§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the UK Government's position in the GATS negotiations and the final agreement will be subject to 441W approval by Parliament; and if she will make a statement on the role of Parliament in the ratification process. [87709]
§ Ms HewittThe GATS negotiations are part of the Doha development agenda of the World Trade Organisation, in which the United Kingdom negotiates through the European Community. The Government will continue to keep Members informed of developments throughout the negotiations. In respect of the GATS, copies of a recent consultation document were deposited in the Libraries of both Houses last October, and we will also deposit there a summary of the responses received.
The Government has and will continue to keep Parliament informed of developments in the negotiations on the Doha development agenda, including on GATS. After the Doha ministerial meeting in November 2001 I made a detailed statement of the results of the meeting and the United Kingdom's position. The Government will ensure that both Houses will have an opportunity to scrutinise the outcome of the Doha development agenda negotiations as they have the results of previous multilateral trade negotiations.