Recommendation 25

Which? also highlighted the importance of reflecting consumer interests more generally and suggested that a consumer chapter should be included in each trade agreement.69 The Department confirmed that the UK-New Zealand trade agreement will include a “first ever” chapter on consumer protection and it said that it wants to test appetite in this area with other partners – where partners are equally interested in pursuing this. The Department said that consumer chapters serve to improve cooperation and to ensure the benefits are more clearly explained to consumers.70 It wrote to us to explain that the consumer protection chapter that the UK is negotiating with New Zealand aims to uphold consumer protection rights and ensure that consumers continue to benefit from trade 62 Q 3 63 C&AG’s Report, paras 16, 25 64 PTN0001 65 Q 47 66 C&AG’s Report, para 16 67 PTN0001 68 Q 48 69 PTN0001 70 Qq 58–60 Progress with trade negotiations 17 in both online and offline settings. For example, the agreement is currently expected to include commitments requiring goods to be of satisfactory quality at the time of delivery and requiring services to be performed with reasonable skill and care..71