Overview

The Free Trade (Education and Reporting) Bill aims to improve public understanding of free trade and increase transparency in government reporting on trade agreements. It mandates government reports on free trade education initiatives and regular updates on trade arrangements with other countries.

Description

This bill introduces two main duties for the Secretary of State:

• Public Education on Free Trade: The Secretary of State must present a report to Parliament detailing how the Department for International Trade will use its budget to educate the public about the benefits of global free trade. This education must target school children of compulsory school age, consumers, and businesses.
• Reports on Trade Arrangements: The Secretary of State must regularly publish reports on trade agreements with other countries. The bill specifies that this duty can be fulfilled by regularly updating the existing "Trade and Investment Core Statistics Book".

The Act comes into force two months after it is passed and applies to the whole of the United Kingdom.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't directly allocate new funds. Instead, it requires the Department for International Trade to utilize existing budget resources for public education on free trade. The exact financial implications are not specified in the bill itself.

Groups Affected

The bill will impact several groups:

• Department for International Trade (DIT): The DIT will be responsible for producing the reports and implementing the public education initiatives, requiring resource allocation and potentially staffing changes.
• Schools: Schools will likely be involved in the delivery of free trade education to pupils.
• Consumers and Businesses: These groups are the target audience for the public education campaign, potentially influencing their understanding and perception of free trade.
• Parliament: Parliament will receive the reports from the Secretary of State.

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