Trade in Services (Hansard, 20 July 2001)

§ Mr. Nigel Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how she will respond to the International Development Committee's recommendation on the establishment of a commission on trade in services. [5334]

§ Nigel Griffiths
We do not believe that a commission on trade in services is necessary.

§ Mr. Nigel Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on what impact assessment the Government have undertaken on commitments that it has made under the general agreement on trade in services. [5336]

§ Nigel Griffiths
None, as there were no impacts to measure. The UK already has a substantially open market for the provision of services by foreign service suppliers and most GATS commitments made by the UK during 589W the Uruguay Round reflected actual levels of open market access or non-discriminatory national treatment. In subsequent negotiations on telecommunications and financial services, commitments were in line with the liberalisation in the single European market. In the area of movement of natural persons, the elimination of economic needs tests and the establishment of a special GATS application process for work permits in certain professional services has resulted in only a handful of new applications, which would have been granted under previous arrangements.

§ Mr. Nigel Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement about the commitments the Government have scheduled under the general agreement on trade in services in the health and education sectors. [5335]

§ Nigel Griffiths
The supply of health and education services by the public sector is excluded from the scope of the GATS by virtue of Article I:3.

§ Mr. Nigel Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will ensure that an assessment, independent of the WTO, is carried out of the likely impact of the extension of the general agreement on trade in services on the provision of key services. [5337]

§ Nigel Griffiths
We agree that there should be an assessment of the services negotiations now taking place in the WTO. Article XIX of the GATS provides that for each round, negotiating guidelines and procedures shall be established; and that the Council for Trade in Services shall carry out an assessment of trade in services with reference to the objectives of this Agreement.