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Written Question
Trade Agreements: Australia
Monday 17th October 2022

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the ratification of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement, when mutual recognition of legal qualifications between those countries will be introduced.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will facilitate the recognition of professional qualifications in professional services, such as legal services, including through supporting regulators’ work towards mutual recognition arrangements.

Specifically in relation to legal services, the FTA sets up a legal services regulatory dialogue. The dialogue establishes structured engagement between the UK and Australian legal professions with the aim of addressing remaining barriers to practising law locally in each market such as those relating to requalification.

It is our intention to ratify the FTA at the earliest opportunity so that businesses can reap the benefits.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: Australia
Monday 21st June 2021

Asked by: Nicholas Brown (Independent - Newcastle upon Tyne East)

Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of a free trade deal with Australia on small to medium-sized farms in the North East.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The scoping assessment published in June 2020 assessed the potential impacts of a deal, in advance of negotiations, under various illustrative scenarios. This included a more detailed look at the impacts on the agri-food sectors. This assessment was not based on the actual deal, but on broad assumptions about what a trade agreement could look like.

Following the conclusion of negotiations, the Government will be updating the analysis and publishing a full impact assessment prior to implementation of the agreement.

The Australia-UK free trade agreement (FTA) will bring new export opportunities to British farmers and benefit the industry by removing tariffs whilst protecting UK agricultural sensitivities, upholding the UK’s high food and animal welfare standards, and facilitating movement of people. The UK produces high quality, premium produce that is globally sought after, and all the new FTAs will create new export opportunities for British farming.