The International Trade Committee today calls for the Secretary
of State for International Trade to explain why the Government is
swerving scrutiny of its free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand.
Following the signing of the trade deals, the Trade and
Agriculture Commission (TAC) produces advice assessing the impact
of each deal on individuals, businesses and farmers in the UK.
The Government will reflect this advice in its ‘Section 42’
report. The Committee has made clear that it needs to consider
the TAC’s advice and the Government’s response in its scrutiny
before it can report on its assessment of the agreement.
In a reply to the Committee
Chair, the Secretary of State for International Trade once
again refuses to set out when the Committee and the public will
see these documents, and how long they will have to consider
them.
The Government also suggests that the Committee does not need to
consider the advice and report as part of its inquiry. In response, the Committee
Chairexpresses his shock at this claim and the Government’s
apparent attempt to stifle the Committee’s scrutiny and ability
to determine its own business. He also calls out the Government’s
attitude of seeking to dictate what scrutiny looks like, rather
than listening to MPs responsible for that scrutiny.
Given the Government’s swerving of scrutiny, the Committee calls
for the Secretary of State to give evidence on the Australia
trade agreement at 10am on Thursday 28 April, unless she can
finally provide details of the relevant timeline.
Commenting on the correspondence, , Chair of the
International Trade Committee, said:
“If these trade deals are as great as the Government claims, why
are they so scared of scrutiny? Trade agreements will have an
impact on people up and down the country, yet the Government is
ignoring their legitimate concerns and attempting to railroad
Parliament, all while claiming to be listening.
“Instead of running scared, the Government should open itself up
to thorough and transparent scrutiny. The Committee must be able
to assess these deals as it sees fit and present its findings
before MPs debate and vote on the agreements. It’s time for the
Government to stop playing games and step up to sensible
scrutiny.”
The International Trade Committee has previously expressed concerns
that the Government’s approach to scrutiny is an attempt to “ride
roughshod” over Parliament.
- ENDS -
Notes to Editors:
UK trade negotiations inquiries
- The Committee opened its inquiries into trade negotiations
with Australia in December 2021 and
trade negotiations with New Zealand in March 2022.
- The Committee Chair wrote to the Secretary of State on
scrutiny of the Australia trade agreement on 21 January 2022 and
on the International Agreements Committee’s Working Practices
report on 11 February 2022.
- The Committee received responses on 14 March and
10 March 2022
respectively and replied to the Secretary of State on 23 March.
- The Government-appointed Trade and Agriculture Commission is
due to present the Secretary of State with advice on whether the
UK-Australia FTA is consistent with UK statutory levels for
animal or plant life and health, animal welfare and environmental
protections by 31 March. The Secretary of State will produce a
Section 42 report based on that report, which will be published
alongside the TAC’s advice.
- After the Section 42 report is published, the agreement can
be laid in Parliament. After it is laid, the Government may not
ratify the agreement for 21 sitting days. If, during this time,
Parliament resolves that the treaty should not be ratified, a
further 21-day period is triggered. If the Commons resolves again
not to ratify the agreement, the process is repeated. This can
continue indefinitely.
- The Government has committed that, if the Committee seeks a
debate when publishing a report on an agreement, it will try to
ensure parliamentary is made available within the 21 sitting day
period.
