Source · Select Committees · Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Paragraph: 40
We welcome the Agreement in Principle reached between the UK and Australian governments and await...
Conclusion
We welcome the Agreement in Principle reached between the UK and Australian governments and await the final text of the free trade agreement (FTA). However, while the UK-Australia FTA is unlikely to have a significant impact on Wales in the short term, we are conscious of the concerns that exist within the Welsh agri- food sector. Farm businesses are already facing some uncertainty in the transition away from the EU system of farm payments and the changing trade environment. The UK Government and Welsh Government must work with the agri-food sector to ensure that UK producers have the skills and support needed to thrive in a new global trading environment.
Paragraph Reference:
40
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
The UK Government is responsible for negotiating international trade agreements on behalf of all the constituent nations and regions in the UK. DIT recognises that modern trade agreements interact with areas of devolved competence and that the DAs have an interest across a wide range of areas. DIT has created engagement structures at all levels to ensure a constructive approach to working with the DAs. These include the quarterly Ministerial Forum for Trade, regular bilateral ministerial meetings, the six-weekly Senior Officials Group, Chief Negotiator calls running parallel to negotiation rounds, six-weekly chapter-specific policy roundtables and weekly working level engagement. During our negotiation sprint with Australia, senior officials from DIT increased their frequency of meetings with their DA counterparts. The Minister for Trade Policy has also discussed the FTA with his DA counterparts and will continue to do so, including through the Ministerial Forum for Trade. We have also committed–and delivered on the commitment–to sharing FTA draft treaty text with the devolved administrations prior to any signature with our trading partners. We also shared an embargoed copy of the final Treaty text and the economic Impact Assessment.