Call for Evidence

Background 

• Through this inquiry the Committee is scrutinising the UK-New Zealand free trade agreement (FTA), including the Government’s impact assessment.

• The Committee is particularly interested in finding out how this agreement will affect people and businesses across the UK, and the likely economic, social, environmental and other impacts of the agreement. 

• The Committee intends toprovide parliamentary scrutiny of the agreement by: 

- inviting written evidence from interested stakeholders;  

- analysing the text of the agreement; 

- questioning experts, stakeholders and the Secretary of State in oral evidence sessions; and  

- publishing a report on the agreement, in which it may recommend that the agreement is debated in the House of Commons Chamber.  

• Under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRaG), after the agreement is laid before UK Parliament there is a period of 21 sitting days in which either House may choose to pass a motion stating that it should not be ratified. Ahead of this, the Government has committed to allowing at least three months for public scrutiny. The Committee intends to publish a report on the agreementduring this initialperiod.

• The Government has said it will endeavour to provide time for the agreement to be debated on the floor of the House of Commons should the Committee recommend it.

• This inquiry is relevant to the Committee’s ongoing UK trade negotiations inquiry. Evidence that has already been submitted to that inquiry which is specific to the New Zealand agreement will also be considered as part of this inquiry. 

Terms of reference 

We welcome submissions which answer any of the following questions: 

• To what extent has the Government achieved its stated negotiating objectives or delivered on the Agreement in Principle? 

• How might theUK-New ZealandFTA affect you, your business or organisation, or those that you represent? If possible, please describe the current situation and what you expect to change as a result of this agreement.

• What opportunities or potential costsdoes this agreement present for:

- The UK as a whole? 

- Particular sectors of the UK economy? 

- The UK’s devolved nations and English regions? 

- UK consumers? 

• Are there any opportunities which have been missed, or could have been taken further?

• Are there any barriers which you anticipate would prevent you, your business or organisation, or those you represent from taking full advantage of the agreement? If so, what might help you overcome these barriers? 

• Has the Government got the right balance overall in terms ofany trade-offs it has made, and how do you expect these will affectyou, your business or organisation, or those you represent?

• How well has the Government communicated its progress in negotiations – and how much has it listened to stakeholders during those negotiations?

• How well has the Government communicated the likely impacts of this agreement for you, your business or organisation, or those you represent?

• What lessons and inferences for other current and future negotiations can be drawn from how the Government approached, and what it secured in,the FTA with New Zealand?