To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with European counterparts on improving mutual recognition of professional qualifications to support UK skills shortages and export sectors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with European counterparts on improving mutual recognition of professional qualifications to support UK skills shortages and export sectors.

Lords motion to take note of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of India, laid before the House on 21 January. Agreed to on question.

Lords motion to take note of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of India, laid before the House on 21 January. Agreed to on question.

My Lords, I am delighted to lead this debate on the report from the International Agreements Committee, which I was privileged to chair until late January of this year—a position I then passed to the noble Lord, Lord Johnson of Lainston, who I am delighted will be speaking today also.

The...

My Lords, I am delighted to lead this debate on the report from the International Agreements Committee, which I was privileged to chair until late January of this year—a position I then passed to the noble Lord, Lord Johnson of Lainston, who I am delighted will be speaking today also.

The...

My Lords, as a member of the committee that produced this report, I congratulate our former chairman, who has just spoken, for guiding us through an extremely complex and quite prolonged report on a wide variety of subjects. We think that it is about trade, but the truth is that...

My Lords, as a member of the committee that produced this report, I congratulate our former chairman, who has just spoken, for guiding us through an extremely complex and quite prolonged report on a wide variety of subjects. We think that it is about trade, but the truth is that...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow and applaud the excellent introductory speech of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, the former chair of the International Agreements Committee, on which I have the honour to serve. As we see him rotate off the chairmanship, I wish to say—I...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow and applaud the excellent introductory speech of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, the former chair of the International Agreements Committee, on which I have the honour to serve. As we see him rotate off the chairmanship, I wish to say—I...

My Lords, it is a privilege to speak about the CETA signed between the United Kingdom and India. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the vital work of the committee and the stewardship and leadership of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith. I appeared before it...

My Lords, it is a privilege to speak about the CETA signed between the United Kingdom and India. It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the vital work of the committee and the stewardship and leadership of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith. I appeared before it...

My Lords, it is good to follow the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, who was a highly respected and highly successful Minister; I salute him for that. I congratulate my noble and learned friend Lord Goldsmith, the former chairman of the relevant committee. I also thank the secretariat for what was...

My Lords, it is good to follow the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad, who was a highly respected and highly successful Minister; I salute him for that. I congratulate my noble and learned friend Lord Goldsmith, the former chairman of the relevant committee. I also thank the secretariat for what was...

My Lords, it is always a privilege to follow the noble Lord, Lord Anderson, who is a pillar of our committee.

First, I pay tribute to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, and his leadership of the International Agreements Committee. In my view—this is widely agreed, and not simply in...

My Lords, it is always a privilege to follow the noble Lord, Lord Anderson, who is a pillar of our committee.

First, I pay tribute to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, and his leadership of the International Agreements Committee. In my view—this is widely agreed, and not simply in...

I was just getting to the good bit.

5.11 pm

I was just getting to the good bit.

5.11 pm

My Lords, I was giving a great oration to demonstrate my interests and biases towards India, my passion for that great country, my own heritage and how important I felt it was, in the run-up to the India free trade deal, that we celebrated our joint community and shared roots....

My Lords, I was giving a great oration to demonstrate my interests and biases towards India, my passion for that great country, my own heritage and how important I felt it was, in the run-up to the India free trade deal, that we celebrated our joint community and shared roots....

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Johnson. I could not think of a single remark that I disagreed with, so maybe that should do, but I still have a few things I would like to say. I also pay tribute to the noble and...

My Lords, it is a pleasure to follow the noble Lord, Lord Johnson. I could not think of a single remark that I disagreed with, so maybe that should do, but I still have a few things I would like to say. I also pay tribute to the noble and...

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for introducing this debate. I commend the committee on its constructive assessment of this highly significant agreement and on situating it within a wider, coherent strategic framework that recognises India as not merely a trading partner but a...

My Lords, I, too, thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for introducing this debate. I commend the committee on its constructive assessment of this highly significant agreement and on situating it within a wider, coherent strategic framework that recognises India as not merely a trading partner but a...

My Lords, I join in welcoming this trade deal, yet, as others have said, with certain reservations and concerns. In my remarks, I will briefly touch on three points: redressing and ironing out certain trading inconsistencies; upholding

human rights standards; then ensuring that a concordat such as this properly punches...

My Lords, I join in welcoming this trade deal, yet, as others have said, with certain reservations and concerns. In my remarks, I will briefly touch on three points: redressing and ironing out certain trading inconsistencies; upholding

human rights standards; then ensuring that a concordat such as this properly punches...

My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, and the committee for all their important work on this free trade deal. I echo the comments of both the noble Lords, Lord Hannay and Lord Frost, in expressing concern about the serious democratic deficit of the extremely limited...

My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, and the committee for all their important work on this free trade deal. I echo the comments of both the noble Lords, Lord Hannay and Lord Frost, in expressing concern about the serious democratic deficit of the extremely limited...

My Lords, I entirely join noble Lords in thanking the International Agreements Committee for such a thorough and insightful report. I also thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for securing this debate and setting out the committee’s conclusions with such clarity.

His Majesty’s Government are to be congratulated on...

My Lords, I entirely join noble Lords in thanking the International Agreements Committee for such a thorough and insightful report. I also thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Goldsmith, for securing this debate and setting out the committee’s conclusions with such clarity.

His Majesty’s Government are to be congratulated on...

My Lords, like many others who have spoken today, I pay tribute to my noble and learned friend Lord Goldsmith for his superb chairmanship of the International Agreements Committee. In particular, I thank him for his work in guiding us through the process that produced the report that we are...

My Lords, like many others who have spoken today, I pay tribute to my noble and learned friend Lord Goldsmith for his superb chairmanship of the International Agreements Committee. In particular, I thank him for his work in guiding us through the process that produced the report that we are...

My Lords, I speak passionately in support of this landmark trade agreement between the country of my birth and my adopted country. This comprehensive economic and trade agreement represents a defining moment in our post-Brexit trade policy and stands as one of the most economically significant bilateral agreements we have...

My Lords, I speak passionately in support of this landmark trade agreement between the country of my birth and my adopted country. This comprehensive economic and trade agreement represents a defining moment in our post-Brexit trade policy and stands as one of the most economically significant bilateral agreements we have...