Continuity Trade Agreements: Parliamentary Scrutiny Debate

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Department: Department for International Trade

Continuity Trade Agreements: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Rachael Maskell Excerpts
Tuesday 17th November 2020

(3 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Greg Hands Portrait Greg Hands
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Mr Speaker, I think I will use a cricketing analogy: we are 74 not out.

Rachael Maskell Portrait Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op)
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At a time when our economy is in peril and just 44 days before we leave the transition arrangements, we still have no agreement with the EU. Fifteen continuity agreements are yet to be agreed, breaching the Government’s own deadline which the Prime Minister clearly said was immoveable, yet the Trade Minister comes to the Dispatch Box and says that he will extend provision into January. Will he tell businesses what will happen to their trade with those 15 countries on 1 January, so they can now make their plans?

Greg Hands Portrait Greg Hands
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It is relatively straightforward. If the agreement is made with the remaining countries and there is not the time to put it through the CRaG process before 31 December, it has the potential to be provisionally applied. The terms of that agreement will remain on 1 January in accordance with the existing EU deal going into that time, so there should be no interruption for businesses. Parliament will still have the opportunity, under the CRaG process, to give that agreement full scrutiny.