Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she plans to publish the text of the Economic Partnership Agreement secured with Cameroon on 30 December 2020, together with an accompanying explanatory memorandum and parliamentary report.

The United Kingdom and Cameroon have each agreed to temporarily give effect to the preferences under the UK-Cameroon Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) from 1 January. A time-limited bridging mechanism in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding has been applied, pending completion of domestic scrutiny processes for entry into force of the EPA.

We have published a Technical Note in Parliament, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/947282/cnc-information-note-dec2021.pdf setting out further detail and our assessment of the use of Bridging Mechanisms for implementing agreements.

Despite the exceptional circumstances which made this approach necessary to ensure continuity of trade, we will lay this agreement in Parliament under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) as soon as possible. The accompanying Parliamentary Report and Explanatory Memorandum will also be published when this Agreement is laid in Parliament.