My friend on the right represents his rural constituency in Lincolnshire very effectively. There is no rush to conclude future free trade agreements; he mentioned the United States in particular, and there was no rush to do so. It is very important that we reach the right agreement and not a quick agreement, and I have already detailed how our commitments to parliamentary scrutiny go far beyond the previous government`s CRaG procedures; we have contributed a great deal to that. My honourable friend is absolutely right. Even when negotiating continuity agreements, it is important to ensure that we get the best possible deal for British consumers and Uk businesses, including those in his constituency of Aylesbury. My honourable colleague is quite right: it takes two to tango, and this also applies to international trade agreements. Of course, if the partner does not want to negotiate, we will talk to him and use all the levers we have to try to bring him to the table, but at the end of the day, if the partner does not want to negotiate, I am afraid that will happen. Parliamentary review should not be an afterthought, but should be an integral part of the entire contracting process. And the government should realize that if it wants to claim that we have a robust and admirable control system, it should submit to that. The International Agreements Committee will continue to work hard to highlight the importance and benefits of parliamentary scrutiny to the government. I am pleased that the government has strengthened the Trade and Agriculture Committee, announced a stricter parliamentary review of trade agreements and ensured that products such as hormone-treated beef and chlorine-washed chicken will remain banned in the UK.
Is that my right honourable. Friends agree that writing specific unacceptable products like these and others like ractopamine-fed pork, overuse of microbes, and using growth factors in specific chapters of trade agreements would be a practical way to ensure that high standards are promoted around the world? Does it agree that such an approach would send a clear message to both parties in trade agreements that these products are not marketed, thereby promoting other acceptable products and thus increasing animal welfare standards worldwide? We will always take the time necessary to negotiate the right agreements. Any agreement we sign must benefit UK consumers and businesses, keep our food standards high and protect the NHS, and they must share the wealth in all our nations and regions as part of our race to the top programme. We look forward to presenting new continuity free trade agreements to Parliament for consideration once they are signed, and we look forward to continued discussions on our independent trade policy. I thank the hon. member for his questions, which are a little more thoughtful than those of the official opposition. Of course, to be fair to him, he voted against CRaG. In fact, he, I and Emily Thornberry were all elected in the same year, in 2005. He voted against CRaG, which is fair enough, and the good member for Islington South and Finsbury and I voted in favour. I can understand his constancy in resisting the process. However, we are convinced that this is a solid way to ratify trade agreements and give Parliament a voice.
I will say the same thing about the members of the SNP. Once again, they complain that these agreements are not renewed, but they are all agreements that they did not support or abstain from voting. They abstained on the EU-Japan issue. They abstained on the EU-Singapore issue. They are against the EU and Canada. They are against the EU and South Africa. They are against the EU and Korea. In fact, I`m 15 years back, and I can`t think of a single trade deal that the SNP has ever supported or voted for, so it`s a bit rich for the hon. member to come here today and say that the agreements have not been renewed – none of which he supported in the first place. The SNP is against trade, it is fiercely determined to break our Union, and it is against Scotland`s best economic interests.
While recognising that the negotiation of international trade agreements is a reserved matter, the Minister knows that many of the policy areas included in the trade negotiations will be transferred to Wales […].