Dumping of goods, foreign subsidies and increases in imports

Part of Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 9:45 am on 30 January 2018.

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Photo of Graham Stuart Graham Stuart Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for International Trade) 9:45, 30 January 2018

The legislation makes it clear that the Secretary of State should look at it, and various people who have commented on the structure have said that it is right that, although the main body of work should be conducted by experts, ultimately it should be a politician accountable to Parliament, part of a democratic process, who should make that decision. Were they in any way to disagree, they would have to come to Parliament to make a statement. That is appropriate and proportionate, and why on earth the Opposition parties would want to go to such lengths to try to stop us bringing in effective remedy to protect British producers, I cannot imagine.