PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Trade Agreements: Parliamentary Scrutiny (2 June 2023)

The Government has put in place a suite of transparency and scrutiny arrangements that go well beyond statutory requirements. These were outlined in an exchange of letters with the Lords International Agreements Committee in May 2022.

The Government’s commitments include engaging with the relevant Select Committees during the pre-negotiations phase, providing regular written updates during talks and offers of private briefings with negotiating teams; and sharing key documents with Committees prior to publication where possible. We have also committed to ensuring there is extended time for Select Committees to scrutinise final agreements prior to ratification.