Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to his Answer of 1 February to Question 125248 on Trade Agreements, whether the continuity for business, investors and consumers will include UK membership of the (a) European Free Trade Association and (b) European Economic Area Joint Committee in order to maintain economic relations with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The UK is not currently a member of the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). We have no plans to join EFTA.

During the implementation period, the existing international agreements to which we are a party should continue to apply, including the EEA Agreement which governs crucial elements of our trading and non-trading relationship with the EEA EFTA states.

Once the implementation period ends, we will no longer be participants in the EU's international agreements, including the EEA Agreement. We will instead seek to put in place new arrangements to maintain our relationship with these states.