19th Report - Scrutiny of international agreements: Digital Economy Agreement with Singapore, and Sixth Protocol to the Convention on a Very High Neutron Flux Reactor

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The Government responds point by point to the Committee's report, stating that the Digital Economy Agreement should not affect EU data adequacy, and that it cannot adopt unilateral domestic guidelines on treaty amendment ratification.

• On data protection, the Government states that transfers of personal data to Singapore "must satisfy the UK’s data protection laws", and that UK data protection rules "will therefore continue to apply as they did before".
• On a Digital Economy Dialogue, plans are "still to be developed" and must be agreed with Singapore. The Government notes the Committee's suggestions and "will give them positive consideration".
• On amendment, the Government states the Trade Committee "cannot amend those articles" of the DEA. On guidelines for ratification, it states it is "not possible for the United Kingdom to take a unilateral position on this issue by way of domestic guidelines".
• On the Memoranda of Understanding, future updates "will not contain legally binding elements". Non-binding arrangements are "not routinely published", though ministers consider on a "case-by-case basis" whether to highlight those of potential public importance to Parliament.

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