Call for Evidence

The House of Lords International Agreements Committee (IAC), chaired by Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town, has re-launched its inquiry into the UK-New Zealand trade negotiations now that an Agreement in Principle has been reached. 

This is a public call for written evidence to be submitted to the Committee. We are inviting new submissions, as well as evidence from those who have written to us previously, should they wish to make additional comments further to the Agreement in Principle. Evidence received and accepted to date can be found on the Committee’s webpages.  

The Committee’s scrutiny of these negotiations is considering a wide range of issues, and we expect this call for evidence to remain open until the agreement is signed, but we would be grateful for submissions on one, some or all of the points set out below by 5pm on Friday 26 November, in the first instance.  

When preparing your response, please bear in mind that short, concise submissions are preferred, and responses must not be any longer than six sides of A4. Bullet points are acceptable. You do not need to address every question below. Equally, if there are any crucial issues not captured by the questions we pose, please highlight what they are and explain their salience. 

The process for making submissions is set out in Annex 1, but if you have any questions or require any adjustments to enable you to respond, please contact the staff of the Committee at HLIntlAgreements@parliament.uk.  

Background

The Government has made agreeing a comprehensive free trade agreement (“FTA”) with New Zealand an early priority. New Zealand was the UK’s 34th largest non-EU trading partner and total trade between the two countries was worth approximately £3bn in 2018. The Government began its first round of trade negotiations with New Zealand on 13 July 2020.  

The International Agreements Committee is responsible for scrutinising how the Government conducts international agreements, including trade treaties, and the final content of those agreements. A trade deal with New Zealand would be one of the first trade agreements pursued by a post-Brexit UK. 

Inquiry focus 

The Committee is interested in submissions on any and all aspects of a new UK-New Zealand trade agreement, but we are particularly keen to hear to what extent the Agreement in Principle meets the Government’s stated negotiating objectives; how it will affect consumers and businesses; and the likely economic, social, environmental and other impacts of the agreement. 

We seek evidence on the following areas of interest, which are phrased as questions for the ease of respondents. Submissions need not address all questions. 

Areas of interest 

We welcome broad responses to general questions, as well as specific responses in relation to one or more of the key areas set out below.

1.Does the  Agreement in Principle published on 20 October 2021 deliver on UK interests? What are the costs and benefits? How reliable do you find the Government’s assessment of the potential impacts set out in its strategic approach?

2. In particular, does the Agreement in Principle deliver on the interests of the devolved nations? How can the specific interests of the devolved nations of the UK be best protected as part of the negotiation of a UK-wide trade deal with New Zealand?

3. What are the key trade-offs the Committee should be focusing on when scrutinising the Agreement? 

4. What assessment would you make of the commitments in the consumer protection chapter?

5. What are the economic consequences for farmers, and the agriculture and food industries of a deal with New Zealand? In particular, how would you assess the tariff liberalisation schedules for the specific agricultural products noted in the Agreement in Principle (beef, sheep meat, butter, cheese, and fresh apples)? Are the transitional quotas and product-specific safeguards enough to protect UK farmers?

6. How might the UK agriculture and food industries approach any new competition that might arise from a trade deal with New Zealand (and others)? What opportunities are there for UK companies that might wish to export more to New Zealand under the new deal?  What are the likely impacts on consumers? We would be particularly interested in any economic analyses on these points.

7. How might UK manufacturers benefit from reductions in New Zealand’s tariff and non-tariff barriers for UK exports in industries such as automotive, machinery, and textiles?

8. How would you assess the impact of the Agreement in Principle on the UK services sectors?

9. Do the provisions on the recognition of professional qualifications and movement of business people go far enough? How useful are the provisions relating to dialogue and cooperation between regulatory bodies?

10. Will the digital trade provisions serve as enablers for businesses in the UK? What provisions would bring the most benefit and so should be the highest priority in this area?

11. Will the IP chapter in the agreement provide adequate protections for UK products, artists and performers? Will it protect the UK’s existing IP standards?

12. How will small and medium-sized businesses be impacted by the Agreement?

13. How do you assess provisions contained in the investment chapter? Given the exclusion of an investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, how will investor protections be enforced, and are the alternative mechanisms satisfactory?

14. How do you assess the commitments included in the environmental chapter? Are they sufficiently ambitious?

15. Does the agreement sufficiently promote international labour standards, gender equality and freedom from modern slavery?

16. Are the provisions on transparency and anti-corruption satisfactory?

17. In your view, could the deal, and in particular the SPS provisions, have an impact on the operation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and, if so, how?

18. What effect could a UK-New Zealand trade deal have on the UK’s future ability to negotiate deals with other countries, and to what extent does it set a precedent for future negotiations? 

ANNEX 1: GUIDANCE FOR SUBMISSIONS 

Written submissions should be made online by clicking the “Start” button below. 

We would be grateful for submissions by 5pm on Friday 26 November, in the first instance.   

For any questions, please contact the Committee staff at HLIntlAgreements@parliament.uk or by telephoning 020 7219 4840. 

Short submissions are preferred. A submission longer than six pages should include a one-page summary. 

Paragraphs should be numbered. All submissions made through the written submission form will be acknowledged automatically by email.  

Evidence that is accepted by the Committee may be published online at any stage; when it is so published it becomes subject to parliamentary copyright and is protected by parliamentary privilege. Submissions that have been previously published will not be accepted as evidence. 

Once you have received acknowledgement that the evidence has been accepted you will receive a further email, and at this point you may publicise or publish your evidence yourself. In doing so you must indicate that it was prepared for the Committee, and you should be aware that your publication or re-publication of your evidence may not be protected by parliamentary privilege. 

Personal contact details will be removed from evidence before publication but will be retained by the Committee Office and used for specific purposes relating to the Committee’s work, for instance to seek additional information. 

Substantive communications to the Committee about the inquiry should be addressed through the clerk of the Committee, whether or not they are intended to constitute formal evidence to the Committee. 

Diversity comes in many forms, and hearing a range of different perspectives means that select committees are better informed and can scrutinise public policy and legislation more effectively. Committees can undertake their role most effectively when they hear from a wide range of individuals, sectors or groups in society affected by a particular policy or piece of legislation. The Committee encourages anyone with experience or expertise of this issue to share their views, in the full knowledge that their views have value and are welcome.

You can follow the progress of the inquiry at: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/459/uknew-zealand-trade-negotiations/