Summary of start of debate on the Trade Bill second reading in the Lords

Baroness Fairhead opened the debate by declaring that this was a ‘pragmatic and technological’ bill that sought to confirm the continuity of existing trade agreements and give certainty to the UK’s current trading partners. Whatever the outcome of Brexit, she stressed that the UK wanted its current trading partners to stay with the country, especially given that 40 % of non-EU counties currently form a significant part of our collective trade.

The second reading of the trade bill established that the UK would be an independent member of the World Trade Organization, giving its partners access to a £1.3 trillion trading market. It was also highlighted that this bill was independent of the Brexit deal, and intends to allow the UK to agree and sign future trading agreements with other countries independent of the Brexit negotiations.

Within the debate, Lord Hain asked what would happen to farmers dependent on supply chains, and expressed concern over a hard border on the island of Ireland post-Brexit. He said: ‘Trade negotiations must be transparent, but as things stand certain suppliers would be excluded from being involved in new trade agreements after a Brexit deal’. He added that protections for public procurement need to be in place and said that serious amendments needed to be done to make the bill fit for purpose.

Quoting an article in The Independent, Lord Browne of Layton asked whether the government had any information on the degree to which a likely response from a third party country would respond to any future trading deals, to which he predicted the answer was likely to be no.

Baroness Jones of Maulsecoomb entered the debate raising concerns over ensuring food standards in future trade deals. She stated that in the United States people were ten times more likely to suffer food poisoning from meat, and stressed that the government needed to make food standards a priority while ensuring the protection of rights in future trade deals. She added that food was generally healthier if it was sourced locally, and said that she would like to see the government do more to encourage local and regional trade. Unless such amendments were to be made, she declared that in is current form she would vote against the bill.