Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2016 to Question 38925, what the planned opening date is for a reading room for hon. Members to scrutinise classified documents relating to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

The UK remains committed to supporting an ambitious Transatlantic Trade and Investment deal which cuts regulatory and bureaucratic barriers without lowering standards, removes the remaining tariffs between the EU and US, and opens up opportunities for businesses.

As hon. Members will have read in a letter from my noble Friend the Minister of State (Lord Price CVO) for Trade Policy on 11 October, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership reading room will be open from 19 October. This will allow all hon. Members and Peers to view documents that the European Commission and US have agreed can be shared with national parliamentarians on a confidential basis.