Select committee: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee
Recommendation 22
12th Report - UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
Published 21 Jan 2026
Addressed to Department for Business and Trade
Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee UK trade with the US, India and EU All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Government should publish a detailed CETA implementation plan, no later than three months before entry into force, including routes for businesses to raise market access problems; points of contact in the UK and in India; sector-specific guidance (including for SMEs); and how the Joint Committee and sub-committee system, set out in the Agreement, will be used to resolve barriers. This implementation plan should include clear resourcing commitments and a plan for joint work with the nation’s chambers of commerce. The budget for this resourcing should be provided to this Committee. (Recommendation, Paragraph 111) Parliamentary scrutiny
From: Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee, 12th Report - UK-India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) (HC 996), 21 January 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 17 April 2026 (deadline 21 March 2026).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government responds to each recommendation mainly by describing existing structures and its approach to implementation, with a few stated commitments to update Parliament, publish data and monitor the agreement.
- On utilisation data, it will "endeavour to publish provisional data" within the first year after entry into force, "subject to information provision from Indian customs", and will update Parliament regularly.
- On mutual recognition of professional qualifications, it says this is "ultimately the decision of the regulators", but it "will seek to actively facilitate" such arrangements where they are of mutual interest.
- On the Responsible Business Conduct review, it will "update Parliament when the review is complete"; on labour market impacts, it says DBT "intends to monitor and evaluate the agreement".
- On debates, it "reaffirms" its commitment to provide a debate on any new trade deal during the statutory scrutiny period "where Parliamentary time allows".