23/11/2016

:00:00. > :00:00.questions tomorrow and then veritably leaping to his feet to

:00:00. > :00:00.request a statement or a debate on this important matter. If there are

:00:07. > :00:14.no further points of order, we come now to the ten minute rule motion.

:00:15. > :00:19.Mr Chris Green. Mr Speaker, I beg to move that leave be given to bring a

:00:20. > :00:23.bill to require those on the electoral register to produce proof

:00:24. > :00:29.of identity at polling stations before voting and for connected

:00:30. > :00:32.purposes. The purpose of such a bill is to bring the current electoral

:00:33. > :00:38.rolls used in Northern Ireland to elections for the rest of the United

:00:39. > :00:44.Kingdom. This is to reduce electoral fraud and ensure that our elections

:00:45. > :00:50.continue to be both fair and free. Our democratic system, especially

:00:51. > :00:52.the way we vote, is based on trust. The office for Democratic

:00:53. > :00:57.institutions and human rights within the organisation for Security and

:00:58. > :01:01.cooperation for Europe, who observe elections around the world, have

:01:02. > :01:10.raised concerns about trust based electoral systems. There is the

:01:11. > :01:13.potential to be abused and the vulnerability is there in the system

:01:14. > :01:18.in the UK. A polling station is a place in which a ballot can be

:01:19. > :01:21.placed in secrecy and free from any external influence, just the

:01:22. > :01:26.individual's decision for him to vote. The role of polling station

:01:27. > :01:31.staff is to ensure voters are able to cast their vote in secret, free

:01:32. > :01:37.from undue influence and in a calm atmosphere. We have all heard the

:01:38. > :01:38.phrase, vote early, vote often. But it appears that it's increasingly

:01:39. > :01:47.actually happening. In some pollen district, where

:01:48. > :01:50.population is stable with a high turnout, repeat visitors will be

:01:51. > :01:55.noticed, especially if the staff at the polling station have worked the

:01:56. > :01:59.same station for a series of local and general election. Repeat visit

:02:00. > :02:03.will be far harder to spot and the polling station staff will be less

:02:04. > :02:08.confidence to challenge where turnout is low and there is more

:02:09. > :02:13.transient populations. Because a far greater proportion of voters will be

:02:14. > :02:16.unfamiliar. As society changes, we must assess whether traditional

:02:17. > :02:22.trust system of voting needs to change, at the risk of going and

:02:23. > :02:30.undermined. Arid democracy is a living thing, and we have reformed

:02:31. > :02:34.and developed it over time. -- our democracy. Parliament in the past

:02:35. > :02:38.have improved free and fair voting, such as the Ballot act in 1872, and

:02:39. > :02:44.the representation of the people act in 1918, made in the interests of

:02:45. > :02:48.the electorate and in the interests of democracy. We are now approaching

:02:49. > :02:52.a time when an improvement must again be made, so that we do not

:02:53. > :02:59.lose the democratic integrity that has evolved over time and must

:03:00. > :03:03.evolve again. In recent years, concerns over the integrity of the

:03:04. > :03:08.voting system have been building over a wide range of areas, I wish

:03:09. > :03:10.to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the independent review, a

:03:11. > :03:15.report by the right honourable member for Brentwood, the

:03:16. > :03:19.government's anti-corruption champion, who concluded that, to

:03:20. > :03:24.retain the integrity of our democracy, we need to introduce more

:03:25. > :03:29.rigour into the processes that we use. His conference of report

:03:30. > :03:35.highlights a whole range of concerns and suggested actions to put it

:03:36. > :03:40.right. No doubt, many colleagues in this chamber will share these

:03:41. > :03:43.concerns. And also be aware of problems in their own

:03:44. > :03:48.constituencies. Due to the very nature, the level of fraud and in

:03:49. > :03:52.particular impersonation at polling stations is difficult to gauge. But

:03:53. > :03:56.it does not mean it is not happening, and does not mean that

:03:57. > :04:00.simple steps should not be taken to stop it from happening. Electoral

:04:01. > :04:05.abuse was evident on a significant scale in Northern Ireland before the

:04:06. > :04:08.requirement to produce identification was introduced 30

:04:09. > :04:14.years ago, and the situation was further improved in 2003, with the

:04:15. > :04:19.requirement for photo ID. While I can appreciate that some

:04:20. > :04:23.reservations about this deterrent people from voting, in Northern

:04:24. > :04:27.Ireland, the numbers of people who do not vote because of the lack of

:04:28. > :04:33.suitable ID is very small. There is a strong case to be made that the

:04:34. > :04:39.use of ID may in fact increase voter turnout, as some people will not

:04:40. > :04:44.vote after losing their pollen card, which in fact they do not need to

:04:45. > :04:47.bring in order to cast their ballot. That polling card. When we see a

:04:48. > :04:53.problem and contemplate a solution we must ask ourselves if the cure is

:04:54. > :04:55.worse than the disease, if requiring suitable identification to

:04:56. > :05:01.participate in democracy is too big a hurdle. If someone buying

:05:02. > :05:04.cigarettes or alcohol is ask for ID, we would hardly think it a problem.

:05:05. > :05:09.If you were to pick up a package from the Royal Mail collection

:05:10. > :05:14.office, you may think that showing proof of ID is rather a good thing.

:05:15. > :05:18.We have two prove who we are in so many different circumstances, so it

:05:19. > :05:23.can hardly be seen to be a problem when directly participating in

:05:24. > :05:31.something so important as democracy. One thing I wish to make very clear,

:05:32. > :05:37.this is not a move to create a national identity card, or a way to

:05:38. > :05:39.keep checks on people, it is simply a move to add voting to the list of

:05:40. > :05:45.many things that require identification. Identification does

:05:46. > :05:51.not have to take one single form, for example, when the collect post

:05:52. > :05:56.from the post office, 20 forms of ID are acceptable, from birth

:05:57. > :05:59.certificates to bank statement and passport. Presently, Northern

:06:00. > :06:05.Ireland offers seven different forms of photo ID, including an electoral

:06:06. > :06:12.identity card, free of charge. The purpose of requiring ID is not a

:06:13. > :06:16.barrier, it is to prevent fraud and enhance integrity of the voting

:06:17. > :06:19.system. The organisation for Security and Corporation Europe

:06:20. > :06:22.offers for all democratic institutions and human rights and

:06:23. > :06:28.the electoral commission both recommend the use of ID in voting.

:06:29. > :06:31.Britain has a formidable history as the mother of Parliaments and the

:06:32. > :06:35.Westminster model of democracy has been adopted by many other nations.

:06:36. > :06:42.If this model falls into disrepute and fails, it is bad for democracy

:06:43. > :06:46.the world over, if we sit back and allow this to happen for fear of

:06:47. > :06:50.change, then we are in the wrong. We cannot and should not sacrifice the

:06:51. > :06:54.integrity of the democratic system, challenging issues about community

:06:55. > :06:59.confusion and political engagement must be taken into account, but, we

:07:00. > :07:06.must also never see an excuse of failing to act to hold the rule of

:07:07. > :07:09.law. To conclude, I moved that the bill be introduced so that

:07:10. > :07:14.collectors are confident in the democratic system, those entitled to

:07:15. > :07:18.vote may do so, and, as in Northern Ireland, minimising personation and

:07:19. > :07:27.fraud in polling stations in Great Britain. The honourable member has

:07:28. > :07:29.leave to bring in the Bill. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, I saw from

:07:30. > :07:35.the honourable member 's profile that he is an engineer, and quite

:07:36. > :07:38.frank, had somebody put up such a project to him with such a singular

:07:39. > :07:41.lack of evidence I am sure he would have thrown it into the bin which is

:07:42. > :07:49.what should happen to this miserable Bill. Which comes straight out of

:07:50. > :07:52.the Donald Trump US Republican Conservative Central office School

:07:53. > :07:58.of disinformation. As we have seen in the United States, it is a

:07:59. > :08:01.blatant attempt to depress voting turnout, very interestingly, the

:08:02. > :08:05.honourable member gave that away in his speech, he talks about areas

:08:06. > :08:11.with stable population, but then there is a problem in areas are

:08:12. > :08:17.transient population. I wonder what he was talking about? Basically, he

:08:18. > :08:24.is saying, it is all right in Tory areas but it must be in city, Labour

:08:25. > :08:28.areas where we have this problem. He gave it away very easily. Of course,

:08:29. > :08:35.in a democracy, it is very difficult to justify denying people the right

:08:36. > :08:43.to vote, so a mythology must be developed, and there is a widespread

:08:44. > :08:46.-- that there is widespread and significant voter fraud. In the

:08:47. > :08:50.post-truth, post-fact world, that becomes easier to spread, but let's

:08:51. > :08:56.look at the data and the facts. Really starting with the United

:08:57. > :09:00.States, where this conspiracy comes from, and Donald Trump is repeating

:09:01. > :09:04.it only recently. There has been a detailed study under Republican

:09:05. > :09:17.president George Bush, the US justice department was tasked with

:09:18. > :09:24.searching for voter fraud. Out of 197 million 56,035 votes cast in the

:09:25. > :09:34.two federal elections in the period studied, just 26 people were

:09:35. > :09:43.convicted or pled guilty to illegal registration of voting. --

:09:44. > :09:47.197,056,035. Let's look at the United Kingdom, the report, the 2015

:09:48. > :09:55.elections at the general elections, 31 million votes were cast, in local

:09:56. > :09:59.elections, also in 2015, many on the same day, 20 million were cast, and

:10:00. > :10:05.there were 400,000 for mayoral elections. How many cases of fraud

:10:06. > :10:14.were there? Let's have a look at that. 123 cases related to voting

:10:15. > :10:21.offences, remember, 31 million votes cast in that election, that included

:10:22. > :10:24.voting offences, in personation, voting as someone else, breaches of

:10:25. > :10:30.the secrecy requirements, tampering with ballot papers, Ribery, undue

:10:31. > :10:37.influence. -- bribery. Voting as someone else at a polling station,

:10:38. > :10:49.26 cases out of 30 million votes cast. Using a postal vote fraud, 27

:10:50. > :10:53.cases. And proxy cases, 11. That was the number of cases reported. Not

:10:54. > :11:01.the number that actually were found to have any substance. 45 cases,

:11:02. > :11:06.when the police looked at it, cleared, no offence had been

:11:07. > :11:14.committed, it was clear. 36 cases, insufficient evidence, ten suspects,

:11:15. > :11:24.not possible to identify a suspect. So we see this great edifice being

:11:25. > :11:30.erected, where something like a total of 16 cases were resolved by

:11:31. > :11:36.the police forces themselves. Six cases resulted in police cautions.

:11:37. > :11:40.I'm not sure, because I don't think they finally resolved, whether any

:11:41. > :11:46.of these cases have finally come to court. And yet, we are going to put

:11:47. > :11:50.people to such considerable inconvenience, insist they carry

:11:51. > :11:54.documentation, the honourable member talked about Northern Ireland. I was

:11:55. > :11:58.a Minister of State in Northern Ireland, he may have noticed it has

:11:59. > :12:04.a slightly different and slightly unique political history. Therefore,

:12:05. > :12:07.there are no grounds for imposing that, although interestingly enough

:12:08. > :12:13.he wants identification, he may want to ask his front bench why when they

:12:14. > :12:16.came in in 2010, they abandoned identity cards, because in Northern

:12:17. > :12:20.Ireland, the electoral body there will issue identity cards to people,

:12:21. > :12:26.what he did not actually talk about how much that would cost. Mr Deputy

:12:27. > :12:29.Speaker, there is no evidential basis for this measure, it would

:12:30. > :12:32.involve a lot of extra work and increased delays at polling

:12:33. > :12:37.stations, because people will be having an argument about it all, or

:12:38. > :12:41.they would have to go back and Hughes will increase at the polling

:12:42. > :12:44.stations. We have had problems at many of those. It will prevent a

:12:45. > :12:51.number of elderly voters from exercising their rights. It is a

:12:52. > :13:01.petty political partisan proposal and should be dumped in the bin. The

:13:02. > :13:11.question of the honourable member bringing in the Bill, on the

:13:12. > :13:16.contrary... I think the ayes have it. Who will prepare to bring in the

:13:17. > :13:22.Bill. Sir Eric Pickles, Jason Macani, Jim Shannon, William Wragg,

:13:23. > :13:28.David Nuttall, Mary Robinson, Craig Tracy, John Stevenson, Martin

:13:29. > :13:51.Vickers, recall field, Luke Hall, and myself, sir.

:13:52. > :14:01.Shame. You should have had the vote. Representation of the people voter

:14:02. > :14:10.proof of identity Bill, second reading... Friday, 20th of January.

:14:11. > :14:15.Friday, 20th of January. Excellent. We now come to the general debate on

:14:16. > :14:23.exiting Bees you on transport, secretary of states to move the

:14:24. > :14:26.motion. Deputy Speaker, grateful for the chance to move this motion to

:14:27. > :14:29.open this debate but if I crave the indulgence of the house briefly,

:14:30. > :14:33.just to say a couple of words about the situation on the railways in the

:14:34. > :14:36.south-west, as you know, there has been considerable disruption as a

:14:37. > :14:40.result of the storms down there including line closures and very

:14:41. > :14:43.extensive delays, I can inform the house that following the flooding

:14:44. > :14:46.which closed the great Western mainline between Exeter and

:14:47. > :14:55.Tiverton, that line has reopened. I can also say that the Barnstable

:14:56. > :14:58.branch, believed to be open any time now, but the loo branch is still

:14:59. > :15:04.closed but that will be open again on Thursday. -- Looe. And there was

:15:05. > :15:08.also the destruction when the South West trains route was closed as

:15:09. > :15:14.well, can I just say that I'm immensely grateful to all staff,

:15:15. > :15:17.sometimes get a hard time for things that don't work but when there is

:15:18. > :15:25.major incidents like this, they do run around and get a solution

:15:26. > :15:33.quickly. I thank you for coming to the house today for speaking on

:15:34. > :15:36.this. Fillip ERT ever report presented yesterday must be a

:15:37. > :15:39.framework for a fair deal going forward, will he commit to do

:15:40. > :15:42.everything in his power to deliver on this piece of work and make sure

:15:43. > :15:46.Network Rail deliver as a company for my constituents? I absolutely

:15:47. > :15:51.understand the importance of the task ahead of us, I have read the

:15:52. > :15:56.report very carefully, it shares my view that the number one priority is

:15:57. > :16:01.the sea wall and the cliffs at Dawlish, and also that last

:16:02. > :16:03.Thursday, I announced in today's Autumn Statement that there is a

:16:04. > :16:08.provision of ?10 million for the next stage of the project. I'm very

:16:09. > :16:11.committed, I know the Chancellor is very committed to making sure this

:16:12. > :16:14.happens, it is strategically important for the nation we cannot

:16:15. > :16:18.have a situation where the south-west can be cut off through

:16:19. > :16:23.its principal railway route. I give reassurance we will move ahead.

:16:24. > :16:29.I thank the Secretary of State for briefly giving way and for the

:16:30. > :16:35.comedy has just made and join him in a calendar thanks for the Network

:16:36. > :16:41.Rail staff for fixing the situation where -- meaning that trains can run

:16:42. > :16:45.again. This is termed as the first step and I thank him for his own

:16:46. > :16:51.personal issue in this -- interest in this issue and for sorting out

:16:52. > :16:55.our rail infrastructure. This absolutely needs to be done, Mr

:16:56. > :16:59.Deputy Speaker, and we will move ahead as quickly as we can this

:17:00. > :17:02.week. Thereafter and protection work is due to start at Cowley Bridge

:17:03. > :17:07.very shortly indeed. It's a shame they have not started yet but the

:17:08. > :17:11.issue will be dealt with so that this cannot happen again. To move to

:17:12. > :17:15.the main business of the afternoon, the Autumn Statement that we've just

:17:16. > :17:17.heard demonstrate our commitment as the Government to a modern

:17:18. > :17:25.infrastructure, an infrastructure that can serve the Government -- the

:17:26. > :17:31.country and the economy. Our departure from the European Union is

:17:32. > :17:34.a huge opportunity for Britain to be a stronger and more ambitious

:17:35. > :17:37.country, a country more able to shape its future in the world, a

:17:38. > :17:41.country that is outward looking and open for business. That, Mr Speaker,

:17:42. > :17:45.is what I campaigned for in the summer and that is what this

:17:46. > :17:50.business will do this -- this Government will deliver. A number of

:17:51. > :17:59.companies in the transport sector have announced investment in the UK.

