§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will take steps to ensure that Government procurement, competition policy and investment are addressed at the WTO Seattle Conference. [97896]
§ Mr. ByersI have been asked to reply.
Government procurement, competition policy and investment are three of the UK's and EU's priorities for the new comprehensive round of trade negotiations which we hope will be launched at the WTO Seattle Conference. We are pressing hard for these subjects along with our other priorities, including agriculture, services, industrial tariffs and regulatory issues, to be included in the new Round agenda.
§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on making the WTO subject to greater scrutiny and accountability; and what plans she has to suggest such changes at the WTO Seattle Conference. [97893]
§ Mr. ByersI have been asked to reply.
Increasing the transparency of the operations of the WTO, including through High Level Meetings and derestriction of documents, is a high priority for the UK and the WTO. The UK and EU are pushing for decisions to be taken on WTO transparency at the WTO Seattle Conference. At the same time, however, we believe that there is an equal if not greater responsibility on member state Governments to improve communication on trade issues, since it is Governments who make and decide the rules and policies of the WTO in Geneva. This includes dialogue with interest groups and consultation with Parliament. The UK has been working hard at national level to do more in this area and we will continue to do so in the future.