Call for Evidence

Background

Through this inquiry the Committee will scrutinise the UK-New Zealand free trade Agreement in Principle (AiP) and the final free trade agreement (FTA).

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 to provide 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 agreement during this period.

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 short submissions by 5pm on 10 November which answer one or more of the following questions:

• How good a deal does the AiP represent for the UK?
• To what extent has the Government achieved its stated negotiating objectives?
• How are the terms of the AiP between the UK and New Zealand likely to affect you, your business or organisation, or those that you represent?
• What is likely to be the impact of the agreement on:
  • the UK’s economy as a whole?
  • particular sectors of the UK economy?
  • the UK’s devolved nations and English regions?
  • social, labour, environmental and animal welfare issues?
  • UK consumers?
• How well is the Government communicating its progress in negotiations – and how much is it listening to stakeholders during those negotiations?