:18:00. > :18:03.Nissan's investment is fantastic news for the country and the North

:18:04. > :18:13.of England, particularly the gap they are not just maintaining

:18:14. > :18:18.capacity but expanding it. Bob RDA received an order for new vehicles,

:18:19. > :18:30.ensuring jobs and when I spoke to the international head of

:18:31. > :18:37.Bombardier, he said that that was the work of the feeble in Derby, it

:18:38. > :18:41.would become an international site. The Spanish firm Cap have said that

:18:42. > :18:45.they are going to set up a train manufacturing plant in the United

:18:46. > :18:56.Kingdom. And Siemens will manufacture rolling stock,

:18:57. > :19:09.committing themselves to a continual... I think there is good

:19:10. > :19:18.reason, Mr Deputy Speaker, that I view the future with optimism as we

:19:19. > :19:22.approach leaving the European Union. Whereas of course I entirely endorse

:19:23. > :19:25.his sentiment, there is an issue I want to return to in a moment

:19:26. > :19:31.regarding British ports, which is a big issue and I won't go into it

:19:32. > :19:34.now. Hopefully I can catch your eye, Mr Deputy Speaker, because there are

:19:35. > :19:42.serious questions outstanding on that issue as I am sure my right

:19:43. > :19:44.honourable friend will concede. Mr Deputy Speaker, I absolutely agree

:19:45. > :19:48.with my honourable friend. I have discussed this with him in the past

:19:49. > :19:52.under regulation currently coming out of the European Union on ports

:19:53. > :19:55.is tailored for the structure of ports on the continent and does not

:19:56. > :19:59.fit well with the private sector ports sector that we have in this

:20:00. > :20:02.country. The opportunity to make sure we have a regulatory framework

:20:03. > :20:08.that is right for the United Kingdom is one of the benefits that comes

:20:09. > :20:11.from leaving the European Union. I'm grateful to the right honourable

:20:12. > :20:15.gentleman for giving way. If between now and the great acts that will

:20:16. > :20:20.involve -- incorporate European legislation into the UK as the first

:20:21. > :20:24.step to unpicking things that poured services directorate comes into

:20:25. > :20:29.being, I'm not sure how likely that is, but if that were to be the case,

:20:30. > :20:32.would that be something that wasn't incorporated straight into domestic

:20:33. > :20:35.UK legislation? We have said very clearly that what we would do

:20:36. > :20:40.festival is all built our legal duties while we are still members of

:20:41. > :20:44.the European Union. When we leave the European Union, it is our

:20:45. > :20:49.intention to transpose European law into UK law but it is then for this

:20:50. > :20:53.Government and this House to decide what areas of legislation --

:20:54. > :20:56.regulation we want to keep and what we want to change. I suspect

:20:57. > :21:04.listening to the representatives made in this House that this is an

:21:05. > :21:07.area we will want to return to. Can my right honourable friend tell me

:21:08. > :21:18.how this regulation which disappeared to everyone's great

:21:19. > :21:26.happiness disappeared and is now back to the point that we do not

:21:27. > :21:30.even need to scrutinise it. Mr Speaker, the first point is that no

:21:31. > :21:35.European piece of legislation passes this House unscrutinised thanks to

:21:36. > :21:38.the assiduous work of my honourable friend, the Member for stone, but of

:21:39. > :21:43.course this is one of the areas where it is the Government's

:21:44. > :21:47.intention that we can scrutinise properly. It is very much my hope

:21:48. > :21:50.and belief that our decision to leave the European Union will ensure

:21:51. > :21:54.that an area like ports where our model does not confer with the rest

:21:55. > :21:58.-- and four with the rest of Europe will mean we can tailor it to

:21:59. > :22:02.something right for the country in the future. There are two areas I

:22:03. > :22:07.want to focus on that are going to be priorities for my department in

:22:08. > :22:11.the coming months. Top of that list is aviation. Our aviation industry

:22:12. > :22:18.is world class and we have the third largest aviation network in the

:22:19. > :22:20.world. UK airlines have seized opportunities globally including

:22:21. > :22:24.those offered by the European open skies agreements. I will focus on

:22:25. > :22:30.securing the best deal for the future so our airlines continue to

:22:31. > :22:36.thrive and our passengers continue to have the best opportunities for

:22:37. > :22:39.price and roots. We need effective regulation of safe air traffic

:22:40. > :22:44.management. That is a priority for me as we approach negotiations. Our

:22:45. > :22:48.connections with Europe are important but we need to widen our

:22:49. > :22:54.horizons as well. We had to make sure we have continuity for our

:22:55. > :22:57.aviation industry internationally. Leaving the EU gives us the

:22:58. > :23:00.opportunity to make aviation agreements with countries beyond

:23:01. > :23:04.Europe and it is an imperative upon myself and my department to make

:23:05. > :23:08.sure that we have continuity when we leave. I have already had positive

:23:09. > :23:14.discussions with my current US opposite number about the

:23:15. > :23:19.transatlantic routes posed Brexit. Of course there will be a new

:23:20. > :23:22.counterpart in place in the New Year and I intend to replace those

:23:23. > :23:29.discussions once the new US Transport Secretary is in place.

:23:30. > :23:32.Both sides have an interest in reaching early agreements and I'm

:23:33. > :23:36.sure that will be the case. Last month, we signed a deal with China

:23:37. > :23:39.that will more than double the number of flights able to operate,

:23:40. > :23:44.boosting trade and boosting tourism. This is a country open to business,

:23:45. > :23:48.open to the rest of the world and aviation has a big role in making

:23:49. > :23:52.this happen. Whether its new agreements or a third runway at

:23:53. > :23:56.Heathrow, I will do what is necessary for our business, our

:23:57. > :24:00.country and our public. I will be speaking to other countries, such as

:24:01. > :24:05.Canada, another country where there is a great interest to make sure we

:24:06. > :24:10.have good connections posed Brexit. I have absolutely no doubt we will

:24:11. > :24:14.secure a good time -- in good time the agreements we need for our

:24:15. > :24:20.aviation sector to fly around the world and throughout the European

:24:21. > :24:26.Union. It is in no one's interest, there are many parts of the European

:24:27. > :24:30.Union that depends economically on the contribution made by British

:24:31. > :24:35.Airways flying to -- British airlines flying to their regional

:24:36. > :24:40.airports. I wonder if the Secretary of State will tell us that since he

:24:41. > :24:43.campaigned for leave, how much preparation was done for us leaving

:24:44. > :24:52.the European Union before the referendum? In terms of preparation,

:24:53. > :24:55.the objective for this is actually very straightforward. It is in the

:24:56. > :24:59.interests of the different regions of the European Union, it is in the

:25:00. > :25:03.interests of the countries in the European Union that we continue to

:25:04. > :25:07.trade, that we continue to have good transport links between us. There is

:25:08. > :25:11.no logical reason for anybody to stand in the way of that. We now

:25:12. > :25:15.need to work out what the best, precise arrangements are but

:25:16. > :25:19.actually, what is the precise objective it comes to aviation? The

:25:20. > :25:24.objective is business as usual. That is what is in everyone's interests.

:25:25. > :25:27.The minister says it is business as used -- as usual but the Minister

:25:28. > :25:33.will also know that aviation emissions are nowadays included in

:25:34. > :25:37.the trading scheme with Europe. It is -- is it his view that we should

:25:38. > :25:45.remain in a trading scheme when we leave the EU? The agreement reached

:25:46. > :25:49.in Montreal six weeks ago I think provides a global framework for

:25:50. > :25:53.tackling emissions for the aviation industry. That is what we will all,

:25:54. > :25:57.both inside and outside the European Union, be part of as we ensure that

:25:58. > :26:01.the economy of both the developed world and developing world can

:26:02. > :26:05.continue to benefit from improved aviation links while still says

:26:06. > :26:10.controlling carbon emissions. Mr Deputy Speaker, the second area I

:26:11. > :26:14.are focusing on is road haulage. Without Corley is, or our shops

:26:15. > :26:18.would be empty and industry would grind to a halt. Our logistics

:26:19. > :26:22.industry does a first-class job getting goods to places but the vast

:26:23. > :26:26.majority of lorries on the road never leave the country and as we

:26:27. > :26:30.look to the future and to trade that does leave the country, does cross

:26:31. > :26:35.borders, there is one simple fact we need to bear in mind. Around 85% of

:26:36. > :26:44.the lorries operating between the United Kingdom and Europe are owned

:26:45. > :26:48.by international haulage not based in this country the member states of

:26:49. > :26:54.the EU and the United Kingdom have a common interest in making an

:26:55. > :26:57.agreement. We need to sensibly allow goods to flow to and from the United

:26:58. > :27:02.Kingdom 's, giving UK hauliers at their chance to win business and be

:27:03. > :27:07.successful. This is an area we will be focusing on during negotiations,

:27:08. > :27:10.making sure we get the right outcome for international hauliers that

:27:11. > :27:16.serve this country and for UK hauliers as well. I will be speaking

:27:17. > :27:22.on everyone using these services. I thank him for giving way on that

:27:23. > :27:26.very important issue. Will this also include a progressive look at

:27:27. > :27:30.freight charges for external movements of good outside of the

:27:31. > :27:36.United Kingdom to outside far-away markets? I understand that New

:27:37. > :27:42.Zealand, Australia, Canada have freight subsidy, allowing them to

:27:43. > :27:45.cut the price of rated goods? I'm not necessarily a great fan of

:27:46. > :27:49.inappropriate subsidy that I would hope that as we negotiate free-trade

:27:50. > :27:54.agreements with countries around the world, we will have an environment

:27:55. > :27:57.where trade gets carried out on a level playing field so there are not

:27:58. > :28:02.artificial barriers that put up our costs and help other people reduce

:28:03. > :28:06.their costs. Above all, we benefit from having a world where trade

:28:07. > :28:11.flows freely and it's clearly in the commercial interests of

:28:12. > :28:15.international hauliers that that happens particularly those from the

:28:16. > :28:18.Irish Republic. I know we have a particular duty of care to our

:28:19. > :28:23.friends in the Irish Republic to reach an agreement that ensures that

:28:24. > :28:25.their trade, which travels by raid very frequently from the Republic of

:28:26. > :28:31.Ireland through the United Kingdom into other parts Europe can flows

:28:32. > :28:33.smoothly. It's in all of our interests to have sensible

:28:34. > :28:42.cross-border arrangements. I spoke about the maritime sector... Thank

:28:43. > :28:49.you for giving way. The secretary mentioned discussions with haulage

:28:50. > :28:58.companies. At the moment, haulage companies rely on European drivers.

:28:59. > :29:02.There is a 40,000 projected gap on HGV drivers by 2020. What can this

:29:03. > :29:11.Government do to plug that skills gap? Absolutely and my honourable

:29:12. > :29:13.friend the skills Minister, transport Minister and also

:29:14. > :29:20.transport skills Minister, the Right honourable member for one of the

:29:21. > :29:25.Lincolnshire seat has the task within his remit. He is not only

:29:26. > :29:30.responsible for the roads network but is also, Mr Deputy Speaker, who

:29:31. > :29:36.holds the schools -- skills portfolio within my department and

:29:37. > :29:40.he is very excited about it. In a managed system migration will will

:29:41. > :29:43.be able to recruit skills internationally where we need them

:29:44. > :29:50.but we want to see a new generation of younger drivers come on and there

:29:51. > :29:52.are many things we could do to make this a more attractive proposition.

:29:53. > :29:56.He is working on those at the moment. I have spoken about the

:29:57. > :29:59.ports sector and a more tailored regulatory network for our ports

:30:00. > :30:06.sector after we leave the European Union. Of course, we have a very

:30:07. > :30:08.thriving port sector and some strong international investment alongside

:30:09. > :30:14.first-class facilities. It will be an essential part, in my view, of a

:30:15. > :30:18.nation focused on global trade opportunities and opening up links

:30:19. > :30:22.to other opportunist -- other countries. Our rail services through

:30:23. > :30:26.the Channel Tunnel link us with the continent but apart from that,

:30:27. > :30:32.Britain's rail network is domestic, so whilst on day one after exit, the

:30:33. > :30:36.rules will be the same as before, in future we can take our own decisions

:30:37. > :30:43.about changing those rules. You will be aware that right now we have a

:30:44. > :30:48.delegation -- a derogation from many of the European standards because a

:30:49. > :30:54.lot of our state back to Victorian times. One of the challenges we are

:30:55. > :30:57.dealing with right now with the construction of HS2 is the fact

:30:58. > :31:01.there are European specifications for platform heights which are

:31:02. > :31:04.inconsistent with flat access for disabled people onto trains. That is

:31:05. > :31:11.something that we have to address and it's part of the development of

:31:12. > :31:15.HS2 which, free of European legislation, we can make sure we do

:31:16. > :31:18.a better job for disabled people in this instance. That is something we

:31:19. > :31:23.will all think is the right thing to do. I thought about the global

:31:24. > :31:25.opportunity for Britain, across the transport sector I am determined to

:31:26. > :31:29.negotiate the best deal for Britain within Europe but also to find new

:31:30. > :31:36.opportunity for the transport sector around the world. I think we should

:31:37. > :31:41.have and support industries as they sell expertise and products around

:31:42. > :31:45.world and seek major contract, we have world-class expertise in this

:31:46. > :31:51.country in aerospace, transport engineering, logistics, among

:31:52. > :31:55.others, and we need to be confident enough bringing the services to the

:31:56. > :31:58.world, we should have every reason to be confident, we are doing great

:31:59. > :32:02.things in this country at the moment, from the first-class work

:32:03. > :32:04.being done to deliver Crossrail in London to the high-quality

:32:05. > :32:09.automotive technology that is developing the new generation of

:32:10. > :32:15.autonomous and semi-autonomous vertical technologies in this

:32:16. > :32:18.country, yes I will. Can I thank the Secretary of State for giving way

:32:19. > :32:20.and talking about Crossrail, I think the infrastructure gap between

:32:21. > :32:26.London and the rest of the UK remains ungritted. Does he agree

:32:27. > :32:30.with me that the section of the great Western Railway

:32:31. > :32:36.electrification project must be delivered with UK Government funding

:32:37. > :32:40.as soon as possible? As I said in the house the other day, I am not

:32:41. > :32:44.happy with the progress made so far in the electrification of the great

:32:45. > :32:47.Western mainline, right now, my priority is getting investment in

:32:48. > :32:52.better services into Swansea as quickly as possible. I think the

:32:53. > :32:57.economy of South Wales and Swansea needs improved services and that is

:32:58. > :32:59.my real focus. I don't want to wait for the future of infrastructure

:33:00. > :33:07.projects, I want better services now. I'm determined to see improved

:33:08. > :33:11.services in south Wales that will provide a real boost to the economy

:33:12. > :33:15.the area he represents, and in the areas that other colleagues in South

:33:16. > :33:18.Wales represent. Better transport links to the south-west, improved

:33:19. > :33:27.services, an essential part of making sure we have a productive

:33:28. > :33:31.economy. One of the key hurdles, quite a lot of railway companies

:33:32. > :33:35.have, European procurement rules, and I wanted to find out that the

:33:36. > :33:38.Secretary of State had been in conversation with the Department for

:33:39. > :33:44.exiting the EU on the opportunities outside of the year in terms of

:33:45. > :33:46.transport. Clearly, outside the European Union we have the

:33:47. > :33:52.opportunity to shape our own procurement rules, I don't want to

:33:53. > :33:55.be part of a government, that says international firms are not welcome

:33:56. > :33:59.in the United Kingdom, that would be the wrong thing to do, but it would

:34:00. > :34:02.be equally reasonable for us to say in this country that if you come to

:34:03. > :34:06.do business with us, involved in the construction of High Speed two, we

:34:07. > :34:11.want a skilled footprint, we want apprenticeship, technical skills,

:34:12. > :34:15.the engineers of the future, train, develop, working on projects so that

:34:16. > :34:19.they can carry on beyond projects to build us further project for the

:34:20. > :34:24.future, and that is our intention. So, let me be clear, "Brexit" is an

:34:25. > :34:29.unprecedented opportunity to shape... Double I thank the

:34:30. > :34:37.Secretary of State for giving way, I'm happy about his avoiding my

:34:38. > :34:41.question, -- I am unhappy about his avoiding my question, I would like a

:34:42. > :34:45.better answer, I am owed a letter. Having said that, he said he wanted

:34:46. > :34:49.to support economic boost for the South Wales area, so will the UK

:34:50. > :34:56.Government be supporting Cardiff Metro plans, which are really

:34:57. > :35:01.important in getting going again. Not only are we supporting the

:35:02. > :35:04.plans, not only are we looking at how we deliver better services to

:35:05. > :35:07.the whole of South Wales, it cannot be just about Cardiff, it is the

:35:08. > :35:11.whole of the West, but things I will be looking at are if we can provide

:35:12. > :35:15.better services to connect to the west of Wales, can we provide better

:35:16. > :35:19.services to Swansea, and actually, if you will forgive me, it is not

:35:20. > :35:24.just about South Wales, it is all about how we deliver better services

:35:25. > :35:28.to North Wales, there is a tendency, particularly with the at ministries

:35:29. > :35:31.and in Cardiff, to look to the south, there are important things in

:35:32. > :35:33.the south but as a government we have not forgotten there is

:35:34. > :35:37.different parts of Wales and the commitment to the north is something

:35:38. > :35:42.that is in my interest. Let me be clear, Brexit is unprecedented

:35:43. > :35:46.opportunity to shape our own future, we will make the most of it, get out

:35:47. > :35:50.into the world, do business right across the globe and whilst home we

:35:51. > :35:57.will continue to build a world-class transport system for this country. I

:35:58. > :36:00.thank the secretary of state for being kind to give way as summing

:36:01. > :36:03.up, and wondering as he sums up if he can set out to us what meetings

:36:04. > :36:07.he has had with the transport Commissioner even the importance of

:36:08. > :36:11.the relationship over the next that a while and what they discussed

:36:12. > :36:15.during those discussions as well. I have already had one meeting when we

:36:16. > :36:19.were both in Japan with the European transport Commissioner, I will be

:36:20. > :36:22.seeing her again next week at the transport Council, we will in due

:36:23. > :36:30.course be working out the best way in which we take on negotiations. We

:36:31. > :36:32.have had exploratory discussions, we have had constructive discussions

:36:33. > :36:37.and I look forward to further such discussions with her. For me, I have

:36:38. > :36:41.to be very mindful of the need to make sure that we still have a

:36:42. > :36:44.structure for the future that creates stability and opportunity

:36:45. > :36:49.together for the aviation sector, that provide stability and

:36:50. > :36:51.opportunity for other sectors and takes advantage of the potential

:36:52. > :36:56.freedoms that leaving the European Union will offer this country in the

:36:57. > :37:05.transport sector, and we hope to take advantage of the opportunity.

:37:06. > :37:09.The question is this house has considered exiting the EU

:37:10. > :37:15.relationship with transport. Can I echo the comments, remarks from the

:37:16. > :37:21.Secretary of State concerning his regard for the workers who have come

:37:22. > :37:25.to the aid of the South West rail system, yet again, and I think we

:37:26. > :37:29.have heard from honourable members as to their disappointment, that yet

:37:30. > :37:33.again we were looking at the issues of resilience, and I know they will

:37:34. > :37:39.be wanting to see a resolution of that matter as quickly as possible.

