Ian Murray – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Murray on 2014-06-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement regulations on UK public services and businesses as a result of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and what UK Government policy is towards such regulations in international investment agreements.

Michael Fallon

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has commissioned research into Investor State Dispute Clauses (ISDS), reviewed academic research, consulted external experts and carried out its own internal analysis on investment provisions. The UK currently has over 90 investment protection agreements with other countries. There has been no successful action against the UK in respect of any of these agreements. ISDS provisions in investment and trade treaties can help to create a positive investment climate. The ISDS provisions in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership are still under negotiation. We believe these provisions must strike the right balance between protecting investors and the host nation’s right to regulate and determine policy and also provide transparency of process. A balanced ISDS clause in TTIP could act as a model for future trade and investment agreements.