Trade Bill — New Clause 4 — Parliamentary Approval — Trade Agreements — 20 Jul 2020 at 21:00

The majority of MPs voted not to require Parliamentary approval of negotiating objectives for free trade deals and of free trade deals themselves.

MPs were considering the Trade Bill^[1].

The proposed new clause rejected in this Bill was titled: Parliamentary approval of trade agreements and stated:

• (1) Negotiations towards a free trade agreement may not commence until the Secretary of State has laid draft negotiating objectives in respect of that agreement before both Houses of Parliament, and a motion endorsing draft negotiating objectives has been approved by a resolution of both Houses of Parliament.
• (2) Prior to the draft negotiating objectives being laid, the Secretary of State must have—
• (a) consulted with each devolved authority on the content of the draft negotiating objectives, and
• (b) produced a sustainability impact assessment including, but not limited to, an assessment of the impact on food safety, health, the environment and animal welfare.
• (3) The United Kingdom may not become a signatory to a free trade agreement to which this section applies unless a draft of the agreement in the terms in which it was to be presented for signature by parties to the agreement has been laid before, and approved by, a resolution of both Houses of Parliament.
• (4) Before either House of Parliament may be asked to approve by resolution the text of a proposed free trade agreement, the Secretary of State must—
• (a) consult with each devolved authority on the text of the proposed agreement, and
• (b) lay before both Houses a report assessing the compliance of the text of the proposed agreement with any standards laid down by primary or subordinate legislation in the United Kingdom including, but not limited to, legislation governing or prescribing standards on food safety, health, the environment and animal welfare.
• (5) In this section—
• “devolved authority” has the meaning given in section 4(1) of this Act, and
• “free trade agreement” means any agreement which is—
• (a) within the definition given in section 4(1) of this Act, and
• (b) an agreement between the United Kingdom and one or more partners that includes components that facilitate the trade of goods, services or intellectual property."
• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Trade Bill

Debate in Parliament |