Then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott speaks to the media during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Sept 9, 2015 (MARK GRAHAM/AFP)

LONDON - Australian former prime minister Tony Abbott said on Tuesday he has had discussions with members of the British government about a trade role but nothing had been made official yet.

There has been no official confirmation of media reports that Abbott, a Brexit supporter, will become a member of Britain's Board of Trade but his possible appointment has stirred criticism from some lawmakers.

"Yes I've had some discussions with members of the British government and I'm more than happy to help, but there's nothing official as yet," he told a committee of lawmakers.

Yes I've had some discussions with members of the British government and I'm more than happy to help, but there's nothing official as yet.

Tony Abbott, former Australian PM

The right-wing head of Australia's government between 2013 and 2015 used a speech at the London-based Policy Exchange think tank to set out his approach to trade.

"I am obviously a supporter of freer trade, particularly freer trade between like-minded countries with comparable standards of living," he said. "So a free-trade deal between Australia and Great Britain would be, I would like to think, an absolutely unambiguous good for everyone."

A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters that "no decisions about the Board of Trade have been made".

The Board of Trade is headed by trade minister Liz Truss and, the government says, it "champions exports, inward investment and outward direct investment to deliver economic growth and prosperity across ... the United Kingdom".

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The trade policy chief for Britain's main opposition Labour Party, Emily Thornberry, has said it would be "absolutely staggering" if Johnson were to appoint Abbott, saying he has "no hands-on experience of negotiating trade agreements".

But many members of the governing Conservative Party would welcome Abbott's appointment. Several have said his support for Britain's departure from the European Union underlined his credentials for promoting it.

Britain wants to agree simpler parts of its future relationship with the European Union in order to create momentum in the negotiations, Johnson's spokesman said on Tuesday.

"The EU continues to insist that we must agree on difficult areas in the negotiations such as EU state aid before any further work can be done in any other area of the negotiation, including on legal texts," he said.

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"We would instead like to settle the simplest issues first in order to build momentum in the talks as time is short for both sides." 

But Britain is optimistic of clinching a trade deal with Japan and negotiations are in their final stages, the spokesperson said.

“We are in the final stages of the negotiations and are optimistic about reaching an agreement. Both the UK and Japan are committed to a deal which will enter into force by the end of 2020,” the spokesman said.