Trade Agreements: Dispute Resolution
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate he has made of the UK's potential financial exposure to Investor-State Dispute Settlement claims.
Answered by Chris Bryant
Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provides an independent means for investors to resolve disputes with states where they believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory, or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation.
The Government is a respondent in two active arbitrations. The UK has a longstanding track record of supporting foreign investment, including through fulfilling its obligations in the international investment agreements to which it is a party and has never faced a successful ISDS claim.
The Government maintains that it has acted consistently with domestic and international law obligations in the case of the legal challenges. In view of the ongoing proceedings, it would be inappropriate for the Government to comment further at this stage.
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