The Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill was announced as part of the King’s Speech in November 2023. It is a bill to enable the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. It will amend aspects of domestic legislation on technical trade barriers, government procurement and intellectual property to ensure the UK is compliant when the agreement comes into force.
Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill [HL] (373 KB , PDF)
On 16 July 2023, the UK government signed an accession protocol to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CPTPP is a free trade agreement between 11 countries from the Asia-Pacific region and the Americas. On accession, the UK would become its 12th member: the first new member since the agreement was finalised in 2018 and the trading bloc’s first European member.
The government has stated that primary legislation is required for the UK to be compliant with the CPTPP when it enters into force. The purpose of the Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill [HL] is to implement the required legislation. The bill will make changes to domestic law in three areas:
Trade (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Bill [HL] (373 KB , PDF)
Arbitration is a form of dispute resolution that enables opposing parties to resolve a disagreement privately through a third party rather than going to court. The Arbitration Bill [HL] would amend the Arbitration Act 1996, the principal legislation governing arbitrations in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland. The changes provided for in the bill would implement recommendations from the Law Commission following consultation with the sector.
![Arbitration Bill [HL]](https://lordslibrary-parliament.studio24.dev/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/International-trade-568x426.png)
The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill would prohibit the import into Great Britain of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern. It is a private member’s bill that is supported by the government. It is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 16 June 2023.
The government published both its integrated review of foreign, defence, security and international development policy and a defence command paper in March 2021. Alongside a list of new capabilities set to be introduced and existing equipment due to be retired, the second document set a target of reducing the size of the regular army. The government maintains that capabilities, rather than troop numbers, are of primary importance in confronting the defence and security challenges facing the UK.
