NEARLY two in three Scots fear the government will not prioritise the environment and feel left in the dark about new trade deals, new research has revaled.

It comes amid Scots public concern that the government to take into account key consumer issues, such as food, data protection and environmental standards.

Around eight in 10 (83%) of Scottish consumers agreed that the UK government’s trade policy should promote high environmental standards and not endorse signing deals that remove existing environmental protections.

But 64% of Scottish consumers were not confident the government would prioritise the environment in future negotiations - with 30 per cent saying they were “not at all” confident.

A survey of over 500 Scots has examined how the public feels about post-Brexit trade negotiations and what consumers want to see prioritised in future trade deals.

The research found that the public felt the government was not providing enough information on trade negotiations and some were concerned their interests were not being represented in trade deals.

The survey by Which? revealed that 74% felt the public receives too little information from the government around trade deals - with only eight per cent saying they knew that the UK had a final deal agreed with Japan.

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It comes after ministers were accused by the head of the government’s independent Trade and Agriculture Commission of “dodging” the tough trade-offs needed to protect UK environmental and agricultural standards when signing international trade deals.

The intervention by Tim Smith came as the government failed to respond to his panel’s findings published in March before the parliamentary summer recess on Thursday. The report was commissioned by ministers in an attempt to lighten fears that post-Brexit trade deals would lead to lower standards.

Mr Smith who headed the panel set up after more than a million people signed a petition demanding legal protections for UK food standards, said the failure to respond to the commission’s recommendations raised worrying questions.

Four in ten (40%) of Scottish consumers said the UK government was 'not at all open' about the impact of trade deals on their nation.

And 85% of Scots agreed there should be a section within trade deals supporting consumer interests.

There was also low confidence that the specific needs of devolved nations like Scotland would be met. Two in five (41%) Scottish consumers reported feeling “not at all confident” that trade deals made by the UK government reflect the specific needs of their nation.

The consumer organisation said it shows that the government should include a consumer chapter in future trade deals which provides a clear breakdown of how they will benefit the public.

They said that the survey demonstrates the need for clearer communication from the government about how trade deals are negotiated and what these agreements will mean for people in the UK.

Sue Davies, Which's head of consumer rights and food policy said: “The success of future agreements will be judged on what they deliver for ordinary people in their everyday lives, not just the export opportunities they provide.

“Our research shows that consumers feel they have been left in the dark about what trade deals will mean for them.

“The government must take this opportunity to communicate transparently and openly with the public about trade negotiations and push for a consumer chapter to be included in future deals which reflects the issues that are most important to consumers.”

The research also found that two thirds (67%) of Scottish consumers thought it was very important not to reduce data and digital protections in trade deals and nine in 10 consumers (88%) felt all food imported should align with current UK domestic food standards.