Trade Bill — After Clause 2 — Parliamentary Approval of International Trade Agreements and Treaties — 9 Feb 2021 at 17:34

The majority of MPs voted not to require Parliamentary approval of negotiating objectives for international trade agreements, and not to require Parliament to actively approve international trade agreements prior to their ratification.

MPs were considering the Trade Bill.^[1][2]

The motion supported by the majority of MPs in this vote was:

• That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 1B.

Lords amendment 1B^[3] stated:

• After Clause 2, insert the following new Clause—
• “Parliamentary approval of international trade agreements and treaties
• (1) If a decision has been made by the Secretary of State to commence negotiations towards a free trade agreement, a statement must be made to both Houses of Parliament.
• (2) Negotiations for that trade agreement may not proceed until the Secretary of State has laid draft negotiating objectives in respect of that agreement before Parliament, and an amendable motion endorsing the draft negotiating objectives has been approved by a resolution of the House of Commons.
• (3) Prior to the draft negotiating objectives being laid, the Secretary of State must consult each devolved authority on the content of the draft negotiating objectives, and seek their consent.
• (4) The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 is amended as follows.
• (5) In section 20 (treaties to be laid before Parliament before ratification), after subsection (1)(b) insert—
• “(ba) where the treaty is an international trade agreement as defined in the Trade Act 2021, a Minister of the Crown has published an analysis of the requirement for the treaty to be implemented through changes to domestic legislation, and
• (bb) where the treaty is an international trade agreement as defined in the Trade Act 2021, the House of Commons has resolved, within period A, that the treaty should be ratified, and”
• (6) In section 21 (extension of 21 sitting day period), after subsection (2) insert—
• “(2A) Where a relevant Committee of either House of Parliament has recommended that a treaty constituting an international trade agreement as defined by the Trade Act 2021 should be debated in that House, the Minister of the Crown must ensure that the period does not expire before that debate has taken place

--

• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Trade Bill, Parliament.uk
• [2] Explanatory notes to the Trade Bill, 18 January 2021, Parliament.uk
• [3] Lords Amendments to the Trade Bill, 3 February 2021, Parliament.uk

Debate in Parliament |