Extract from oral
question (Lords) on Brexit: Trade Agreements
(Con): My Lords, can my noble friend explain to the
House why the EU has failed to reach trade agreements with our
major markets, such as India, China, the United States and
Australia?
The Minister of State, Department for International Trade
(Baroness Fairhead) (Con): I am focused on the
continuity of the ones that we have and on building working
relationships with the countries that we can have trading
relationships with in the future. The EU now has a number of
trading relationships through both traditional free trade
agreements and EPAs, where the focus is much more on development.
We in the UK have long been supporters of a very strong and open
pro-trade agenda.
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Extracts from report
stage (Commons) (day 2) of the European Union (Withdrawal)
Bill
Mr (Rushcliffe) (Con):
...My right hon. Friend may not have been here in time to hear me
begin by saying that all attempts to produce a precise forecast
of any change in economic arrangements are fraught with peril. I
would have preferred the referendum to have been fought on
arguments about the benefits, in the opinion of those on my side,
that membership of the EU has brought to this country in enabling
us to develop a powerful political role in the world as one of
the leading members of the EU, in helping the bloc to hold its
own against America, China, India and the emerging powers and
in the considerable economic success that we achieved for most of
the 47 years of our membership. There is no doubt that the common
market and then particularly the single market have made a
considerable contribution to our prosperity...
...I will not go on but, much though some in the present
Administration would wish otherwise, I do not
think India is yet ready for free trade
agreements with countries such as Britain. I wish I could feel
more confident it were otherwise, but I think the Lok Sabha will
daunt anyone who tries to take on the various pressures
in India in order to have a free trade
agreement. I have been to India myself to try to get it to
open up to legal services, with considerable support from a lot
of Indian businesses that would like some
of our countries to provide international quality services in
Delhi so that they do not have to come to London to get their
advice, but protectionism in every aspect of Indian society is not to be understated.
We are not going to get far. I will not go on about China, as I
said I would not go country by country...
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