:37:40. > :37:45.The government strategy for leaving the European Union, or rather, the

:37:46. > :37:49.lack of one, is causing great uncertainty throughout the transport

:37:50. > :37:53.sector. I don't know who the Secretary of State is speaking to

:37:54. > :37:57.but from aviation to rail to roads to maritime, they and we are none

:37:58. > :38:03.the wiser on what the government plans might be and what impact

:38:04. > :38:12.Brexit may have on the future of those sectors and all those who work

:38:13. > :38:15.in or depend upon them. INAUDIBLE I have already made reference to the

:38:16. > :38:18.question of the sector, it was well-established, speaking as

:38:19. > :38:21.chairman of the European scrutiny committee, over a long period of

:38:22. > :38:26.time that the government were against ports regulation, the

:38:27. > :38:30.opposition, the Labour Party, are against the ports regulation. The

:38:31. > :38:36.unions are against the ports regulation, every single one of the

:38:37. > :38:39.47 Port employers are against it. What are the Labour Party actually

:38:40. > :38:44.going to say about it during the course of this debate, will they

:38:45. > :38:47.oppose it? I thank the honourable gentleman for his intervention, if

:38:48. > :38:54.he waits six or seven minutes, I shall come to that very point. Mr

:38:55. > :38:57.Deputy Speaker, today is a welcome opportunity for the secretary of

:38:58. > :39:03.state to provide much-needed clarity on what his plans are for transport

:39:04. > :39:05.in a post-Brexit UK, the right honourable gentleman was one of the

:39:06. > :39:08.leading advocates of Britain leaving the EU, now he has the privilege of

:39:09. > :39:14.being the Transport Secretary, if anyone can provide us with a clear

:39:15. > :39:18.picture of what to expect in the months and years ahead, presumably

:39:19. > :39:23.he can. I would like to begin with one of the areas of transport likely

:39:24. > :39:28.to be most affected by the country's decision to leave the aviation. Mr

:39:29. > :39:34.Deputy Speaker, the aviation sector is a keep a lot of our economy. UK

:39:35. > :39:39.aviation country by country is the largest in Europe, third largest in

:39:40. > :39:45.the world. It is worth around ?50 billion in terms of GDP, supports 1

:39:46. > :39:51.million jobs, and secures the Treasury some ?9 billion in taxation

:39:52. > :39:54.each year. Whilst we accept the result of the referendum, and are

:39:55. > :40:00.determined to secure the best possible deal for all the UK, we

:40:01. > :40:05.cannot be an inward looking nation, cut off from cultural and economic

:40:06. > :40:07.benefits that come with being an interconnected country. We must be

:40:08. > :40:14.ready to do business with the rest of the world. This means retaining

:40:15. > :40:18.and building upon the connectivity that the UK enjoys to allow the flow

:40:19. > :40:19.of goods and services which will be key to getting the best out of

:40:20. > :40:29.Brexit. I'm grateful to my honourable

:40:30. > :40:32.friend. I too want to see Brexit a success, I want us to get on with it

:40:33. > :40:39.and make sure we get the best possible deal for the country. But

:40:40. > :40:41.does he share my concern that in departments like the Department for

:40:42. > :40:45.Transport, that have had massive cuts to revenue budget, day-to-day

:40:46. > :40:50.spend, just will not have the staffing in place to be able to deal

:40:51. > :40:55.with all of these huge numbers of issues, and to really make sure that

:40:56. > :40:58.we have at the same time as negotiating our way out of Brexit we

:40:59. > :41:03.are negotiating all the different agreements with other countries on

:41:04. > :41:07.things like aviation? I am very grateful to the honourable friend

:41:08. > :41:11.for making the point, it is a very good one, we have seen not just

:41:12. > :41:15.through this particular issue but the prism of the franchising system

:41:16. > :41:21.itself, in the rail market, about the inability to see these things

:41:22. > :41:24.through and deliver on them. He raises a very grave concern, and I

:41:25. > :41:30.think we will be watching with great care in the weeks and months ahead.

:41:31. > :41:35.Currently, the UK relies on the single aviation market through EU

:41:36. > :41:40.membership which allows airlines to operate freely inside the EU without

:41:41. > :41:43.restriction on capacity, frequency or pricing, as well as enabling the

:41:44. > :41:49.use of the external aviation agreements. Leaving the European

:41:50. > :41:54.economic area could mean no longer being part of the single aviation

:41:55. > :41:58.market and losing access to those external air service agreements.

:41:59. > :42:03.This is critically important, Mr Speaker, as unless the position is

:42:04. > :42:07.urgently clarified, UK airlines will lose the right to operate within the

:42:08. > :42:12.European Union and airlines will lose the right to fly UK domestic

:42:13. > :42:17.routes. The government must ensure that Brexit does not damage the UK's

:42:18. > :42:22.connectivity. The aviation sector has been clear as to the importance

:42:23. > :42:28.of retaining an unchanged operating environment. I will indeed. I'm very

:42:29. > :42:33.grateful for the honourable gentleman giving way, we have talked

:42:34. > :42:38.about getting the best deal for Brexit but given the options that

:42:39. > :42:42.are appearing in front of us, of that, does he imagine that any of

:42:43. > :42:45.them are going to be as good as the situation at the moment, people

:42:46. > :42:49.looking for the best decision but the question is, will it be as good

:42:50. > :42:54.as what we have at the moment? I think the honourable gentleman has

:42:55. > :42:58.raised a very critical point, that is the whole focus of the debate,

:42:59. > :43:02.that is our concern in this house, that we are simply not going to be

:43:03. > :43:08.able to deliver on the same level of access ability throughout the Europe

:43:09. > :43:12.that we currently enjoy and in the area I am talking about at the

:43:13. > :43:14.moment, that is critical to achieve before we can even begin the

:43:15. > :43:22.discussions about trading relationship going forward. But... I

:43:23. > :43:25.will give way. I will indeed. Can I thank my honourable friend for

:43:26. > :43:36.giving way. The NA owes say that Network Rail and the government have

:43:37. > :43:39.wasted and this -- the NAO said Network Rail and the government have

:43:40. > :43:42.wasted during this government and incredible amount of already. Would

:43:43. > :43:48.he agree that he needs to pull up its socks to live on infrastructure

:43:49. > :43:54.projects in the future. The point is well made, that sort of wastage we

:43:55. > :44:00.have seen in so many areas from this department over the last several

:44:01. > :44:04.years. -- to deliver. Smart ticketing costs have been written

:44:05. > :44:07.off, the depart all of the great Western, and he makes his point very

:44:08. > :44:13.eloquently, I think there is a really critical concern of an ill

:44:14. > :44:18.ability to function effectively, so it is something that concerns all of

:44:19. > :44:26.us in this race. But returning to the aviation issue, it is vital that

:44:27. > :44:31.not only there are assurances from government but confirmation that the

:44:32. > :44:41.status of current aviation practices will be guaranteed beyond the formal

:44:42. > :44:47.departure from the EU. He has been a cleanly generous with his time, in

:44:48. > :44:49.terms of interventions. I was slightly reassured by what the

:44:50. > :44:55.secretary of state said a few moments ago in terms of his

:44:56. > :44:59.meetings, planned with the US Transport Secretary, but when my

:45:00. > :45:04.honourable friend if you moments ago talked about access to the European

:45:05. > :45:09.network, of course, the danger we have, as well on the US side, is we

:45:10. > :45:13.fall back on the 1946 Bermuda to agreement, which was designed for a

:45:14. > :45:18.whole different world, certainly not for the 21st-century. -- Bermuda

:45:19. > :45:22.two. Does he share my concern is that it is not just in the European

:45:23. > :45:27.skies that we have got to be concerned, it is wider than that. I

:45:28. > :45:31.share those concerns, I was a little bit anxious to hear from the

:45:32. > :45:33.secretary of state that while it is clearly imperative that the

:45:34. > :45:38.conversations we have across the Atlantic happened, that that becomes

:45:39. > :45:42.the first port of call rather than trying to resolve matters within the

:45:43. > :45:48.European Union. I'm personally happy... I have spent a lot of time

:45:49. > :45:52.with my German counterpart, and a number of other European transport

:45:53. > :45:58.ministers and I will be doing that later this week.

:45:59. > :46:06.I'll ask the the Secretary of State to explain his plans for the

:46:07. > :46:12.European safety agency on leaving the review. What's his intention and

:46:13. > :46:16.will he seek to maintain technical co-operation through the bilateral

:46:17. > :46:21.aviation safety agreement as is the case with US, Canada and Brazil. Or

:46:22. > :46:27.a, working arrangement with the EU as enjoyed by China, New Zealand and

:46:28. > :46:32.Russia? You urge the Government to confirm air service agreements will

:46:33. > :46:38.be negotiated separately to future trade. And specifying the nature of

:46:39. > :46:41.these agreements. I invite the Secretary of State to outline plans

:46:42. > :46:47.for the UK airlines to retain the right to operate within the EU and

:46:48. > :46:54.retain access to the E EU's external service agreements. Mr Deputy

:46:55. > :47:01.peeker... Deputy Speaker... He touched on a very important point.

:47:02. > :47:07.Having looked back as I did on the air policies of the UK prethat. It

:47:08. > :47:12.was bilateral agreements specified fly into London-only airports. It

:47:13. > :47:16.was Iceland who broke that by flying into Glasgow. It pointed out the

:47:17. > :47:22.problem when the UK was managing that itself. It was centralised for

:47:23. > :47:29.the South East of the UK to the detriment of others. Well, I don't

:47:30. > :47:35.know where you get your suits, Mr Deputy Speaker. Neither Iceland nor

:47:36. > :47:41.Glasgow. We should always go to Glasgow. But that issue it

:47:42. > :47:46.particularly pertinent given the issue on the location of the South

:47:47. > :47:55.eastern additional runway. He makes the point well. Mr Deputy Speaker,

:47:56. > :47:59.numerous rail projects in the UK receive support via loans or direct

:48:00. > :48:05.funding as a kens against of our membership of the EU. Now is not the

:48:06. > :48:13.time for the department to roll back on investments in our railways as

:48:14. > :48:15.we've seen repeatedly on investments in electrification works that

:48:16. > :48:20.honourable members have spoken about this afternoon. I invite the

:48:21. > :48:24.Secretary of State to reassure the House that any funding shortfalls

:48:25. > :48:31.will be made up by the Government and investment in rail will not

:48:32. > :48:36.suffer as a Kens kens of Brexit. The Secretary of State said he wanted to

:48:37. > :48:42.take back control during the EU referendum. On this side of the

:48:43. > :48:48.House, we very much wish to take back control of our railways from

:48:49. > :48:52.private and foreign skate-owned companies who currently profit from

:48:53. > :48:56.the system at the expense of passengers and taxpayers. A policy

:48:57. > :49:01.supported by two thirds of the public. But, as the Secretary of

:49:02. > :49:07.State is aware, while running services in the public sector is

:49:08. > :49:12.currently entirely consistent with EU legislation, the forth railway

:49:13. > :49:16.package may restrict the different models of public ownership that may

:49:17. > :49:20.be available. Does the Secretary of State agree with me, I think he said

:49:21. > :49:26.so earlier, it should be for UK voters to decide how best to order

:49:27. > :49:33.our railways. And, if so, will he confirm that his Government will not

:49:34. > :49:38.attempt to retain any European requirements in domestic law that

:49:39. > :49:41.would frustrate any future attempts to bring railways back into public

:49:42. > :49:48.ownership. I was delighted to hear what he had to say about HS2. I

:49:49. > :49:51.suppose if there is going to be a silver lining about leaving the

:49:52. > :49:55.European Union, then we won't be able to blame them any longer for

:49:56. > :50:04.any problems we have with disabled people getting access to our railway

:50:05. > :50:07.system. I think my honourable friend from South Wales who hasn't had an

:50:08. > :50:15.answer to his question, he made it clear he was talking about the the

:50:16. > :50:19.infrastructure. For the Secretary of Secretary of State to say he should

:50:20. > :50:24.be satisfied with the improvements. They will only come with improvement

:50:25. > :50:28.to infrom a structure. To skilled to the print to which he refers with

:50:29. > :50:34.regularity and which we share, that should be delivered whether we are

:50:35. > :50:38.in the European Union or not. That should be a pre-recognise sit and

:50:39. > :50:44.woven into everything we do. While we decided as a nation to leave the

:50:45. > :50:52.European Union, cooperating with and retaining our connectivity to the EU

:50:53. > :50:55.is vital. It would be appreciated in the Secretary of State could

:50:56. > :50:58.enlighten us to say how hauliers from the UK can carry goods between

:50:59. > :51:05.other member states as well as whether it is his intention to

:51:06. > :51:09.secure an agreement for British driving licences to continue to be

:51:10. > :51:17.exchangeable for those of EU member states after Brexit? Finally, a

:51:18. > :51:23.mention of UK ports. They directly employ over 25,000 people. Many of

:51:24. > :51:29.whom voted leave because of anxietyies surrounded EU port

:51:30. > :51:35.services legislation. Many leave campaigners said leaving the EU

:51:36. > :51:39.would show exemption. The hop rabbling member for Scarborough and

:51:40. > :51:43.Whitby was reported as saying the port services regulations would

:51:44. > :51:49.still apply under an arrangement that granted the UK access to the

:51:50. > :51:52.European economic area. So, can the Secretary of State clarify the

:51:53. > :51:58.Government's intentions on any withdrawal from ports regulations

:51:59. > :52:01.and guarantee that any exemptions do not inadvertently undermine strong

:52:02. > :52:11.industrial relations and welfare standards of dock and port workers?

:52:12. > :52:16.Whatever he may try to infer with regard to the European economic

:52:17. > :52:21.area, is completely beside the point. There is a regulation, as I'm

:52:22. > :52:26.sure he knows, it is on the brink of being brought in by the end of this

:52:27. > :52:29.month. All that talk he's begin us has nothing to do with the issue.

:52:30. > :52:33.The real question to which I ask him again, are the Labour Party going to

:52:34. > :52:39.oppose it? Are they going do say they condemn it? That is what the

:52:40. > :52:45.unions and the Government and, as I understood it before, the Labour

:52:46. > :52:51.Party? Mr Deputy Speaker, I'm not sure I could be any more clear. I

:52:52. > :52:55.addressed the issue head-on. If the honourable gentleman wants to read

:52:56. > :52:59.Hansard, he may be clearer in his own mind. Mr Deputy Speaker my

:53:00. > :53:04.contribution has been full of questions because there's been so

:53:05. > :53:10.little revealed so far as to give an idea of what the Government's hoping

:53:11. > :53:16.to achieve post Brexit and how they same to achieve any such objectives.

:53:17. > :53:20.Huge questions remain over the future of our flourishing aviation

:53:21. > :53:23.sector over what existing EU legislation will be retained and

:53:24. > :53:29.what this will mean for our railways or ports. Whether EU funding for

:53:30. > :53:33.transport projects will be made up by the Government as well as issues

:53:34. > :53:39.around connectivity by road and what Brexit will mean for haulage. So, in

:53:40. > :53:45.con lose, I invite the Secretary of State to bring forward the details

:53:46. > :53:53.of his departments plans for Brexit that have been so far so stark,

:53:54. > :54:00.staringly absent. Thank you very much. My main concern in relation to

:54:01. > :54:05.this particular debate, as has already been demonstrated, is with

:54:06. > :54:12.regard to this issue of the port services regulation. I regard this

:54:13. > :54:18.as a perfect example of where the European Union has gone completely

:54:19. > :54:23.wrong. Why in this particular sector it is vital that we leave the

:54:24. > :54:28.European Union and I'm going to give a number of reasons which are drawn

:54:29. > :54:33.from those who have the most knowledge about these matters,

:54:34. > :54:41.including the reference that I will quote from the library note which

:54:42. > :54:49.has just gone out. In essence, as has already been said by the major

:54:50. > :54:53.ports group, many of the issues that confront UK ports are affected by

:54:54. > :54:57.policy and legislation by the European Commission and Parliament.

:54:58. > :55:02.The European Parliament itself is about to hold a plenary session as a

:55:03. > :55:07.result of which it is assumed for the present purposes it will go

:55:08. > :55:11.through and go to the Council of Ministers goned by majority vote.

:55:12. > :55:16.I've been following this for several years. I'll come on to the timetable

:55:17. > :55:20.and my concerns about the failure to have a proper debate on the floor of

:55:21. > :55:26.the House on this issue exclusively on this issue in a moment. What is

:55:27. > :55:29.said is that while UK ports receive virtually no financial assistance

:55:30. > :55:33.from the public purse, the situation is very different in most

:55:34. > :55:39.continental ports. This is hugely important. We are an island. We have

:55:40. > :55:46.47 ports. They are incredibly important and I will accept, of

:55:47. > :55:50.course, that the spokesman for the opposition has made clear his

:55:51. > :55:54.concern about this. But it doesn't alter the basic point which is we

:55:55. > :55:58.can't resolve the question of the ports regulation because of the

:55:59. > :56:02.qualified majority voting system because he can't, Ian if we vote

:56:03. > :56:08.against it, stop it. That is the problem. I will give in a few

:56:09. > :56:16.moments, a description which - that's really why I had to ask him

:56:17. > :56:20.twice about this. Because, I understand that the opposition have

:56:21. > :56:28.accepted the outcome of the referendum. The honourable gentleman

:56:29. > :56:31.says in Scotland they don't. But there are ports in Scotland so there

:56:32. > :56:35.are many people in Scotland who are themselves going to be affected by

:56:36. > :56:48.the outcome of this I shall continue. Despite the fact we're an

:56:49. > :56:53.island nation, and this isn't just romantic blurb that we are

:56:54. > :56:59.surrounded by a silver sea, this is about the question of whether or not

:57:00. > :57:05.in this country we are able to have an efficient sport sector. Because

:57:06. > :57:11.we're an island, we are so heavily dependent on the ports as goods go

:57:12. > :57:17.in and out of them. Despite... Of course I'll give way. I'm very

:57:18. > :57:25.grateful. For the benefit of the wider house, over 90% of our trade

:57:26. > :57:29.goes through our ports. Indeed. I can understand where the honourable

:57:30. > :57:34.gentleman, my next door neighbour has got this from. That is paragraph

:57:35. > :57:40.6: 2 of the library note which he's been reading. I can see that. Very

:57:41. > :57:47.glad he's been so acid ewous. The point is this, this is the

:57:48. > :57:50.principle. Despite the fact we're an island, we compete with continental

:57:51. > :57:53.ports for certain types of traffic. The ports industry are therefore

:57:54. > :58:00.very concerned by the lack of a level playing field between the UK

:58:01. > :58:08.and continental ports. I will give way. You will have seen a report of

:58:09. > :58:15.the Financial Times four or five weeks ago now on the front page it

:58:16. > :58:19.is said the custom checks the UK could carry out at ports may find

:58:20. > :58:25.themselves in some difficulty. At the moment we do 35 million checks a

:58:26. > :58:29.year. We'd need to do up to 240 million checks but the new system

:58:30. > :58:37.and its capacity will only be able to handle about 100 million. It will

:58:38. > :58:41.leave a huge difficulty post Brexit if this situation emerges,

:58:42. > :58:46.inevitably damaging trade because the infrastructure as not there to

:58:47. > :58:49.do the checks. If we don't have an efficient port system, which we do

:58:50. > :58:52.at the moment, because of the effect of this port services regulation,

:58:53. > :58:58.nothing he said will make any difference to the fact our ports

:58:59. > :59:04.will be put at a very self rear disadvantage but a very dangerous

:59:05. > :59:08.situation visa sees the other continental ports. At the same time,

:59:09. > :59:15.despite the fact there was an attempt to get state aid rules

:59:16. > :59:19.imported into this question of the regulation, the ports employers

:59:20. > :59:24.believe it was essential legislation aimed at regulating less commercial

:59:25. > :59:27.ports on the continent must not be allowed to cause unintended damage

:59:28. > :59:34.to the UK's thriving commercial sector. It's on that basis as a

:59:35. > :59:38.matter of principle, effecting the whole of our import and export

:59:39. > :59:43.business going through the ports, which I don't even have to attempt

:59:44. > :59:49.to explain, it is so obvious the affect it will have, what this

:59:50. > :59:53.proposal aimed to do was regulate access to port services, charges and

:59:54. > :59:58.financial transparency. The text as a whole, they say, this is some time

:59:59. > :00:05.ago, I'll catch up in a moment with what they're saying most recently,

:00:06. > :00:10.as a whole, even if heavily amended, cannot deliver on its stated aims.

