HL Deb 25 May 1994 vol 555 cc39-40WA
Lord Kennet

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What range of decisions affecting what topics will be removed from national British decision-making when the Uruguay Round Agreement is implemented on 1st January 1995, and whether Parliament will be given the opportunity of examining and voting on the powers to be transferred to the World Trade Organisation.

Lord Strathclyde

Acceptance by the UK of the results of the Uruguay Round will not remove any decisions from UK national decision-making. The agreement establishing World Trade Organisation and its annexed trade agreements are contractual exchanges of rights and obligations between governments, and do not involve any transfer of national decision-making. The agreements have been laid before both Houses of Parliament and the Government published a White Paper relating to them on 19 May. The relevant EC legislation will also be subject to normal scrutiny procedures.