Government ministers to face EU trade questions from Lords Committee

The Committee is investigating future trade in goods between the UK and the EU.

At 10.15am on Wednesday 8 February the Committee will hear from:

• Lord Price CVO, Minister of State for Trade Policy, Department for International Trade
• Lord Bridges of Headley MBE, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Exiting the EU.

Questions the Committee is likely to ask include:

• The Prime Minister recently proposed “a customs agreement” with the EU. What might this agreement contain?  What work is being done to assess the feasibility of different customs agreements?
• Since the autumn, what progress has been made in assessing the costs of compliance with rules of origin requirements both for businesses and for the state?
• Will the UK seek to remain part of the European Medicines Agency, the European Aviation Safety Agency, or other such agencies after Brexit?
• Will the Government be seeking to include provisions on regulatory harmonisation or mutual recognition in its free trade agreements with the EU and with other countries?
• Our report, Brexit: the options for trade, concluded that it is unlikely that a UK-EU free trade agreement will be agreed within the two years of withdrawal negotiations. What is the basis for the Government's view that this can indeed be achieved? What assessment has the Government made of the cost to the UK of “no deal” (i.e. trading on WTO terms?)
• Recently the International Trade Secretary stated that the UK was conducting ‘trade audits' with 12 countries in order to prepare deals that could be announced after Brexit. How many staff are working on these plans? How many are working on the deal with the EU?

The evidence session will take place at 10.15am on Wednesday 8 February 2017 in Committee Room 3A of the House of Lords.