:00:11. > :00:15.Instead, it will create severe legal uncertainty, reduce investment and

:00:16. > :00:18.ultimately be detrimental to the safety standards and working

:00:19. > :00:22.conditions which currently exist in EU ports. EU ports may have

:00:23. > :00:26.different ownership structures but all require a high level the

:00:27. > :00:29.confidence in a stable, legal and policy framework in the long-term if

:00:30. > :00:34.they are to operate safely. That's for the benefit of the workers. And

:00:35. > :00:38.contribute to the EU agenda for jobs and growth which is of vital

:00:39. > :00:43.importance to everybody, whether they are employers or whether they

:00:44. > :00:47.are workers in the ports. It goes on to say that the port services

:00:48. > :00:51.regulation does not provide such confidence Andris, leaving a legacy

:00:52. > :00:58.of legal and practical difficulties across the EU. Now, they go on to

:00:59. > :01:02.say that they support a return to the previous EU ports policy based

:01:03. > :01:07.around the application of the general provisions of the treaty

:01:08. > :01:14.where in force appropriately by guidelines on state aids. We've not

:01:15. > :01:17.got Brexit. The real point is are we in fact in relation to the Great

:01:18. > :01:23.Repel Bill going to come to a point, as I think we must, where, yes we do

:01:24. > :01:27.transpose the legislation into UK law but then, through the statutory

:01:28. > :01:31.instruments and through our own decision within the framework of

:01:32. > :01:36.this Westminster jurisdiction, as a result of decisions taken by the

:01:37. > :01:40.people of this country, including the members opposite, including the

:01:41. > :01:44.members on this side of the House and including, with the exception of

:01:45. > :01:50.the SNP, I'll leave them out of this equation. They'll pay a price for

:01:51. > :01:55.this in their ports areas. They will find, yes, they will, they may think

:01:56. > :01:59.that's amusing. There are people in the ports of Scotland who don't like

:02:00. > :02:04.this. Yes, but the fact is they don't like it and they will resist

:02:05. > :02:09.it if they can. But they won't be allowed to if the SNP can get away

:02:10. > :02:14.with it. The bottom line is this, this is an issue which is of great

:02:15. > :02:18.national interest. The European scrutiny committee has been

:02:19. > :02:24.following this for several years. We first recommended is for debate on

:02:25. > :02:31.the floor of the House in July 2014. That is over two years ago. And I'm

:02:32. > :02:33.going to now read out the most recent letter which IVF' written to

:02:34. > :02:45.the minister regarding this. I wrote to him on the 16th of

:02:46. > :02:49.October, 19 to October, in which I said, we understand it is intended

:02:50. > :02:57.that the European Parliament will adopt this between the 12th and the

:02:58. > :03:00.15th of December, and we presume this will be followed shortly by

:03:01. > :03:03.Council agreement, you will understand therefore that the

:03:04. > :03:08.committee expects that the government will finally after a

:03:09. > :03:13.disgracefully long delay which I underline several times!... Schedule

:03:14. > :03:17.the floor debate on the proposal, for it to be recommended, in fact,

:03:18. > :03:26.there has been to debate which have been aborted already, and one of

:03:27. > :03:28.them, I can assure the house, was so shambolic that the chairman of the

:03:29. > :03:34.committee actually had to suspend the sitting. I won't go into the

:03:35. > :03:39.details, they are all on the record, but it was so shambolic that he had

:03:40. > :03:46.to suspend the sitting altogether. Yes, of course I am happy to give

:03:47. > :03:53.way. I thank the chairman for giving way and I have been involved in the

:03:54. > :03:56.committee for several years, and this particular issue I'm concerned

:03:57. > :04:02.about, the right honourable member is saying that we will adopt, we

:04:03. > :04:07.will take into British law what is now exist as EU law, but we will

:04:08. > :04:11.selectively disappoint parts of the EU legislation which do not suit

:04:12. > :04:17.Britain, and this might be one of those. -- disapply. Absolutely

:04:18. > :04:22.right, absolutely essential that we disapply this for that region, the

:04:23. > :04:25.mechanics will be left to statutory instruments but we have got to

:04:26. > :04:31.reassert jurisdiction over our ports. And if I may continue, on the

:04:32. > :04:36.17th of November, as recently as that, I then wrote again, to the

:04:37. > :04:41.minister, and I said, the committee has asked me to emphasise to you and

:04:42. > :04:45.the leader of the house that this debate should take place before the

:04:46. > :04:49.European Parliament adopts the text for a first reading agreement and

:04:50. > :04:54.the council's subsequent endorsement of the text, failure to meet the

:04:55. > :04:59.timetable would suggest contempt for the house, and its legitimate

:05:00. > :05:03.scrutiny requirements. Considering the fact this has been going on

:05:04. > :05:09.since July, 2014, we still have not had that debate. I have to say,

:05:10. > :05:15.there is just time for us to have such a debate, and I really do think

:05:16. > :05:20.in the circumstances, although this is a general debate about exiting

:05:21. > :05:23.the EU, there is a specific debate, as not many recommended but demanded

:05:24. > :05:29.by the European scrutiny committee, backed by the sort of language I

:05:30. > :05:31.have had to use, and I may say, demonstrates the importance of the

:05:32. > :05:37.issue and the need to get on with it. The other point I must make, I

:05:38. > :05:43.have had no reply to those letters. That is another point. I am afraid

:05:44. > :05:48.that the European scrutiny committee has its meeting today, registers its

:05:49. > :05:56.deep concern about the situation as it is. And I think the next point I

:05:57. > :06:02.would simply make is the latest statement I have from the ports

:06:03. > :06:05.industry, I received it this afternoon, and I just want to read

:06:06. > :06:09.this out because it is important that the house should know that this

:06:10. > :06:14.is the latest position. One further point, they say, is that the UK

:06:15. > :06:18.Government has insisted on pursuing the inclusion in the port services

:06:19. > :06:24.regulation of a competitive market exemption. Rather than the option of

:06:25. > :06:28.having an exemption for the privately financed sports and the

:06:29. > :06:31.face of the regulation itself, which is what they themselves have been

:06:32. > :06:36.seeking. It is this competitive market exemption position which was

:06:37. > :06:39.finally agreed in the informal trial on discussions between the Council

:06:40. > :06:42.of the European Parliament and the European Commission earlier this

:06:43. > :06:46.year, and which is now in the final draft version of the regulating due

:06:47. > :06:50.to come before the European Parliament in December. However,

:06:51. > :06:56.this competitive market exemption is not an exemption, it is a process by

:06:57. > :06:59.which member states May apply to the European Commission for an

:07:00. > :07:03.exemption, as if they can expect to get it, any application will be

:07:04. > :07:08.determined solely by the European Commission, may be limited in scope

:07:09. > :07:12.or time, and will relate only to certain articles in the regulation.

:07:13. > :07:18.In short, it offers no guarantees that the regulation will not be

:07:19. > :07:24.fully binding on UK ports. Mr Cooper, the spokesman at the annual

:07:25. > :07:30.Parliamentary reception last week, of the United Kingdom major ports

:07:31. > :07:35.group and who is also CEO of one of the largest port companies, also had

:07:36. > :07:39.this to say: I will not rehearse the arguments against this wretched

:07:40. > :07:43.piece of holy and unnecessary legislation but as the endgame

:07:44. > :07:49.approaches, it remains an example of a regulation imposed by Brussels

:07:50. > :07:53.which is a one size fits all straitjacket that runs entirely

:07:54. > :07:56.counter to our national interest. In its present form, the regulation is

:07:57. > :08:03.significantly less damaging than it might have been, and alongside the

:08:04. > :08:08.Department, the port industry can claim considerable credit for that

:08:09. > :08:13.but it is not a success that can be guaranteed over the long term. Many

:08:14. > :08:18.of the changes to reduce the scope and impact have been a function of

:08:19. > :08:22.short-term political expediency. Mr Deputy Speaker, the problem with

:08:23. > :08:26.that is this, it is inherent in the procedures of the European Union and

:08:27. > :08:29.the ministers in the European Parliament and the European

:08:30. > :08:36.Commission that we are in this situation. We cannot stop it. Unless

:08:37. > :08:47.we were to actually leave the European Union. It is perfectly true

:08:48. > :08:53.as the member for Stoke-on-Trent says, what is for sure is that if we

:08:54. > :08:56.repeal this legislation, if we follow Brexit to the logical

:08:57. > :09:01.conclusion, in many other areas within the port area, since this is

:09:02. > :09:06.what we are debating, this is a very good example of something which will

:09:07. > :09:11.enable the United Kingdom to regain control over its island ports, to

:09:12. > :09:16.regain control over the business that goes in and out of them, and to

:09:17. > :09:19.do it on a basis which under Westminster jurisdiction under a new

:09:20. > :09:25.ports Bill after Brexit has taken place, and the repeal bill has gone

:09:26. > :09:28.through, to enable us to retrieve for the benefit of the people who

:09:29. > :09:36.work in the ports, the people who work in the ports in the executive

:09:37. > :09:39.capacity, and in the docks themselves, the workers themselves,

:09:40. > :09:43.the people who deserve to be given a fair deal out of all this. And I

:09:44. > :09:49.believe that both the government and the opposition recognising this must

:09:50. > :09:54.appreciate that we need to have a proper debate about this because it

:09:55. > :09:57.is so important that we get this right for the benefit of the United

:09:58. > :10:07.Kingdom as a whole. Thank you very much. I wonder where he had gone!

:10:08. > :10:11.Thank you, I am here. We heard from the Secretary of State for Transport

:10:12. > :10:14.that we should have confidence, he has reassured us that we should have

:10:15. > :10:19.optimism, but of course we have heard no details. The impact of

:10:20. > :10:24.Brexit on different modes of transport will be immense, on

:10:25. > :10:27.aviation, Maritime, Route haulage, but the main effect will be on all

:10:28. > :10:33.of the people in the communities, rising costs for goods and mobility.

:10:34. > :10:37.There are also those who want to do business with us or visit us as

:10:38. > :10:43.tourists. It is wrong for ministers not to have a full explanation of

:10:44. > :10:48.how exiting the EU is going to impact businesses, consumers and

:10:49. > :10:54.passengers. Nobody doubts that we are facing stormy seas, yet instead

:10:55. > :10:58.of a plan, we are told it is going to be Titanic by the Foreign

:10:59. > :11:02.Secretary. That is scary enough, but time after time, in terms of plans

:11:03. > :11:08.and answers, we find it is just an empty vessel. Mr Deputy Speaker,

:11:09. > :11:14.this government's model is less a ship of state and more like the Mary

:11:15. > :11:17.Celeste. We will see the Brexit rhetoric cast overboard and hear

:11:18. > :11:22.some definitive answers. People will be affected, they and their

:11:23. > :11:30.businesses deserve to know what the plan is. This failure to provide a

:11:31. > :11:35.plan is simply a plan for failure. People face additional journeys for

:11:36. > :11:41.connections, more expensive tickets, less rights to challenge the ways

:11:42. > :11:43.and cancellations. -- delays and cancellations. Additional insurance

:11:44. > :11:47.costs and long queues at border controls, and when they call home,

:11:48. > :11:53.there are calls could cost more because they will not have mobile

:11:54. > :11:56.phone roaming protection. The Chancellor said this morning he

:11:57. > :12:00.wanted the UK to be the number one destination for business. How are

:12:01. > :12:07.they going to get there? Let's start with aviation, leaving the EU could

:12:08. > :12:12.restrict operations by UK airlines in Europe and by EU airlines in the

:12:13. > :12:19.UK, leaving our constituents and visitors paying the price for Brexit

:12:20. > :12:21.through higher bears. Analysis from independent economists states such

:12:22. > :12:29.restrictions could lead to UK passengers airfares rising by 15%,

:12:30. > :12:34.15-30%. As an MP from the Highlands and as chair of the regional

:12:35. > :12:37.airports APG Gee, I am also extremely concerned about the

:12:38. > :12:43.increased pressure of cost on regional airports. These airports

:12:44. > :12:47.have thrived with the increase of low-cost airlines, and the advent of

:12:48. > :12:53.cheap short-haul flights across Europe owes a large part of success

:12:54. > :12:59.to the EU. As EasyJet said, the single aviation area gives airlines

:13:00. > :13:04.freedom to fly across Europe, and since its introduction, passengers

:13:05. > :13:11.have seen lets fall by about 40%. -- APGG. Without this agreement, it

:13:12. > :13:18.will inevitably mean higher fares. EasyJet is currently registered in

:13:19. > :13:23.the UK... I met the proprietor of AirAsia earlier this week, he has

:13:24. > :13:30.built an extraordinarily successful low-cost airline across Southeast

:13:31. > :13:34.Asia, they are not in any kind of agreement, why is it not possible to

:13:35. > :13:38.have a low-cost aviation setup in Europe with us outside the European

:13:39. > :13:41.Union but it is to have such a setup in a part of the world where there

:13:42. > :13:48.is no such body as the European Union? Let me answer that by giving

:13:49. > :13:52.you the words of EasyJet themselves, currently registered in the UK. They

:13:53. > :13:57.can fly largely without restriction from the UK to other member states,

:13:58. > :14:03.France, and Gemma, for example, and countries like domestic Italy. Now,

:14:04. > :14:07.now they are setting up a separate operation out with the UK to ensure

:14:08. > :14:12.it can continue to fly without restrictions after the UK leads the

:14:13. > :14:17.EU. Their Chief Executive Officer has said, current EU flying rights

:14:18. > :14:21.might have to be renegotiated and a new company will ensure that EasyJet

:14:22. > :14:24.can operate within the EU. We are not saying there will be no

:14:25. > :14:28.agreement, we just don't know the shape or form, we don't have the

:14:29. > :14:33.luxury of waiting, but we have to take control of our own future. This

:14:34. > :14:37.is in no small part due to the lack of clarity from the UK Government

:14:38. > :14:42.over what aviation agreement UK will eventually come up with. The

:14:43. > :14:48.secretary of state and his colleague for exiting the year have said that

:14:49. > :14:51.market access remains a top priority, -- exiting Bees you, and

:14:52. > :14:55.we want to make sure that we have access to European markets,

:14:56. > :14:59.strikingly, however, there is no guarantee that the UK would stay

:15:00. > :15:06.within the open skies agreement. -- and his colleague for exiting the

:15:07. > :15:10.EU. When open skies was agreed in 2008, the UK market was one of the

:15:11. > :15:15.key attractions for the United States, at the time, the UK

:15:16. > :15:19.accounted for a 40% share of the market, if the agreement ceases to

:15:20. > :15:25.apply, as was mentioned earlier, will the UK have two resort to an

:15:26. > :15:34.agreement signed in 1946 and last amended in 1991, Bermuda two? Apps

:15:35. > :15:40.this is an opportunity for the Minister to counter the -- come to

:15:41. > :15:46.the dispatch box, and tell us. -- perhaps this is an opportunity. I

:15:47. > :15:51.would be happy to allow the secretary of state to intervene on

:15:52. > :15:55.that point, if he wishes to do so. Checking Facebook...! LAUGHTER

:15:56. > :16:00.The market has changed considerably since those days of the Bermuda to

:16:01. > :16:10.agreement, and any reversion could create disruption -- Bermuda two.

:16:11. > :16:20.If the implication also of new border controls is negative in both

:16:21. > :16:25.ways. Ease of travel within the EU is attractive to our constituents

:16:26. > :16:30.and those coming to the UK. Processing times will impact on our

:16:31. > :16:35.attractiveness to visitors. EU visitors will need to enter the UK

:16:36. > :16:38.through the non-EEA lines will require Border Force to commit

:16:39. > :16:42.significantly more resources at airports. Each with extra staff,

:16:43. > :16:49.queueing times for European visitors will still almost double to around

:16:50. > :16:52.45 minutes. Those of us representing constituencies with a significant

:16:53. > :17:02.tourism economy find this extremely concerning. Staying slightly on that

:17:03. > :17:06.topic, I suppose. Will he urge the Transport Secretary to engage with

:17:07. > :17:10.the US Government who are can you rently considering Edinburgh airport

:17:11. > :17:14.for pre-clearance travel to the United States as a positive way of

:17:15. > :17:20.showing the world we are indeed open for business. I thank my honourable

:17:21. > :17:25.friend for his intervention so won't follow his point up any further as

:17:26. > :17:28.it has been made. Under the future provisions, being a tourist from

:17:29. > :17:32.Europe, especially in the short break Europe, having the choice to

:17:33. > :17:42.go to the UK or somewhere elsewhere there is a lot less hassle,

:17:43. > :17:46.somewhere more welcoming. We'll need additional sprays allocated to

:17:47. > :17:49.airports and other points of endry. The costs could spiral into tens of

:17:50. > :17:55.millions of pounds. This cost would have been bourne by airports and

:17:56. > :18:00.port operators who cannot invest that money to increase connectivity

:18:01. > :18:05.and to improving the passenger experience. According to the tourism

:18:06. > :18:10.industry counsel if the 23 million EU nationals who visited in 2015

:18:11. > :18:13.were to be subject to full pourer checks, this would require the

:18:14. > :18:18.Border Force to increase resources allocated to this by 200%. This, on

:18:19. > :18:24.top of the problems that already exist. Manchester Airport group said

:18:25. > :18:28.Border Force provision at a number of airports is already inadequate.

