Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the procedure and available time for the ratification of the Australia and New Zealand free trade agreement allows for sufficient parliamentary scrutiny.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has committed to additional measures for new free trade agreements which go beyond our statutory scrutiny requirements.
The Australia and New Zealand agreements were made available for scrutiny for an additional six months before commencement of the statutory period under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRaG). We have made additional reporting commitments to support scrutiny, including publishing the advice of the independent Trade and Agriculture Commission.
The Trade (Australian and New Zealand) Bill is currently being scrutinised by Parliament. The agreements cannot be brought into force until the legislation has been passed by Parliament.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to conduct an economic impact assessment on the free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Department’s impact assessments of the UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand Free Trade Agreements were published on 17th December 2021 and 28th February 2022 respectively.
The full impact assessments are available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mitigate any damage caused to the UK farming sector by the free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Farming is a crucial part of the UK economy, and this Government wants to ensure rural economies can thrive. Our free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand balance opportunities for UK exporters, importers and consumers with protections for the agricultural industry.
British agri-food exporters will benefit from both deals removing tariffs for all UK goods. We offer a range of support for those looking to increase their exports, including the Export Support Service, the digital GREAT.gov.uk platform and our new Food and Drink Export Council.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the National Farmers Union Growing our agri-food exports to 2030 and beyond, published on 27 April, what plans they have to increase the number of agri-food experts in British embassies located in target markets for future free trade agreements.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
The Department for International Trade has staff in more than 100 markets across the world who are helping British businesses in the agriculture, food, and drink sector to trade with the world.
HM Government additionally has a dedicated agricultural attaché in the United Arab Emirates, which is a member of the Gulf Co-operation Council, with whom we aim to begin negotiations for a free trade agreement soon. We aim to have a total of ten agricultural attachés in growth markets across North and South America, Africa and Asia by the end of 2022.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the economic, and (2) the diplomatic, consequences for the UK of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
As a supporter of free trade, the UK takes a close interest in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which should help standardise rules and facilitate trade between partners in the region. The Government is committed to enhancing our trade in Asia Pacific through our trade negotiations with Japan, Australia and New Zealand, our intention to accede to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and our bilateral trade engagement with partner countries.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 10 November (HL9675), what representations they have made to Pyronix-Hikvision about the use of that company’s technology in Uighur detention facilities.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
We are concerned about the credible reports of human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang and continue to raise these concerns with the Chinese authorities and Chinese companies as necessary. We also advise UK companies with business operations in Xinjiang to conduct appropriate due diligence to satisfy themselves that their activities do not support, or risk being seen to support, human rights violations or abuses.
Pyronix has stated publicly that neither its equipment nor technology were sold to China after October 2019.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to exclude agriculture from future trade deals.
Answered by Earl of Courtown - Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)
In negotiating free trade agreements after the UK leaves the EU, the Government will pursue an agenda that will deliver prosperity for the whole of the UK. Mandates for future negotiations are still under consideration and the Government will publish its negotiating objectives in due course. The Government has committed that the NHS will not be on the table in any trade agreement.