International Trade Committee takes evidence as part of its inquiries into Trade and the Commonwealth: developing countries and UK trade policy transparency and scrutiny

Trade and the Commonwealth: developing countries

Trade between the UK and developing countries is organised under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (the EU’s unliteral preferences scheme), and the EU’s Economic Partnership Agreements.

In this session, the Committee will hear from Brendan Vickers, Economic Adviser in the Trade, Oceans, and Natural Resources Directorate at the Commonwealth Secretariat; and Professor Tony Heron of the University of York. The Committee will examine the trade-related outcomes of the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting; the economic value gained by developing countries within the Commonwealth from access provided by the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences and Economic Partnership Agreements; and issues the UK should seek to address in its pre- and post-Brexit trade with developing countries.

UK trade policy transparency and scrutiny

The Committee will then hold its first evidence session for its inquiry into UK trade policy transparency and scrutiny, with a panel focusing on transparency and scrutiny in relation to trade deal negotiations in other jurisdictions.

Wednesday 20 June

Committee Room 16, Palace of Westminster 

Witnesses: 

From 09.45am 

• Professor Tony Heron, Professor of International Political Economy, University of York
• Brendan Vickers, Economic Adviser in the Trade, Oceans, and Natural Resources Directorate, Commonwealth Secretariat

Followed by 

• Shanker Singham, Director of the International Trade and Competition Unit, Institute of Economic Affairs
• Sir Lockwood Smith, Member of the International Trade and Competition Unit Advisory Council, Institute of Economic Affairs
• Alan Oxley, Member of the  International Trade and Competition Unit Advisory Council, Institute of Economic Affairs