:18:29. > :18:33.With the lack of lank term planning meaning queue times for passengers

:18:34. > :18:40.can be unacceptably long. So, what is the plan? Before the member gets

:18:41. > :18:43.into the detail of the hype that Kals of border controls, does he

:18:44. > :18:47.accept the single largest threat to ordinary travellers in the UK and

:18:48. > :18:52.across the entirety of Europe isn't any of the things he's mentioned but

:18:53. > :18:57.is the package travel directive about to the introduced by the EU

:18:58. > :19:02.which will put additional costs on every traveller because they may be

:19:03. > :19:05.use sites like ex-peed ya? I think the honourable member makes a very

:19:06. > :19:10.good point. There are so many issues facing us, it is very difficult to

:19:11. > :19:17.pick out the one that's the single most important item. But there are a

:19:18. > :19:23.lot of unanswered questions. So I was asking what the plan is. Is it

:19:24. > :19:27.to reach an agreement with the EU that the EEA channel would continue

:19:28. > :19:32.to operate within the UK and that EU member states would allow UK

:19:33. > :19:37.citizens to use the EEA channel in the EU? Regional airports are vital

:19:38. > :19:43.for connectivity within Scotland but the reckless gamble with our EU

:19:44. > :19:47.membership has caused great uncertainty for these airports which

:19:48. > :19:54.could have a serious detrimental impact on our economy. Scotland's

:19:55. > :20:00.regional airports rely on outbound tourism to survive to be an economic

:20:01. > :20:07.success. A 12% reduction in sterling predicted would result in a 5%

:20:08. > :20:13.deline in travel. -- decline. Ryanair are scaling back their

:20:14. > :20:18.expansion in the UK. Is it not the case since June 23rd, there's been a

:20:19. > :20:22.significant appreciation of sterling and a surge of people coming into

:20:23. > :20:27.Britain to buy because everything's cheaper in Britain? Isn't this good

:20:28. > :20:32.for business in Britain? And good for business in Scotland as well? Mr

:20:33. > :20:38.Deputy Speaker, I'm happy to answer that. When I was a retailer many

:20:39. > :20:43.years ago, the UK Government brought in an increase in VAT before that

:20:44. > :20:47.VAT increase hit, there was a rush to the shops to buy goods. After

:20:48. > :20:51.that VAT increase hit, things fell through the floor. I think you'll

:20:52. > :20:56.see a very similar effect going forward. Scotland has a large number

:20:57. > :21:01.of regional airports many of which are reliant on low cost airports and

:21:02. > :21:06.outbound tourism to survive to be an economic success. The International

:21:07. > :21:11.Airport transport association predict an reduction. Since the EU

:21:12. > :21:18.referendum sterling's down 25%. For airports like Prestwick, it is even

:21:19. > :21:21.more vital that we continue the open skies agreement to maintain outbound

:21:22. > :21:26.passengers. It should be endumb bent on the you can Government to give an

:21:27. > :21:31.unequivocal guarantee did the UK will stay in the single aviation

:21:32. > :21:36.market after we're taken out of the EU. With 76% of the UK holidays

:21:37. > :21:41.abroad going to the EU, outbound tourism is key for the industry. It

:21:42. > :21:46.employs over 215,000 people across the UK. It is a key driver in

:21:47. > :21:51.ensuring our regional airports are successful. Remaining in the open

:21:52. > :21:55.skies single aviation market is vital to ensure our airports remain

:21:56. > :21:58.economically viable. Low-cost airlines are vital for regional

:21:59. > :22:06.airports to be a commercial success. It has been a trait... Thank you.

:22:07. > :22:16.You've talked about airports relying on bringing in tourist Distinations.

:22:17. > :22:20.Aberdeen airport has heavy reliance on business traffic it has been

:22:21. > :22:23.redirecting efforts in comdestinations like Spain and

:22:24. > :22:29.Eastern Europe. What message would this send, the lack of clarity for

:22:30. > :22:35.airports looking to diversify its offering? My honourable friend makes

:22:36. > :22:40.a very good point. Underlines the theme I'm working on just now that

:22:41. > :22:43.this uncertainty is bad not only for business, but for consumers and

:22:44. > :22:53.passengers. Bad for everybody involved. Happy to give way. You

:22:54. > :22:58.talked about exchange rates. I think the exchange rate relative to theure

:22:59. > :23:02.Yeo, was far -- theure owe was far less. That's where we have our

:23:03. > :23:07.serious trade imbalance with With the rest of the world, we've

:23:08. > :23:11.relatively good relations. It is the strength of collar which is actually

:23:12. > :23:17.compounded that depreciation. Depreciation will be beneficial to

:23:18. > :23:21.British industry wherever we trade. Well, it is a kind of thing Mr

:23:22. > :23:26.Deputy Speaker, somebody might want to put on the side of a bus! It has

:23:27. > :23:30.been the treat of previous UK Governments to take forever in

:23:31. > :23:33.making key transport decisions. However, UK regional airports,

:23:34. > :23:38.including Scotland's do not have the luxury of waiting. For the sake of

:23:39. > :23:43.them, our businesses and commuters, the UK Government need to provide a

:23:44. > :23:47.clear guarantee any post Brexit aviation agreement will not lead to

:23:48. > :23:52.a loss of investment and connectivity in Scotland if we end

:23:53. > :23:56.up outside the open skies agreement. The current aviation policy

:23:57. > :24:00.framework sets out airports cannot apply for the PSO or connectivity

:24:01. > :24:06.fund due to the 60 minute rule. A number of Reeming that will airports

:24:07. > :24:09.lose out. This Government's EU gamble's putting potential

:24:10. > :24:13.investment in Scotland' airports at risk. They need to think again and

:24:14. > :24:19.give regional airports a fighting economic chance. The issues are not

:24:20. > :24:25.confined an aviation. Our maritime sector faces similar concerns. We've

:24:26. > :24:30.heard about ports but this sector's worth billions to the UK economy and

:24:31. > :24:35.240,000 people are employed in the sector in the UK. 53% of the UK's

:24:36. > :24:39.imports and 45% of the UK's exports are from the rest of the EU. It is

:24:40. > :24:46.estimated there are around about three million jobs in the UK linked

:24:47. > :24:54.to trade with the rest of the EU. Currently, there is the freedom to

:24:55. > :24:58.trade. EOCD rules could... And load and unload cargo of passengers

:24:59. > :25:01.regardless of its flag and regardless of the nationality of its

:25:02. > :25:07.owner. You can-flagships could however lose the right to operate in

:25:08. > :25:13.the domestic trades of those EU member states who maintain

:25:14. > :25:16.flag-based retruckss. The British international freight association

:25:17. > :25:20.said their main concern is of potentially losing the benefits of

:25:21. > :25:25.free trade and customs harmonisation with the EU single markets. It

:25:26. > :25:31.states the return to tariffs for UK merchandise exports and imports, if

:25:32. > :25:36.this is the outcome, would be detrimental to trade within the EU

:25:37. > :25:39.and may result in the reduction of the UK/EU maritime volume. The UK

:25:40. > :25:43.ports sector being largely privately owned and run in a competitive

:25:44. > :25:49.environment is very different to those of many other EU member

:25:50. > :25:54.states. The economists said changes to the costs of trade with the EU

:25:55. > :25:59.are likely to affect the volumes and patterns of freight activities at

:26:00. > :26:04.ports while the need tor new costumes checks is likely to cause

:26:05. > :26:09.considerable congestion at UK and mainland European ports. It suggests

:26:10. > :26:14.any negative impact could be mitigated through EEA membership or

:26:15. > :26:19.free trade aagreements though delays in negotiations would mean a

:26:20. > :26:23.significant period trading under WTO arrangements. Uncertainty will

:26:24. > :26:27.impact the industry, the people it employs and it will drive up the

:26:28. > :26:32.price of goods. What access arrangements will be put in place?

:26:33. > :26:36.I'm happy to give way. I hear what he's saying. He's also heard what I

:26:37. > :26:40.said earlier. What is his answer to that with respect to the questions

:26:41. > :26:45.that he has raised with regard to Scotland? Are they not equally

:26:46. > :26:51.affected in relation shot ports that are there? I thank the honourable

:26:52. > :26:55.member for his intervention. I think we are both making a similar point

:26:56. > :27:01.from different perspectives. There needs to be a plan for how ports are

:27:02. > :27:05.handled going forward. The difference in the regulations and

:27:06. > :27:10.the operation of UK ports compared to EU ports provides a significant

:27:11. > :27:13.obstacle that the UK Government have to answer about. How they're going

:27:14. > :27:23.to take forward a plan on that basis. I'm going to make some

:27:24. > :27:27.progress, thank you. Thank you. So, what access arrangements will be in

:27:28. > :27:31.place? What is the plan for the millions of people connected with

:27:32. > :27:37.this industry in will UK companies have to access a single European

:27:38. > :27:40.market? Will they have access to a single European market where no

:27:41. > :27:46.taxes are duties are payable on goods? In terms of road haulage,

:27:47. > :27:52.there are potentially a lot of uncertainties for UK companies as a

:27:53. > :27:56.result of Brexit. Particularly in terms of employment, drivers hours

:27:57. > :28:03.rules, access to markets and border controls. To transport a lorry load

:28:04. > :28:10.of goods from London to Milan in 1988 required 88 separate documents.

:28:11. > :28:15.The internal market replaced them with one single piece of paper. The

:28:16. > :28:20.Freight Transport Association said that the EU had created a market

:28:21. > :28:24.logistics had served for nearly half a century benefitting British

:28:25. > :28:29.businesses as did the Road Haulage Association who felt their sector

:28:30. > :28:34.the overall judgment was a fine one. They say competences in the UK road

:28:35. > :28:38.transport are finely balanced in our sector though we have not got a 100%

:28:39. > :28:43.solution in terms of market access, we have the most of what we think

:28:44. > :28:48.the industry would want. This is largely in reference to the practice

:28:49. > :28:52.where be the haulier from the UK can carry goods between two other member

:28:53. > :28:57.states. So, what is the plan? Happy to give way and hear the plan. Can I

:28:58. > :29:02.ask the honourable gentleman to tell the House firstly what proportion of

:29:03. > :29:11.cross-channel traffic is carried out by UK hauliers as opposed to EU

:29:12. > :29:15.hauliers and can you tell the House the balance of cabatage carried out

:29:16. > :29:22.in the UK by EU hauliers and vice versa? ? The Secretary of State is

:29:23. > :29:25.trying the similar argument during the Brexit campaign, they have to

:29:26. > :29:30.buy cars made from here because it's a bigger market. It doesn't square

:29:31. > :29:36.with the facts of what's happening in the European market. For example,

:29:37. > :29:41.what is going to happen with the shortage of drivers in the road

:29:42. > :29:46.haulage industry. Many of whom are EU nationals supplying our road

:29:47. > :29:50.transport network. I haven't heard anything in your statement today

:29:51. > :29:53.that says there is a plan for this. The EU single market has delivered

:29:54. > :29:57.significant economic and social benefits for Scotland. The four

:29:58. > :30:03.freedoms of the sing the market, movement, capital, people and goods,

:30:04. > :30:06.of course services have removed barriers to trade and opened

:30:07. > :30:11.Scotland that a market of over 500 million people. It has generated

:30:12. > :30:19.direct benefits and questions of funding. As of October ?2016350

:30:20. > :30:23.million have been legally committed for transport funding meaning a

:30:24. > :30:28.further ?450 million is available as long as it's committed before the UK

:30:29. > :30:32.leaves the EU. ?13 million of this want directly to transport Scotland

:30:33. > :30:37.with the agency being able to seek a further amount from the remaining

:30:38. > :30:40.?450 million. Yet, there has not been a peep from the UK Government

:30:41. > :30:44.or Chancellor on whether or not these funds will be committed up to

:30:45. > :30:49.2020. So, will the UK Government seek to top up the funding to

:30:50. > :30:54.Scotland after we leave the EU? Mr Speaker, I'm going to conclude that

:30:55. > :31:00.there are many further issues with rail and bus networks, vehicle stand

:31:01. > :31:05.Ards, testing, disaishled badges and is a whole lot more, so many

:31:06. > :31:10.questions of transport in light of Brexit, we'll return to the subject

:31:11. > :31:14.again and again. These questions are being asked not just by me or my

:31:15. > :31:18.honourable colleagues, but by industry and the public. They

:31:19. > :31:25.deserve answers. They deserve the plan. But instayed they say the

:31:26. > :31:27.issues of maritime, road or air, they have a UK Government all at

:31:28. > :31:45.sea, taking the road to Thank you, it's a pleasure to poll a

:31:46. > :31:51.to follow the member for Inverness. I'm not sure if it is entirely

:31:52. > :31:54.parliamentary, but following an it's Bill first then bend, but we are not

:31:55. > :32:00.in the same flowerpot right now. I'm pleased to have been given the

:32:01. > :32:04.opportunity to speak today on the effect of using the European Union

:32:05. > :32:07.and the impact it will have on the transport sector. Like many

:32:08. > :32:11.colleagues, I'm sure, in this chamber right now I would have

:32:12. > :32:16.preferred to end up having a debate in relation to exiting the EU and

:32:17. > :32:21.the single market and the access to free movement of labour, none this

:32:22. > :32:26.is an important issue and it comes down to residents in my constituency

:32:27. > :32:30.and the United Kingdom as a whole. I note with some irony that the House

:32:31. > :32:34.of Commons library briefing paper on this subject suggests that the

:32:35. > :32:38.transport post Brexit may not look wildly different from how it looks

:32:39. > :32:41.now. However given that much remains unclear as we head towards

:32:42. > :32:46.negotiations I would like to outline a number of priorities the

:32:47. > :32:49.Government should indeed consider. Mr Deputy Speaker, the European

:32:50. > :32:54.Union common transport policy is focused on the number of policy

:32:55. > :32:57.areas, notably economic, social and environmental improvements and

:32:58. > :33:00.infrastructure investment. It has been a long-running debate about

:33:01. > :33:04.whether the benefits of the Europe union membership and access to a

:33:05. > :33:10.single market for transport services outweigh the relative burdens of

:33:11. > :33:14.regulation. It is my belief that the development of the common transport

:33:15. > :33:18.policy has been a benefit to the United Kingdom, improving the health

:33:19. > :33:21.of our population, boosting economic growth and ensuring the long-term

:33:22. > :33:24.infrastructure to compete in the global environment. We need to

:33:25. > :33:28.ensure the UK continues to feel these benefits once we've left the

:33:29. > :33:32.European Union. I'd also like to take this opportunity to change tack

:33:33. > :33:38.somewhat from the long conversations we've had in relation to ports. I'd

:33:39. > :33:41.like to focus on two key areas. Namely environmental improvements

:33:42. > :33:46.and infrastructure improvements. While I sympathise with the

:33:47. > :33:50.Government position while Brexit negotiations are ongoing it is

:33:51. > :33:52.important to make guarantees. Like many sectors transport needs

:33:53. > :33:56.certainty. I'm sure we all agree on that. First

:33:57. > :34:00.I'd like to concentrate on the environmental impact will stop in my

:34:01. > :34:04.own constituency of Bath there is a huge problem with air pollution.

:34:05. > :34:08.Bath is full of buildings which have been constricted out of the famous

:34:09. > :34:13.Bath stone which absorbs quite a lot of the emissions from vehicles. The

:34:14. > :34:25.high pollution across the city doesn't mean that many are slowly

:34:26. > :34:29.blackening. In some areas the air pollution areas exceed the legal

:34:30. > :34:34.limits and cause problems to health and well-being. This is not an issue

:34:35. > :34:36.isolated to my own constituency, but also an issue across many

:34:37. > :34:43.constituencies represented here today to. Ensuring a transport

:34:44. > :34:46.system that works in a way that does not negatively impact on the

:34:47. > :34:50.environment includes reducing the impact on noise pollution, harmful

:34:51. > :34:53.emissions of greenhouse gases is vital for the long-term health of

:34:54. > :35:00.all of our population. The transport sector accounts for almost a quarter

:35:01. > :35:03.of all greenhouse gases in the European Union. It has the

:35:04. > :35:08.second-highest level of greenhouse gas emissions just behind energy

:35:09. > :35:11.sector. Moreover, transport is the only sector in the use emissions

:35:12. > :35:18.have risen since 1990 by a staggering 22%. I know the transport

:35:19. > :35:22.select committee has been doing some work on this issue over quite a

:35:23. > :35:25.number of years now. We'd come alongside our colleagues in the

:35:26. > :35:29.Europe union have committed to reducing emissions in the transport

:35:30. > :35:33.sector and meeting European emission standards. It was the UK that pushed

:35:34. > :35:37.hardest on this issue. It would be a shame, this point, for Britain to

:35:38. > :35:42.draw back. It's crucial this continues after Brexit. After all,

:35:43. > :35:48.it's not just an issue I slid to the UK. We share RA with the European

:35:49. > :35:50.Union and the rest of the world. It's this collaborative approach

:35:51. > :35:59.which many are concerned we will lose if we end up leaving... When we

:36:00. > :36:03.leave the European Union. This approach is critical to solve these

:36:04. > :36:08.pan national borders. I recently had the opportunity to visit my own

:36:09. > :36:12.constituency's University which has a low emission vehicle research

:36:13. > :36:15.centre which benefited from ?3.6 million worth of research funding

:36:16. > :36:22.and contrast from EU government bodies. With the member give way?

:36:23. > :36:26.I'll happily give way. I thank him for giving way. He mentioned his

:36:27. > :36:31.university there. One thing of concern to me as research funding

:36:32. > :36:35.after the 2020 period. Will he join us and asking the Chancellor, as the

:36:36. > :36:38.Transport Secretary to give a bit more certainty to the university

:36:39. > :36:44.sector in the post-2020 world? Here, here! I frankly honourable

:36:45. > :36:49.member for his intervention. It is something in a number of us have

:36:50. > :36:52.brought up in the higher education Bill committee. It is welcome to see

:36:53. > :36:57.the announcement that funding will be continued after leaving the EU.

:36:58. > :37:01.As we have seen over the last few years. That Horizon 2020, for

:37:02. > :37:04.example, which we have been a part of the many years now is something

:37:05. > :37:10.the university sector is concerned about leaving. That leaves a huge

:37:11. > :37:13.hole in higher education funding. It's something I hope the university

:37:14. > :37:18.'s Minster will consider as the bill passes over to the upper house.

:37:19. > :37:22.Going forward. Back onto Bath University. They have prize-winning

:37:23. > :37:32.research centres over there. And it's had a huge positive... A huge

:37:33. > :37:35.positive impact in terms of measuring an understanding air

:37:36. > :37:41.quality not just in the UK but in the European Union to. The project

:37:42. > :37:45.which is being run spearheaded by my own university will be able to

:37:46. > :37:47.receive some of the funding from the Chancellor announced earlier on

:37:48. > :37:54.today with the expansion of local growth funds, it's topical given the

:37:55. > :37:57.Volkswagen scandal has recently happened. Obviously this means that

:37:58. > :38:03.Britain might end up having an opportunity to bring businesses like

:38:04. > :38:16.BMW over to the UK to measure its air pollution levels. As Ford is

:38:17. > :38:19.currently. It is important we set out our position in relation to

:38:20. > :38:22.exiting the European Union we remain committed to meeting obligations on

:38:23. > :38:26.European emission standards across the transport sector in order to

:38:27. > :38:29.improve the lives, health and well-being of all residents.

:38:30. > :38:33.I'm sure the Government has vowed at the forefront of their mind when

:38:34. > :38:35.considering transport policies will relieve the EU.

