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Select Committee · Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Australia FTA: Food and Agriculture

Status: Closed Opened: 9 Nov 2021 Closed: 9 Nov 2022 13 recommendations 3 conclusions 1 report

The Government published the text of its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Australia on 16 December 2021. The followed the publication of the agreement in principle in June 2021. The UK-Australia FTA is the first new trade deal negotiated “from scratch”/ that the UK Government will have signed since leaving the EU. The Government has …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First report - Australia FTA: Food and Agriculture HC 23 17 Jun 2022 16 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

2 items
2 Recommendation First report - Australia FTA: Food and … Deferred

While the Government has argued that it has secured three safeguards to protect farmers it...

While the Government has argued that it has secured three safeguards to protect farmers it appears to us that only the general bilateral safeguard mechanism offers any real protection. The volumetric safeguards would only kick in if there were a truly massive increase in Australian red meat imports and, crucially, …

Government response. The government states that the technical processes for how the bilateral safeguard mechanism will operate are currently under review and that Parliament will be updated on the outcome.
8 Recommendation First report - Australia FTA: Food and … Deferred

We welcome the approach that the UK Government has taken to protecting the UK’s SPS...

We welcome the approach that the UK Government has taken to protecting the UK’s SPS requirements within negotiations on the UK-Australia FTA. It will be essential that the UK robustly maintains this position in negotiations with future trade partners who may have a greater offensive interest in challenging the UK’s …

Government response. The government is reviewing how to implement remaining import controls in an improved way via the new Target Operating Model, which will be published in the Autumn, and the new controls regime will come into force at the end of …

Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions
Date Witnesses
11 May 2022 Chris Heaton · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, James Clarke · Department for International Trade, Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt · Department for International Trade, Victoria Prentis · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs View ↗
11 May 2022 Professor Lorand Bartels · Trade and Agriculture Commission View ↗
29 Mar 2022 Dr Chris Kebbell · New Zealand High Commission, His Excellency The Hon Bede Corry · New Zealand High Commission, His Excellency the Honourable George Brandis QC · Australian High Commission, Kieran Macdonell · Australian High Commission View ↗
8 Mar 2022 Andrew Opie · British Retail Consortium (BRC), Anna Sands · WWF, James Russell · British Veterinary Association, Kate Nicholls · UKHospitality, Ms Orla Delargy · Sustain, Sue Davies MBE · Which? View ↗
23 Feb 2022 Emily Rees · European Centre for International Political Economy, Professor Fiona Smith · University of Leeds, Professor Louise Manning · Royal Agricultural University, Sarah Baker · Disability Unit, Sarah Baker · Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board View ↗
8 Feb 2022 Mr Phil Stocker · National Sheep Association, Neil Shand · National Beef Association, Nick von Westenholz · National Farmers' Union, Peter Hardwick · British Meat Processors Association View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters
DateDirectionTitle
12 Oct 2022 — Correspondence from the Chair to Defra and DIT SoS re Australia FTA Govt respon…
22 Jun 2022 To cttee Letter from the Secretary of State for International Trade to the Chair regardi…