an opportunity for colleagues to raise issues during enabling legislation for the Australia and New Zealand trade deals in the autumn. The process is effective and considered very robust and inclusive by fellow Trade Ministers around the world.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not directly address whether the breach with Australia will be a one-off or indicative of future behaviour, but instead asserts there is no breach.

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