§ 14. Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the GATS agreement will affect a local community's ability to control the provision of services in their area. [84700]
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§ Clare ShortUnder the GATS, Governments retain the right and ability to determine their own domestic regulatory regimes including national policies relating to universal service, affordability of cost to the consumer, quality assurance etc.
In addition the UK Government, other WTO Members and the WTO Secretariat consider public services to be outside the scope of the GATS, regardless of the involvement of private sector finance, where the service to the consumer remains a public service.
Thus, a community's ability to control the provision of services in their area is a matter between that community and its government and cannot be compromised by the GATS.