:38:36. > :38:41.My second point relates to instruction investment. I'd like to

:38:42. > :38:46.focus on the importance of ensuring we maintain adequate investment in

:38:47. > :38:49.transport, particularly road, rail and aviation. I welcome the

:38:50. > :38:53.Government's commitment to completing the incredibly important

:38:54. > :38:56.take just to project and the recent announcement of Heathrow Airport

:38:57. > :39:02.expansion both are vital to the long-term development of our country

:39:03. > :39:05.as a whole. During 2014 the European investment bank provided rendered of

:39:06. > :39:08.more than ?6 billion to support long-term investment for a broad

:39:09. > :39:13.range of the structure projects across the UK. 26% of these were in

:39:14. > :39:17.transport and telecommunications sectors. It is an important funding

:39:18. > :39:21.source for these projects. They have been instrumental in the creation of

:39:22. > :39:24.the trans-European transport policy and the Forth Railway package which

:39:25. > :39:29.aims to remove the remaining barriers to the creation of a single

:39:30. > :39:33.European room area. I also hope the conversations will be happening as

:39:34. > :39:35.we leave the EU in order to ensure that Britain still has adequate

:39:36. > :39:41.training links with the European Union. By removing bottlenecks,

:39:42. > :39:47.building missing cross-border connections on promoting integration

:39:48. > :39:50.into operability between different modes of transport we can assure

:39:51. > :39:53.that the UK benefits from an English such a plan which promotes economic

:39:54. > :39:58.growth and job creation. Will the member give way? I am happy

:39:59. > :40:04.to give way. I find him for being so generous

:40:05. > :40:07.with his time. Does he agree that just as transport benefits benefit

:40:08. > :40:10.business so does continued membership of the single market,

:40:11. > :40:17.would he support but? I find him for his intervention.

:40:18. > :40:20.Yes, I have said on many occasions I support measure of the single

:40:21. > :40:28.market, how achievable buddies is up to the Government to end up

:40:29. > :40:31.negotiating with the European Union. Fundamentally, I think our

:40:32. > :40:35.businesses, not just my constituency but in the devolved nations would

:40:36. > :40:39.suffer from having a reduction in access to the single market.

:40:40. > :40:44.Similarly, in relation to the customs union as well. I think one

:40:45. > :40:48.thing missed out earlier on in the speech by my right honourable member

:40:49. > :40:54.for stolen was the fact that there was no cost implication selected in

:40:55. > :41:00.his debate in relation to how ports might lose out as a result of

:41:01. > :41:03.leaving the customs union. Mr Deputy Speaker, now is not the time to slow

:41:04. > :41:08.down investment into transport sector. As we heard earlier on from

:41:09. > :41:11.my honourable friend the Chancellor. With projects in my own

:41:12. > :41:14.constituencies such as a link road on the completion of the

:41:15. > :41:18.electrification of the great Western mainline still in need of finance

:41:19. > :41:23.the Government must come mid to last investment that flows from our

:41:24. > :41:27.leading designer leaving the European Union. I hope this debate

:41:28. > :41:30.has been an opportunity to increase transport investment across the

:41:31. > :41:35.south-west as a whole. The Autumn Statement did provide some welcome

:41:36. > :41:39.news. However, this is a real opportunity to really address the

:41:40. > :41:44.imbalance. It is disappointing that a recent IPPR report concluded that

:41:45. > :41:48.the South West has the second lowest level of transport investment per

:41:49. > :41:52.capita and per commuter anywhere in England. Without wishing to give too

:41:53. > :41:55.much credibility to counterfactual history I question whether great

:41:56. > :41:58.investment by the EU into the transport of research in the

:41:59. > :42:02.south-westward have seen more residents vote to remain part of the

:42:03. > :42:07.union? In conclusion, transport is one of

:42:08. > :42:11.the EU's must reject common policies. On many occasions we've

:42:12. > :42:14.been a driver for change in this area. Upon exit I very much hope

:42:15. > :42:17.that the Government continues to invest heavily in the transport

:42:18. > :42:23.sector whilst maintaining commitments to air quality and the

:42:24. > :42:30.environment. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. This

:42:31. > :42:36.is a very welcome and timely debate. Transport is so vital to all that we

:42:37. > :42:42.do whether it be to do with our economy functioning, people engaging

:42:43. > :42:46.in their lives, it matters to everything we do.

:42:47. > :42:50.There's been so little discussion in public and, indeed, in Parliament

:42:51. > :42:56.about the implications for transport of our exit from the European Union.

:42:57. > :43:01.In this short debate I just want to flag up a number of issues where I

:43:02. > :43:06.think there are concerns and some of those concerns are unanswered. Also,

:43:07. > :43:12.to seek some further information from the minister about how these

:43:13. > :43:16.issues are being addressed. At the beginning of this debate the

:43:17. > :43:22.secretary of state in his opening comments did make some remarks about

:43:23. > :43:25.how he was addressing some of the issues of concern that have been

:43:26. > :43:32.raised. He made reference to meetings he'd had with ministers of

:43:33. > :43:35.conferences, he said he hoped that he had a meeting with the

:43:36. > :43:40.President-elect of the USA shortly to discuss these issues with him. I

:43:41. > :43:44.think there's a more basic question as well. Yes, there are big

:43:45. > :43:48.questions to ask about how negotiations may be conducted and

:43:49. > :43:53.what the Government's objectives might be. But there is another

:43:54. > :43:58.question in relation to transport. We'll negotiations impact on

:43:59. > :44:02.transport? Will they be conducted in their own right or will there be

:44:03. > :44:09.part of a much wider negotiations so that nothing agreed for transport is

:44:10. > :44:14.in fact agreed until agreements on everything, all issues involved in

:44:15. > :44:19.this leaving EU? I've never heard that matter discussed. I think if of

:44:20. > :44:25.concern. Potentially, it could mean that there are issues to do with

:44:26. > :44:33.transport which appeared to be negotiated and then, somehow, they

:44:34. > :44:40.lost or away. That's a fairly fundamental issue. I'd like to have

:44:41. > :44:44.more answers on that from the Government. I think giving an answer

:44:45. > :44:48.on that isn't giving away negotiating position it's telling us

:44:49. > :44:52.how is usually the Government, as a whole, view transport issues and

:44:53. > :44:56.perhaps gives us a guide as to how far we should pursue some of the

:44:57. > :45:00.issues that have been raised today. And I think they will be raised

:45:01. > :45:04.again. Honourable members have raised issues to do with different

:45:05. > :45:10.sectors of transport and how they could be affected. Matters to do

:45:11. > :45:15.with road, rail and air and sea. I come to some of those in a moment.

:45:16. > :45:18.There are other matters, crosscutting matters which are

:45:19. > :45:25.important with very little attention has been given in relation to

:45:26. > :45:30.Brexit. The matter of passenger rights. There are complex

:45:31. > :45:35.compensation packages being negotiated in Europe, one I think

:45:36. > :45:38.finalised recently, or nearing completion, it is not at all clear

:45:39. > :45:45.how that would affect British citizens at this stage. British

:45:46. > :45:50.citizens be covered by those compensation packages now or in the

:45:51. > :45:55.future? We simply do not know. What about security matters? Reference

:45:56. > :46:02.has been made to the cross channel transport. Security is a very

:46:03. > :46:04.important aspect of that. How is that going to be affected? We've

:46:05. > :46:17.heard little about it. How is environmental issues going to

:46:18. > :46:22.impact on us? During the recent investigation that has been

:46:23. > :46:26.conducted in the Transport Committee remember the vokes Waugh enscandal,

:46:27. > :46:30.attention was focussed on vehicle-Taipei parole. That's to do

:46:31. > :46:36.with the European system for assessing vehicles in terms of their

:46:37. > :46:44.environmental impact, to do with their performance and to do with

:46:45. > :46:49.their safety. Although the Volkswagen episode, scandal, I must

:46:50. > :46:53.keep using that word, that's what it is, did highlight some deficiencies

:46:54. > :46:57.in the system, it is also important to recognise that having a

:46:58. > :47:00.cross-European system in terms of vehicle-Taipei parole is very, very

:47:01. > :47:04.important. There might be reason to strengthen that and change that in

:47:05. > :47:09.some ways. But having that system does matter. How would we be

:47:10. > :47:16.impacted in relation to that? Would the UK still be involved in that?

:47:17. > :47:23.Would we be party to that, partners in it, influencing what happens? We

:47:24. > :47:28.do not know. The whole question of accessibility to transport for

:47:29. > :47:33.disabled people has been raised briefly in relation shot blue badges

:47:34. > :47:37.scheme. The blue badges scheme which is very effective and important here

:47:38. > :47:42.does have its European counterpart. What would happen to that? Has any

:47:43. > :47:48.thought been begin to that? Is there any discussion on that? It is wider

:47:49. > :47:53.too. It's European directives which call for proper access for disabled

:47:54. > :48:00.people in relation to buses, coaches and trains to be implemented by

:48:01. > :48:06.2020. It has been that European legislation that has driven changes

:48:07. > :48:10.and improvements in access to public transport for disabled people. Will

:48:11. > :48:13.we still be involved in that or will the UK think there's a get-out

:48:14. > :48:17.clause so we don't have to continue to give proper attention to

:48:18. > :48:23.accessibility to public transport for disabled people? Again, I hear

:48:24. > :48:29.very little said about that in the public arena. Sometimes we are so

:48:30. > :48:32.involved in talking about the major strategic issues which are

:48:33. > :48:36.important, somehow we forget these very practical things and they must

:48:37. > :48:40.not be lost. One way of ensuring they are not lost in discussions

:48:41. > :48:45.about many, many issues is to keep raising them in this House and

:48:46. > :48:50.indeed, elsewhere. I would like to know more about what's happening

:48:51. > :48:56.there. It has been notable that quite a number of honourable members

:48:57. > :49:02.during this debate have drawn attention to the aviation sector.

:49:03. > :49:08.That in itself illustrates the importance of that sector. The

:49:09. > :49:12.possible impact on that sector by our exit from the European Union.

:49:13. > :49:19.And the importance of that sector itself. Aviation, vitally important

:49:20. > :49:23.for the economy as a whole. For business and for sourism

:49:24. > :49:27.specifically. UK aviation transported 251 million passengers

:49:28. > :49:33.in 2015. ?2015. Contributed a billion per week to the UK economy.

:49:34. > :49:38.And supports a million jobs. It's not just about transport either.

:49:39. > :49:41.It's about skills, about development, about a wide range of

:49:42. > :49:48.employment. Literally a gateway to the world. A gateway to Europe and

:49:49. > :49:55.to the world. The UK has currently agreements to fly with 155

:49:56. > :50:00.countries. 42 of those have air services agreements through our

:50:01. > :50:05.membership of the EU. So, that is critically important. What is going

:50:06. > :50:11.to happen to that? There are three broad areas of concern in relation

:50:12. > :50:15.to aviation which requires proper negotiation and a proper solution.

:50:16. > :50:19.Not the uncertainty that hovers around this whole area now causing

:50:20. > :50:26.great concern within the aviation sector and the people employed boo

:50:27. > :50:30.it. First, the single European aviation market that allows EU

:50:31. > :50:34.registered airlines to have a base in another EU state and operate

:50:35. > :50:40.services between other member states and within them. It promotes growth

:50:41. > :50:46.and it has reduced fares. It is critical. There may be an answer on

:50:47. > :50:49.what might happen to that an as alternative to our current

:50:50. > :50:53.arrangement. Are we going to consider joining the European common

:50:54. > :51:00.aviation area? Would we be able to do that? Is the answer bilateral

:51:01. > :51:04.agreement? We simply do not know. Not knowing causes great

:51:05. > :51:07.uncertainty, including business decisions being made by airlines

:51:08. > :51:13.being considered now about where they want to locate. Critical

:51:14. > :51:22.decisions about aviation itself and the people employed in that sector.

:51:23. > :51:26.I give way. On the point of business indecision. Would the honourable

:51:27. > :51:29.member agree with me that businesses are openly saying they're having

:51:30. > :51:35.difficulty now with their business plans. They are absolutely terrified

:51:36. > :51:40.of getting no forward vision from the UK Government about how things

:51:41. > :51:46.are going to work in the future? That is impacting directly on

:51:47. > :51:51.investment. I do agree with the honourable member's comments. What

:51:52. > :51:54.he says is very true. It is a very key area of discussion within

:51:55. > :51:59.aviation sector and the people employed in it. That's why it's so

:52:00. > :52:03.critical this is addressed. There is great uncertainty. There might be a

:52:04. > :52:09.solution but we need to move further on it. The second area of concern

:52:10. > :52:14.with the aviation sector is to do with the transatlantic aviation

:52:15. > :52:20.agreements. Particularly the EU's open skies policy agreed in 2007.

:52:21. > :52:24.There are many aspects to that, including that EU airlines can

:52:25. > :52:31.operate to the US from appoint in the EU. The EU airlines can lease

:52:32. > :52:34.aircraft to US airlines for use on international routes from the USA to

:52:35. > :52:39.any third country. That is something that was opposed for a long time by

:52:40. > :52:43.the USA authorities. That has now been agreed. It is extremely

:52:44. > :52:48.important, not just for aviation itself but for this country. Again,

:52:49. > :52:52.I go back to the common theme of this, employment within the sector

:52:53. > :52:58.and retention of high level skills. Will this continue? The general view

:52:59. > :53:01.appears to be, yes, it will. It's too valuable to everyone and too

:53:02. > :53:06.important for it not to continue. But, again, there is that area of

:53:07. > :53:12.uncertainty around it. Is that area being pursued? The third aspect of

:53:13. > :53:19.aviation policy is to do with European airspace. European airspace

:53:20. > :53:24.strategy. The use of airspace is critical. Too often when we're

:53:25. > :53:29.talking about aviation and capacity and runways, we don't think properly

:53:30. > :53:34.about airspace strategy. It matters about efficiency, it matters in

:53:35. > :53:39.terms of the environment. Adding capacity and efficiency has been

:53:40. > :53:45.done through the single European sky. Will that continue in its

:53:46. > :53:50.current form? Will it be part of a negotiating process? Will the

:53:51. > :53:54.functional air blocks, the UK and Ireland be retained? How will this

:53:55. > :53:59.operate? It does seem something so critical that really, it has to

:54:00. > :54:04.carry on. But, just in what form and how will the UK be involved? Again,

:54:05. > :54:08.a third area of importance with the aviation sector. I flag up those

:54:09. > :54:15.three areas. Those areas of concern are well known. But my plea is not

:54:16. > :54:21.that they are being ignored, they are well known, what is happening,

:54:22. > :54:25.what progress is being made? I want to mention the question of ports.

:54:26. > :54:34.Again, this has already been mentioned. Vitally important. 90% of

:54:35. > :54:39.the UK's trade goes by sea. The EU is the UK's largest single trading

:54:40. > :54:46.partner. Yes, there are global markets. Yes, the maritime sector is

:54:47. > :54:51.global as well as it's European. But Europe is extremely important to it.

:54:52. > :54:57.Again, it cannot be looked at in isolation. Access to a single

:54:58. > :55:02.European market is very important for the maritime sector as well in

:55:03. > :55:07.relation to Europe. How are discussions on that going to impact

:55:08. > :55:11.on discussions in relation to the ports and maritime sector? How will

:55:12. > :55:18.changes in access to the market affect shipping with Europe? Will

:55:19. > :55:23.there be new and complex tariffs? Will there be custom checks? How

:55:24. > :55:29.will transmodal movements be dealt with. Complexity in paperwork,

:55:30. > :55:34.tariffs. What will happen? Nobody niece. Some collusion has to be

:55:35. > :55:38.found -- nobody knows. That has to be found as soon as it can be. The

:55:39. > :55:43.sector needs to know what's happening. We've had silence for

:55:44. > :55:47.much too long. There are many other transport issues which are involved

:55:48. > :55:52.in relation to our exit from the EU many of those are giving great

:55:53. > :55:58.concern. I've identified just these few issues today. They are

:55:59. > :56:03.particularly important for the UK and its future. Important for trade.

:56:04. > :56:08.Important for jobs. Important for the retention of skills. I urge the

:56:09. > :56:13.Government to be more involved in these sectors. Give us more

:56:14. > :56:18.information about what is happening. And realise that while transport

:56:19. > :56:22.relating to these areas might not be an issue that's flagged up in

:56:23. > :56:31.newspapers every day, it's something that matters very much indeed to the

:56:32. > :56:34.UK economy and the people in it. Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker for

:56:35. > :56:40.calling me to speak in this important debate. I'm very pleased

:56:41. > :56:45.to follow the member for Liverpool Riverside. Interesting, in my notes

:56:46. > :56:54.I have here, road, rail, aviation and the water. I feel we're on some

:56:55. > :57:02.common or watery ground on this. In terms of climate change, we've heard

:57:03. > :57:08.from members on all sides this is absolutely vital. I am going to be

:57:09. > :57:15.unsay I ashamedly folk you had on my constituents todays. If you enter

:57:16. > :57:19.easterly today you will see on the sign "Tackling climate change" but

:57:20. > :57:23.when you sit there in queueing traffic, it feels a strange irony.

:57:24. > :57:28.Today, we're debating the importance of transport when it comes to

:57:29. > :57:33.exiting the EU. I have been contacted by the Irish embassy by

:57:34. > :57:39.jersey and Guernsey, the states of jersey and Guernsey as wells

:57:40. > :57:43.Ireland. Southampton Airport is absolutely vital when it comes to

:57:44. > :57:50.trade and links to the UKs and how we work with them in the post-Brexit

:57:51. > :57:54.environment is vital. Now, today's Autumn Statement has sought to

:57:55. > :57:58.tackle infrastructure deficit and improve our productivity. We've

:57:59. > :58:04.heard from the Chancellor today that departments and in my view, will be

:58:05. > :58:10.rightly meeting the Government's objectives themselves by working

:58:11. > :58:15.with members and communities, by tackling key decisions locally, by

:58:16. > :58:18.working with members and the communities, councils and devolved

:58:19. > :58:23.areas with their priorities and their projects. I welcome this and

:58:24. > :58:30.the meetings I've had so far in terms of my area and the key ideas

:58:31. > :58:36.and what is affecting the GVA in my area. I've highlighted to the

:58:37. > :58:41.Secretary of State that the missing infrastructure in my patch is

:58:42. > :58:46.affecting our productivity. Myself and fellow Hampshire members are

:58:47. > :58:52.affected by missing junctions on the M 27, queues on the M3 and I know

:58:53. > :58:56.the department would like to potentially focus on working with

:58:57. > :59:02.highways England on making this a better place to commute and to get

:59:03. > :59:06.around better. This week, the Secretary of State spoke to people

:59:07. > :59:10.working with regional airports. I welcome the feedback I had via

:59:11. > :59:14.Southampton Airport on the Secretary of State's energy and Foss tiffity

:59:15. > :59:19.for this sector for regional airports. That was coming through

:59:20. > :59:25.very strongly. We heard questions raised across the chamber this

:59:26. > :59:30.afternoon about air passenger tax and the future related to exiting

:59:31. > :59:34.the EU. So, if I can ask the Secretary of State to continue to

:59:35. > :59:40.work positively in this area. It does translate and it does matter.

