Trade Scrutiny

Dear constituent,

Thank you for contacting me about parliamentary scrutiny of trade agreements. I agree with you on this important issue. Parliament must be able to properly scrutinise trade negotiations and trade deals.

Having left the EU, and as we recover from the coronavirus pandemic, we will need to agree new trade deals that benefit UK workers and businesses of all sizes. However, these agreements must serve our long-term interests. Unfortunately, the Trade Bill, by containing no provision for proper parliamentary scrutiny of trade negotiations and agreements, allows the negotiation, signing and ratification – without a single House of Commons debate – of trade deals that could threaten local industries, leave our health services open to US healthcare corporations and undermine food, farming and environmental standards and consumer protections.

This is why I supported an amendment to the Trade Bill on parliamentary approval of trade agreements in the House of Commons in July. The amendment would have provided for many of the elements of good scrutiny practice that a modern, confident, outward-looking country should have, including: a vote on negotiating mandates; consultation with the devolved Administrations; and a vote on trade deals by both Houses of Parliament. Unfortunately, the Government opposed the amendment and it failed to make it into the Bill.

I am pleased that the House of Lords recently passed a new amendment to the Trade Bill (Amendment 6) during its scrutiny of the Bill, which will give Parliament a role in scrutinising and approving trade deals.

I will of course look closely at all amendments made to the Trade Bill in the House of Lords when they are due to be considered by the House of Commons. However, I can assure you I remain committed to ensuring that Parliament can properly scrutinise trade negotiations and trade deals.

Thank you once again for contacting me about this issue.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Dowd MP