Select Committee · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

The Role of Parliament in the UK Constitution: The Scrutiny of International Treaties and other Agreements inquiry

Status: Closed Opened: 23 Jul 2019 Closed: 23 Jul 2019

Inquiry scope

The power to negotiate, sign, ratify and withdraw from international treaties and agreements has traditionally been exercised by Government under the royal prerogative. However, where entering into or withdrawing from a treaty requires changes to domestic law or rights after ratification, this must be done through Parliament. There is a long standing convention, now enshrined in law, that treaties will be laid before parliament for 21 days before being ratified. Committees of both Houses of Parliament have, however, recently questioned whether the current scrutiny mechanisms at UK level are still fit for purpose. This inquiry will focus on what the constitutional relationship between the Government and Parliament in relation to such treaties and agreements should be, whether new legislation is required, and what parliamentary mechanisms need to be set up.