:59:41. > :59:44.So, air passengers duties a key issue for those travelling through

:59:45. > :59:49.my constituency whether for business as we've heard today and for

:59:50. > :59:52.leisure. Better connectivity from Southampton Airport is key as well

:59:53. > :59:58.for heading up to Heathrow or Gatwick. But I've heard also from

:59:59. > :00:02.the Irish embassy. They are benefitting from people travelling

:00:03. > :00:08.from Southampton across to the new route in cork and then across on

:00:09. > :00:12.transatlantic flights. The future being more clear with the

:00:13. > :00:17.opportunity with Heathrow is important to my constituency and the

:00:18. > :00:23.connectivity. 50% of people in my patch travel out for work. They will

:00:24. > :00:29.generally do a journey of around 12 miles. That's a small, short journey

:00:30. > :00:34.one would think. But, very often, it can take you about an

:00:35. > :00:38.hour-and-a-half to get from easterly to Southampton. If you want to

:00:39. > :00:42.travel by train between the two cities. So, if I can ask through

:00:43. > :00:48.this debate, the ministers to meet with me in due course to look at

:00:49. > :00:54.roads such as the link-road which will tackle pollution and queues. It

:00:55. > :00:59.will unlock potential, sustainable housing sites. It will also give the

:01:00. > :01:05.potential opportunity for Southampton Airport to have that

:01:06. > :01:09.longer runway. Bigger planes, able to travel from my patch and

:01:10. > :01:10.therefore giving people a real choice when it comes to getting

:01:11. > :01:19.around. I am delighted today with the

:01:20. > :01:23.opportunity of the infrastructure boost that we have seen in the

:01:24. > :01:28.Autumn Statement, and also on the basic level, in terms of getting

:01:29. > :01:33.round, the seventh successive freeze in fuel duty. In my area, families

:01:34. > :01:39.don't have a choice. They must travel by car. East/ West

:01:40. > :01:43.connectivity is a challenge. I welcome the continued negotiations

:01:44. > :01:46.on the new rail franchise, because getting between Portsmouth and

:01:47. > :01:52.Southampton in less than an hour actually is hampering people to

:01:53. > :01:56.continue to benefit from the opportunities that being so close to

:01:57. > :02:00.the port of Southampton has for them.

:02:01. > :02:06.We heard from the right honourable member this afternoon that ports

:02:07. > :02:11.were key. Southampton is vital, a real opportunity for success locally

:02:12. > :02:16.for the new businesses springing up in Eastleigh. On water safety, as we

:02:17. > :02:22.exit the EU, that continues to be something we need to look at. People

:02:23. > :02:25.out and about want to see Marine patrols and they want this in a

:02:26. > :02:31.post-Brexit and environment, that they feel borders are secure.

:02:32. > :02:35.I look forward to working with the LEP, Hampshire County Council, the

:02:36. > :02:40.other local departments and areas to make sure that Eastleigh continues

:02:41. > :02:46.to grow and thrive in the opportunity that we have of ?1.1

:02:47. > :02:50.billion further into local transport networks. I can say in this debate

:02:51. > :02:56.and to the Department for Transport, I can absolutely see where this can

:02:57. > :03:00.be deployed in my patch to help with much-needed connectivity and to

:03:01. > :03:05.battle our pollution and increase our productivity. So I welcome this

:03:06. > :03:09.debate this afternoon and I welcome the interesting points made around

:03:10. > :03:15.the chamber about our passenger duty, ports and connectivity, and

:03:16. > :03:21.look forward to working positively with the department based on today's

:03:22. > :03:26.Autumn Statement and the opportunity for local infrastructure across

:03:27. > :03:31.Hampshire. Dame Rosie Winterton! Thank you,

:03:32. > :03:34.Madam Deputy Speaker. As my honourable friends the member for

:03:35. > :03:40.Middlesbrough and other honourable and right honourable members has

:03:41. > :03:44.made clear in this very welcome debate, Brexit has huge implications

:03:45. > :03:49.for the whole of our transport network. But I want to focus today

:03:50. > :03:54.on the rail and freight sector. I was disappointed that the Secretary

:03:55. > :04:01.of State did not include rail freight as one of his priorities. I

:04:02. > :04:09.suspect the rail freight industry will be disappointed as well. I hope

:04:10. > :04:15.the Minister can reassure us when he replies to the debate that the

:04:16. > :04:17.Government is taking seriously the concerns of the Railfreight

:04:18. > :04:24.industry. I have previously raised in the House the situation of the

:04:25. > :04:32.company with headquarters in my constituency, DBE Cargo UK, who have

:04:33. > :04:36.recently announced 803 redundancies. In a letter to the trade union Aslef

:04:37. > :04:40.the company said that as well as falling demand from the coal and

:04:41. > :04:49.steel industries, Brexit had caused a slowdown in the demand for the

:04:50. > :04:52.movement of freight by rail. I have discussed the problems facing the

:04:53. > :04:57.Railfreight industry with the relevant trade unions, and this week

:04:58. > :05:06.also met with the Chief Executive Officer of DBE Cargo Uk. I hope

:05:07. > :05:11.honourable and dried honourable members will agree with me, and the

:05:12. > :05:17.Minister will, that Railfreight is a key service for those doing business

:05:18. > :05:25.in the UK, enabling the important export of goods through ports on the

:05:26. > :05:28.Channel Tunnel and meeting goods throughout the UK. Railfreight

:05:29. > :05:35.depends on the total volume of UK trades, as well as the share between

:05:36. > :05:41.rail and road. And it is a good barometer of the health of the

:05:42. > :05:45.economy as a whole. I give way to my right honourable friend.

:05:46. > :05:50.I am very grateful to my honourable friend for giving way. Would she

:05:51. > :05:56.agree with me that the sustaining of the Railfreight industry itself is

:05:57. > :06:05.vital for the maintenance of the infrastructure itself, and that we

:06:06. > :06:10.neglect that issue at our peril? He makes an absolutely correct

:06:11. > :06:15.point. I think that is why we need to use this debate is to highlight

:06:16. > :06:21.some of the issues around our infrastructure and also to try to

:06:22. > :06:30.tease out of the Minister what the Autumn Statement might mean for the

:06:31. > :06:34.Railfreight industry. At the moment the Government is giving little

:06:35. > :06:40.clarity as to what they're looking for from future trade agreements,

:06:41. > :06:43.but it is clear that some options, particularly those with increased

:06:44. > :06:53.trade tariffs, could be challenging for the UK market a whole and for

:06:54. > :06:58.Railfreight particularly. Uncertainty about what trade

:06:59. > :07:07.agreements will be reached in those Brexit negotiations is having a

:07:08. > :07:11.detrimental effect on business. And the rail freight industry has been

:07:12. > :07:16.affected by the slowdown in the construction industry where there is

:07:17. > :07:19.nervousness from investors as we wait for the Government to set out

:07:20. > :07:24.its negotiating position, investment decisions are being put on hold.

:07:25. > :07:27.Whether we are to remain in the customs union, whether we are to

:07:28. > :07:32.maintain access to the single market, that will have a massive

:07:33. > :07:39.potential impact on our Customs and Excise regime. This would naturally

:07:40. > :07:44.impact on points, eventually, like ports. Madam Deputy Speaker, there

:07:45. > :07:49.was the direct impact of European legislation on the rail freight

:07:50. > :07:56.industry. Much railway legislation to rise from European law and

:07:57. > :07:59.provides a number of essential detections for rail freight. For

:08:00. > :08:05.example, around track access and charging. It would be vital that

:08:06. > :08:12.these protections continue in any revised legislation. I know that the

:08:13. > :08:18.industry consider that it is essential that there is a coherent

:08:19. > :08:22.and holistic approach with any changes in law being specifically

:08:23. > :08:26.linked to a change in Government policy for the railway rather than

:08:27. > :08:32.piecemeal changes. This includes relevant legislation for rail

:08:33. > :08:36.freight through the Channel Tunnel. Many railway standards are also set

:08:37. > :08:42.at European level, particularly technical standards or

:08:43. > :08:47.interoperability, which aim to improve the cost effectiveness of

:08:48. > :08:51.railways and their ability to operate across Europe. I hope that

:08:52. > :08:55.the Minister can assure me when he replies to the debate that

:08:56. > :09:01.discussions with the industry are being held about any revision to

:09:02. > :09:07.infrastructure standards to protect the ability of freight to operate.

:09:08. > :09:12.There is a real need for the government to provide reassurance to

:09:13. > :09:16.the rail freight sector so that business confidence remained strong

:09:17. > :09:23.and investment is supported. Rail freight operators need confidence to

:09:24. > :09:29.plan ahead, for example buying new wagons or investing in new terminals

:09:30. > :09:34.to support future traffic and looking at expanding in areas such

:09:35. > :09:38.as the automotive industry. Again, the Government needs to work closely

:09:39. > :09:43.with the rail freight industry to make this happen, and deliver

:09:44. > :09:50.solutions that support growth. One such solution is, of course, HS2.

:09:51. > :09:54.This has the potential not only to provide business for the rail

:09:55. > :09:59.freight industry during the construction of HS2 but also in the

:10:00. > :10:04.longer term to free up capacity for rail freight and, again, I hope the

:10:05. > :10:07.Minister can assure the house that the Government is talking to the

:10:08. > :10:13.rail freight industry about the potential of HS2. There are many

:10:14. > :10:19.other areas of European law which affect the rail freight industry,

:10:20. > :10:22.particularly workers' rights and environmental legislation. Workers'

:10:23. > :10:28.rights and protection are particularly important in this

:10:29. > :10:30.industry, not least because of safety considerations, something we

:10:31. > :10:35.are all too aware of at the current time. I hope that the Minister can

:10:36. > :10:40.again assure me that he is discussing these issues with the

:10:41. > :10:46.relevant trade unions. Again, with regard to environmental legislation

:10:47. > :10:51.and my honourable friend the chair of the transport select committee

:10:52. > :10:55.mates and very good points about this, rail freight is absolutely

:10:56. > :10:59.vital in cutting emissions, and we need assurances that once we have

:11:00. > :11:04.left the European Union we will mirror agreements under the EU and

:11:05. > :11:10.work actively to help the industry by investment to Network Rail in

:11:11. > :11:15.projects that increase capacity, improve connectivity and encourage

:11:16. > :11:18.intermodal solutions to health cutting emissions. I hope that in

:11:19. > :11:23.the process of doing that we will look across Europe for good

:11:24. > :11:27.examples, for example in Austria I understand that subsidies are

:11:28. > :11:33.available for trains that carry road freight vehicles and we need to look

:11:34. > :11:36.at whether we should be emulating those as we go forward. Will the

:11:37. > :11:42.Minister tell us what planning is being done to look at what can be

:11:43. > :11:45.done not only to improve freight productivity but also that link with

:11:46. > :11:51.an environmental targets. And coming to the Autumn Statement, can the

:11:52. > :11:56.Minister tell us what the locations of the Autumn Statement are for the

:11:57. > :12:00.rail freight industry -- what the implications of the Autumn Statement

:12:01. > :12:04.are? I am not sure I heard the words rail freight mentioned during the

:12:05. > :12:08.statement. I know that the Chancellor of the Exchequer said

:12:09. > :12:12.that it will be about Department for decisions, but again, because the

:12:13. > :12:17.Secretary of State did not mention this in his opening remarks, can the

:12:18. > :12:22.Minister perhaps sheds a little light on what he thinks the

:12:23. > :12:27.Department is looking at in terms of rail freight, and also what the

:12:28. > :12:34.process will be in terms of coming to those decisions? Investment was

:12:35. > :12:37.talked about but we need to see that applied to the rail freight

:12:38. > :12:44.industry. In conclusion, Madam Deputy Speaker, I think, as we have

:12:45. > :12:49.seen today, the process of leaving the European Union will be

:12:50. > :12:55.complicated, fraught with uncertainty and may have

:12:56. > :12:59.considerable unforeseen consequences, as some would have

:13:00. > :13:04.seen it, for the capacity. The need to secure them a seven sages deal

:13:05. > :13:09.for business is understood, but the shape of a deal is what will be

:13:10. > :13:14.contested over the coming months. I hope, however, we can agree that

:13:15. > :13:19.there is an overriding need to reduce uncertainty for business as a

:13:20. > :13:24.whole and the rail freight sector in particular. It is essential that the

:13:25. > :13:30.Government has serious discussions with the rail freight industry and

:13:31. > :13:35.the unions who represent those who work in the industry about the post

:13:36. > :13:39.Brexit future so that the best possible outcome of Brexit

:13:40. > :13:43.negotiations can be achieved. Again, I hope that the Minister in his

:13:44. > :13:50.reply can be unequivocal about his commitment to openness transparency

:13:51. > :13:56.-- openness, transparency and the full consultation with all those

:13:57. > :14:00.involved in this vital industry. Very kind, Madam Deputy Speaker.

:14:01. > :14:09.Here we are, four months on from Brexit, we have heard from several

:14:10. > :14:14.honourable and write honourable members -- five months, my

:14:15. > :14:21.apologies. Not a good start, perhaps! Many of the challenges that

:14:22. > :14:27.still faces. Indeed, there will be some opportunities. I have to say,

:14:28. > :14:34.Madam Deputy Speaker, if we look at one element of the Government's

:14:35. > :14:36.transport strategy and what it continues to be an achievement, I

:14:37. > :14:44.would draw the attention of honourable members to the deal they

:14:45. > :14:48.have managed to secure with the car manufacturer Volkswagen following

:14:49. > :14:52.the emissions cheating scandal. The United States of America will

:14:53. > :14:58.achieve around $15 billion in compensation from Volkswagen. Last

:14:59. > :15:02.week, at that dispatch box, the Minister heralded with an enormous

:15:03. > :15:12.grin on his face that he has managed to secure a miserable ?1 million.

:15:13. > :15:16.But, Madam Deputy Speaker, don't lose heart in the Minister. Because

:15:17. > :15:22.he also informed the house that he would receive the check in time for

:15:23. > :15:27.Christmas. I have to say, Madam Deputy Speaker, if that is a

:15:28. > :15:32.success, I don't know what a failure looks like. It doesn't exactly

:15:33. > :15:38.inspire confidence in me that these are the people charged with the

:15:39. > :15:40.Brexit negotiations. Happy to give way. Did he say which

:15:41. > :15:47.Christmas? LAUGHTER

:15:48. > :15:51.One hopes it will be this Christmas. I say to my colleague on the

:15:52. > :15:57.transport select committee. It is on the issue of emissions and the car

:15:58. > :16:03.industry, the vehicle industry, that I wish to focus my remarks. Although

:16:04. > :16:07.there are challenges, there are, indeed, opportunities in this field.

:16:08. > :16:12.I don't necessarily just mean in terms of trade, but in terms of the

:16:13. > :16:17.governance of that industry because, for too long, it does have to be

:16:18. > :16:22.said, and I say this as someone who passionately voted to remain within

:16:23. > :16:29.the EU, but for too long may have been operating in an almost wild

:16:30. > :16:34.West like culture where money talks, Madam Deputy Speaker. It talks quite

:16:35. > :16:38.a lot, particularly, it has to be said, if you happen to be a German

:16:39. > :16:45.car manufacturer. Because for all we are proud of... We are proud of the

:16:46. > :16:48.British car industry, of course we are, the German car industry will

:16:49. > :16:52.have something that we will never have. Or the French car industry

:16:53. > :16:56.will never have. For the Japanese car industry will never have. That

:16:57. > :17:05.is the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

:17:06. > :17:10.If you look through the lobbying register, you will see the big

:17:11. > :17:15.German manufacturers spend more on lobbying Brussels and all the other

:17:16. > :17:21.manufacturers put together. They get what they are after. You must

:17:22. > :17:26.concede of course that there is also a serious problem with the manner in

:17:27. > :17:31.which they carried out their missions disaster with regards to

:17:32. > :17:35.Volkswagen. It is not just efficiency, it is also manipulation.

:17:36. > :17:39.He is absolutely correct and that is what I am coming to now. The

:17:40. > :17:45.opportunity the Government now has is to get a new regime and omissions

:17:46. > :17:50.and safety standards that doesn't allow the kind of manipulation that

:17:51. > :17:54.the honourable gentleman mentions to take place. Well we can have a

:17:55. > :17:59.situation Madam Deputy Speaker, that car manufacturers are not

:18:00. > :18:02.manipulating test vehicles, for example by taping up air

:18:03. > :18:09.conditioning units, by changing the wheels on the vehicle, manipulating

:18:10. > :18:15.and in all sorts of creative fashions so that they can get around

:18:16. > :18:21.emissions standards. If they can do that in one European Union country,

:18:22. > :18:25.then they get away with it in all European Union countries. That is

:18:26. > :18:28.something that even though we have now chosen to leave as the United

:18:29. > :18:35.Kingdom, that the European Union must get a grip on. Here's the

:18:36. > :18:41.opportunity. The minister and the Department for Transport can now set

:18:42. > :18:48.up a regime that the European Union can aspire to. I have to say that's

:18:49. > :18:55.the response of a year in the Department for Transport to this

:18:56. > :19:00.issue does not exactly fill me with much confidence. They can also do

:19:01. > :19:07.the same in terms of a new safety standards regime. Create a new gold

:19:08. > :19:12.standard that even countries like the United States could aspire to. I

:19:13. > :19:21.guess the proof of the medley will be in the building. There is also

:19:22. > :19:28.something else. Members of the house will be familiar with the Vauxhall

:19:29. > :19:37.car hire scandal. Over 300 Vauxhall is a fear family cars here in the UK

:19:38. > :19:43.have gone on fire. Many doing so within around 30 seconds of the

:19:44. > :19:50.engine failing. Just think that the model of car I have mentioned. That

:19:51. > :19:54.model is a family car. It tends to be used by parents on the school

:19:55. > :20:02.run, during the summer holidays and such things. The number of people

:20:03. > :20:08.affected by this tender children. Many of them had been in touch with

:20:09. > :20:11.myself and other members of the transport select committee, who had

:20:12. > :20:18.a discussion on this. The response of the Government has been to

:20:19. > :20:25.almost, in public at least, wash its hands. I am amazed that there isn't

:20:26. > :20:31.more of a requirement on the Government to take this issue

:20:32. > :20:33.seriously. Perhaps we could have new consumer protections, as far as

:20:34. > :20:40.vehicle standards call for consumers. And as far as

:20:41. > :20:44.compensation standards call for consumers. Perhaps we could aspire

:20:45. > :20:49.to something that the European Union could even aspire to one day.

