Call for written evidence: Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill
8 September 2022 (updated on 8 September 2022)
Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament?
If so, you can submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider this Bill.
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The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence. The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration. The Public Bill Committee will scrutinise the Bill line by line. The first sitting of the Public Bill Committee is expected to be on Wednesday 12 October and the Committee is scheduled to report by Thursday 20 October. However, please note that when the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 5.00pm on Thursday 20 October. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible. |
Aims of the Bill
The Bill would enable the implementation of the UK’s Free Trade Agreements with Australia and New Zealand – the first two trade agreements that the UK has negotiated independently, outside the EU.
The Bill would create powers to change UK domestic procurement law to implement the public procurement chapters of each agreement. UK procurement rules, set out in procurement regulations and guidance, regulate government and wider public sector purchases of goods and services.
The Bill would enable the UK Government and devolved authorities to make regulations for two purposes:
- To implement the changes in domestic procurement law required to implement the UK Free Trade Agreements with Australia and New Zealand, and
- To change domestic law to reflect some specific amendments required under the agreement with Australia, and apply those provisions to suppliers from the UK and other countries. This aims to ensure consistent regulation and treatment of all suppliers.
Follow the progress of the Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill
The Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 11 May 2022. A debate on Second Reading was held on 6 September 2022.
- Bills before Parliament: Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill
- Read Explanatory Notes: Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill
- House of Commons Library Briefing Paper
Oral evidence sessions are expected to be held on Wednesday 12 October.
Guidance on submitting written evidence
Deadline for written evidence submissions
The Public Bill Committee is now able to receive written evidence. The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration and possibly reflect it in an amendment. The order in which amendments are taken in Committee will be available in due course under Selection of Amendments on the Bill documents pages. Once the Committee has dealt with an amendment it will not revisit it.
The first sitting of the Public Bill Committee is expected to be on Wednesday 12 October and the Committee is scheduled to report by Thursday 20 October. However, please note that when the Committee concludes its consideration of the Bill it is no longer able to receive written evidence and it can conclude earlier than the expected deadline of 5.00pm on Thursday 20 October. You are strongly advised to submit your written evidence as soon as possible.
Your submission should be emailed to scrutiny@parliament.uk
Further guidance on submitting written evidence can be found here.
Image: Parliamentary Copyright