Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their plan to replicate 40 existing EU free trade agreements before the UK leaves the EU is on schedule.

The Government is committed to working to provide continuity across all our existing trade agreements. In a no-deal scenario we will work to achieve this for as many agreements as possible, just as we are now.

We are making good progress and have signed agreements with Chile, the Faroe Islands, and Eastern and Southern African Economic Partnership Agreement states with others soon to follow, such as Switzerland, which the Government expects to sign shortly. We have also signed Mutual Recognition Agreements with Australia and New Zealand. When we reach agreement with other countries will depend on the progress of ongoing discussions, taking into account: their assessment of the possibility of a no deal; their own political or parliamentary situation; resource constraints; and other factors. The Government will continue to inform Parliament and the public when agreements are signed.