:20:50. > :20:59.Because what we don't want to have is the same system, perhaps EU

:21:00. > :21:04.regulation light, where we become another island manipulated by an

:21:05. > :21:08.industry in which money talks are far too often and in which public

:21:09. > :21:15.health interests and consumer interests are literally in the back

:21:16. > :21:19.heat. In addition to all of the challenges the Government faces in

:21:20. > :21:24.terms of Maritime and freight policy and a policy and all the rest of it,

:21:25. > :21:31.this is one area that the British public frankly are fed up of big

:21:32. > :21:36.business rating over consumer interest. They will judge the

:21:37. > :21:41.Government on how they rise to the opportunity that they now have, that

:21:42. > :21:53.Brexit has now delivered, to bid them first, rather than these big

:21:54. > :21:57.vehicle manufacturers. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. My

:21:58. > :22:01.constituency voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU. If voted

:22:02. > :22:07.overwhelmingly, despite the fact over 62.2% of them, despite the fact

:22:08. > :22:13.with its large agricultural industry, it is in receipt of huge

:22:14. > :22:18.your feet dot-mac European farm subsidies. It benefits from the

:22:19. > :22:25.opportunity to manufacture and export to the EU. It also has a huge

:22:26. > :22:29.travel basis, because it is a tourism Mecca where people come for

:22:30. > :22:37.terrorism and the need to travel infrastructure. It does is engaged

:22:38. > :22:41.in manufacturing, travel and transport goods. Despite all of

:22:42. > :22:48.that, if voted to leave the EU. We have to ask ourselves a general

:22:49. > :22:52.question, why? Why do so many people in that circumstance vote to leave?

:22:53. > :22:59.Because the EU is seen to be failing them. When we look at transport

:23:00. > :23:05.issues, we can see where that is. There are many things that before we

:23:06. > :23:07.even come to the EU, we could do domestically to assist companies

:23:08. > :23:15.that are engaged in the transport sector. Let me turn to them very

:23:16. > :23:21.briefly. For example, in my constituency, we manufacture buses.

:23:22. > :23:27.It manufactures the considerable number of the buses for this city.

:23:28. > :23:30.It also manufactures a considerable number for Scotland and recently

:23:31. > :23:35.enjoyed a beneficial order from Scotland of which we say thank you

:23:36. > :23:41.to our Scottish cousins. It also manufactures for Singapore and for

:23:42. > :23:46.another of other Asian countries and employs hundreds of people in

:23:47. > :23:48.Singapore in the assembly of those buses and importantly any

:23:49. > :23:57.maintenance contracts for those buses. There is a significant local

:23:58. > :24:02.umpire and a world empire. That company can actually benefit more

:24:03. > :24:06.from domestic decisions taken here than it can from EU decisions taken

:24:07. > :24:15.in Brussels. The current Government has a bust Bill going through this

:24:16. > :24:18.Parliament. That will dramatically impact on transport orders for my

:24:19. > :24:23.constituency if it goes the rate way. The also have, and I say this

:24:24. > :24:27.very gently to the front bench of the Labour Party, we also have the

:24:28. > :24:32.new emir of London and I would appeal to him through this front

:24:33. > :24:40.bench to come to Northern Ireland as soon as the two visit this bus

:24:41. > :24:44.company the transport his citizens around his city and see the great

:24:45. > :24:49.work that it wants to do and create work that it wants to offer in

:24:50. > :24:56.expanding that bus offering to this city. I understand that between now

:24:57. > :25:01.and 2021 London will require another 1000 buses. I hope that transport

:25:02. > :25:06.infrastructure will benefit from manufacture buses in my constituency

:25:07. > :25:14.and from my constituency. I want but that on the record before I turned

:25:15. > :25:18.the substance of this debate. And think only Secretary of State when

:25:19. > :25:21.he opened this debate this evening he was full of confidence and

:25:22. > :25:30.optimism and indeed optimism that I share. I think that we should

:25:31. > :25:34.approach this issue of transport and Brexit with some optimism, because

:25:35. > :25:40.there are opportunities that can be beneficial to us. I will turn to

:25:41. > :25:43.them. Following on from the Chancellor's statement that there is

:25:44. > :25:46.an issue that could been addressed today and I hope the Transport

:25:47. > :25:52.Secretary will continue to whisper in his year between now and the

:25:53. > :25:57.Budget in April, that he will say to him, airport passenger duty and he

:25:58. > :26:01.will keep pushing that issue. I don't believe we should be paying

:26:02. > :26:08.the sort of money in terms of the premonitions, dirty little tax to

:26:09. > :26:12.the Chancellor of the Exchequer just a transport ourselves from parts of

:26:13. > :26:15.the UK to other parts of the UK. It is wrong. It is not the sort of tags

:26:16. > :26:22.that our Government should be levying and I hope that they will

:26:23. > :26:24.remove it and remove it soon. I hope between now and the Budget, the

:26:25. > :26:31.Chancellor will hear that, not just from the, but from the transport

:26:32. > :26:36.sector. There are many people who complain, indeed our neighbours in

:26:37. > :26:41.the EU, complaining about Brexit. We hear it every day and read it every

:26:42. > :26:45.day in the newspapers. Those of us who voted to leave the EU, we did so

:26:46. > :26:52.with the good intention to bring about good for our country, not bad.

:26:53. > :26:56.One of the things that have noticed from those who were on the Viva

:26:57. > :27:02.campaign and those who are opposed to the actions of the United Kingdom

:27:03. > :27:10.is about to take, they are the ones who are talking on crisis after

:27:11. > :27:12.crisis. Whether they be about transport or our own border in

:27:13. > :27:19.Northern Ireland and the transport problems that that will bring to our

:27:20. > :27:25.border. I wanted at this point come into the actions of the Secretary of

:27:26. > :27:35.State of the recess. During the recess, a crisis emerged in Northern

:27:36. > :27:40.Ireland about our transatlantic operator, united air. It was because

:27:41. > :27:43.of the singular actions of the Secretary of State, when he got on

:27:44. > :27:49.the telephone to the United States and spoke to the head of cab like

:27:50. > :27:55.United and spoke to other people in the United States and press them to

:27:56. > :27:58.keep that United aircraft flight operating in Northern Ireland, that

:27:59. > :28:06.Caroline was largely saved. As a result of him speaking to United. As

:28:07. > :28:11.a result of an emergency aid package put in place of multiples of

:28:12. > :28:18.millions of pounds, that Caroline was saved, up until two weeks ago.

:28:19. > :28:22.Someone in the EU complained that the actions of the Secretary of

:28:23. > :28:26.State and the actions of the Northern Ireland executive amounted

:28:27. > :28:32.to state aid. It was therefore wrong and they objected to it so much that

:28:33. > :28:36.Europe has now told United that it must reject the aid package and as a

:28:37. > :28:43.result of that, the airport is now closing. The last those from Belfast

:28:44. > :28:48.to the United States will take place in January of next year. That is a

:28:49. > :28:54.shameful action, which I think needs to go on to the record. I will of

:28:55. > :28:57.course give way. Does the honourable gentleman believe that actually in

:28:58. > :29:04.relation to the port sector and many others, the hidden subsidies which,

:29:05. > :29:09.as a result of having for example the ports all over the whole of

:29:10. > :29:14.Europe being owned publicly with the money that is pumped into them,

:29:15. > :29:19.actually also represent the lack of a level playing field? What is sauce

:29:20. > :29:24.for the goose is sauce for the gander. I commend you for what you

:29:25. > :29:30.said but the Secretary of State type to. I do agree. He has put its

:29:31. > :29:37.finger on the fact that this extends not just airports, but two seaports

:29:38. > :29:39.as well. Last week when I asked the Secretary of State about the

:29:40. > :29:46.airport, he very kindly said the decision was deeply unwelcome. He

:29:47. > :29:50.said a fair amount of effort was paid him by his department working

:29:51. > :29:53.alongside the Northern Ireland Office and executive trying to make

:29:54. > :29:59.sure that we sustained this area route. The loss of this because of

:30:00. > :30:04.the youth action is deeply unwelcome in precisely the kind of unnecessary

:30:05. > :30:09.decision from Brussels that led to this country to vote leave in the

:30:10. > :30:12.European Union. I agree with those words, because that action was

:30:13. > :30:19.pernicious. It is and should not have taken place. It should have

:30:20. > :30:23.allowed the company to operate. Many people in County Antrim have seen

:30:24. > :30:27.the benefits of Europe and then turned against it because of these

:30:28. > :30:34.types of decisions. I think we need to, as a nation, and I'm glad we

:30:35. > :30:40.have we cant up to that. The also had the allegation that the Irish

:30:41. > :30:44.Republic are well-known neighbours wants to be supportive Northern

:30:45. > :30:48.Ireland as it leaves Brexit and has written to many of the hauliers in

:30:49. > :30:56.Northern Ireland and has invited them to a tea party, hosted by the

:30:57. > :31:01.tea shop in Dublin. He called it the all Ireland Civic dialogue, where he

:31:02. > :31:03.wished to have a conversation about the implications of Brexit for the

:31:04. > :31:10.Republic of Ireland. I am quite happy for the Taoiseach to do that

:31:11. > :31:15.and to understand the conversation that is going on, but for him to

:31:16. > :31:18.target businesses in Northern Ireland with a view to getting them

:31:19. > :31:23.to come to the south of Ireland and to crank up opposition to the UK's

:31:24. > :31:29.decision, that is where drug alone and that is where I commend the

:31:30. > :31:33.words of our First Minister in Northern Ireland, who said that we

:31:34. > :31:36.frankly have the attitude by the Dublin Government whether putting

:31:37. > :31:41.some of our businesses and that includes haulage businesses. I think

:31:42. > :31:44.it's right that has understand is that whilst we welcome the

:31:45. > :31:47.opportunity to work with our southern neighbours, we also concede

:31:48. > :31:54.when someone speaks edible size their mouth, on the one time saying

:31:55. > :31:57.they are so concerned about the relationship and on the other hand

:31:58. > :32:00.doing everything they can to undermine that relationship and I

:32:01. > :32:05.think we should put that on the record also.

:32:06. > :32:12.I also think it is important that we identified EU transport regulations

:32:13. > :32:16.that actually hurt a British businesses. I mentioned in one of my

:32:17. > :32:24.interventions on the Scottish national spokesman on transport the

:32:25. > :32:29.package travel directive. Take a company like Expedia, an American

:32:30. > :32:35.company that now in the United Kingdom employs over 2000 people in

:32:36. > :32:40.call centres, outreach centres, based in England and Scotland and,

:32:41. > :32:44.hopefully soon, Northern Ireland. We see a company like that employing

:32:45. > :32:50.thousands of people. They then are faced with the package travel

:32:51. > :32:54.directive. That directive will prevent ordinary travellers,

:32:55. > :32:59.business travellers, tourism travellers, but if they go onto

:33:00. > :33:03.sites macro like Expedia or others, instead of being able to use them as

:33:04. > :33:10.a one-stop shop for their airline tickets, hotel, car rental, shows

:33:11. > :33:15.that they may wish to attend any of the things they may wish to book, a

:33:16. > :33:21.restaurant on Outside Source, for example, they find that this package

:33:22. > :33:28.travel directive coming from the EU to protect huge monopolies, that

:33:29. > :33:35.that tackle... Package travel directive will try to pass on a

:33:36. > :33:42.major charge to the companies, the likes of Expedia and Trivago, but to

:33:43. > :33:45.the customers for using a one-stop shop when they should be encouraged

:33:46. > :33:49.to use several operators to place their orders. That package travel

:33:50. > :33:53.directive is wrong and should be opposed and I think, again, it is

:33:54. > :33:58.another indication of why many people in the United Kingdom see

:33:59. > :34:06.that under travel arrangements we would be better off out of the EU.

:34:07. > :34:09.On the point of additional costs to the travelling public, with the

:34:10. > :34:13.honourable member agree that the absence of the European health

:34:14. > :34:18.passport means that insurance costs will rise for customers travelling

:34:19. > :34:22.in Europe from the UK? I don't go that is the case, I can't say if it

:34:23. > :34:27.is or not. I would be happy to look at that and see if it is the case. I

:34:28. > :34:31.think we need to actually encourage our own insurance industry, and

:34:32. > :34:43.maybe we will have a debate on the insurance industry and Brexit, to

:34:44. > :34:46.pick up on those issues and see whether there is a way to address

:34:47. > :34:48.them. Companies like Expedia, companies faced with the package

:34:49. > :34:51.travel directive, I think we need to be alive to the fact that Europe is

:34:52. > :34:54.not the great benefactor to the travel sector, it is doing an awful

:34:55. > :34:58.lot of things to hinder it. Finally, I wanted to raise the issue

:34:59. > :35:01.of road haulage. Of course I will give way.

:35:02. > :35:07.On the general principle as he is addressing, the extent to which when

:35:08. > :35:11.directives are made they have an adverse effect on certain industries

:35:12. > :35:17.as compared to others and where in relation to the national interests

:35:18. > :35:22.of particular countries, is he also conscious, vice -- as I certainly

:35:23. > :35:27.am, of regulatory collusion as set out for example by a professor from

:35:28. > :35:32.Frankfurt University, where he makes it completely clear that there is a

:35:33. > :35:34.system employed within the Council of ministers whereby decisions are

:35:35. > :35:41.made which benefit certain congregations of countries in a way

:35:42. > :35:47.that is detrimental to others, and this is not just a benign system, it

:35:48. > :35:51.is pursuing national interest by any other name?

:35:52. > :35:54.I thank the member for the point. I agree that it is not only about

:35:55. > :35:58.helping the congregations of countries but it also assists

:35:59. > :36:03.certain cabals within certain sectors of the industry. The package

:36:04. > :36:09.travel directive, for example, would assist people who do not use

:36:10. > :36:12.computers to maybe buy tickets and want to encourage people to use

:36:13. > :36:16.shops. I have nothing against trouble shops but they should not be

:36:17. > :36:20.assisted over the heads of those who wish to use the Internet to make

:36:21. > :36:24.bookings, there is a very deliberate attempt to try to destroy that

:36:25. > :36:27.business. In terms of the issue of road

:36:28. > :36:33.haulage, one of the points that I think the Government needs to pick

:36:34. > :36:39.up on its exporter freight charges. Many of our competitors outside of

:36:40. > :36:42.the EU, I am talking specifically about Australia, Canada, could

:36:43. > :36:47.choose in Asia, India, New Zealand, many of those have the opportunity

:36:48. > :36:54.where they can assist their manufactured goods by reducing the

:36:55. > :36:58.cost to export those goods around the world. Essentially freight

:36:59. > :37:01.charges, not just internal freight charges within their own countries

:37:02. > :37:07.but there are external freight charges. I think our Government

:37:08. > :37:10.needs to look at this and to see what balance of assistance that

:37:11. > :37:15.gives and how it should be addressed in such a way that our companies,

:37:16. > :37:19.when we eventually leave the EU, have either some similar assistance

:37:20. > :37:25.or, more importantly, that they can be encouraged to get around the

:37:26. > :37:30.advantage that these other countries have given. I want to put a few of

:37:31. > :37:34.them before the House. In Australia, the freight equalisation scheme

:37:35. > :37:42.allows for goods being shipped around the world to be subsidised to

:37:43. > :37:47.their final destination. Costs that a similar good manufactured, say, in

:37:48. > :37:51.New Zealand, that manufactured goods certainly becomes more expensive

:37:52. > :37:55.because freight charges are included in the shipping, whereas the

:37:56. > :38:00.Australian good has its charge subsidised and wiped out in many

:38:01. > :38:04.instances. I knew New Zealand oppose Australia when they introduced that

:38:05. > :38:09.but it is still in place. India has a similar freight assistance scheme,

:38:10. > :38:13.as they call it. They also have the enterprise promotion policy which is

:38:14. > :38:20.all about assisting freight charges. Those issues which are about the

:38:21. > :38:25.transport costs, if they are not addressed whenever we finally leave

:38:26. > :38:30.the EU for wider export opportunities, we will find that the

:38:31. > :38:35.goods that we do have, whether they are manufactured goods, foods or

:38:36. > :38:38.drinks, whenever we try to get into certain markets they will be

:38:39. > :38:41.disadvantaged because we do not give them a freight subsidy. I know the

:38:42. > :38:46.Government is not like the word subsidy and they had to look at

:38:47. > :38:49.that, but there should be something done to assist those transport

:38:50. > :38:54.costs. I think it is important that the Government has that in its mind

:38:55. > :38:57.as it goes forward. I welcome the debate, I welcome the comments by

:38:58. > :39:01.the Secretary of State at the beginning of the debate, I think it

:39:02. > :39:09.is useful. I will continue to prod and examine these issues.

:39:10. > :39:15.Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am feeling wee bit dizzy, so

:39:16. > :39:26.apologies, I am not usually so high up the speakers' list.

:39:27. > :39:30.One of the reasons that I have been taken earlier is that there is a

:39:31. > :39:35.real lack of backbenchers. To govern where we are and where we have been,

:39:36. > :39:38.and how many people have told us how bad you represent all the wonderful

:39:39. > :39:42.opportunities there will be following Brexit, I actually thought

:39:43. > :39:50.they would be queueing appeared to talk about these opportunities. As

:39:51. > :39:54.the honourable gentleman -- as the honourable gentleman is about to

:39:55. > :39:59.come onto Mike European scrutiny committee I endorse what he has just

:40:00. > :40:03.said. So many of the room owners and those saying doom and gloom were not

:40:04. > :40:12.here defending their positions from before. I am not just referring to

:40:13. > :40:16.the SNP. How kind! Clearly we are part of the Remainers and we

:40:17. > :40:22.represent our constituents, who voted as a majority across Scotland

:40:23. > :40:28.to Remain. We must represent them. I follow along from the member from

:40:29. > :40:31.Northampton who was trying to highlight opportunities, but it was

:40:32. > :40:35.highlighting is the issues of the European Union and proper

:40:36. > :40:39.opportunities. Also seems to have a lot of faith in the money that the

:40:40. > :40:44.Government might invest because of the myth that it is not going to

:40:45. > :40:53.Europe, so trusting in the Conservative Government to invest.

:40:54. > :40:58.It is a wide-ranging debate that I will focus on road transport. I

:40:59. > :41:03.would like to get back to the open skies debate. My neighbouring

:41:04. > :41:08.constituency has Prestwick airport, it is a big employer for my area as

:41:09. > :41:13.well as the consistency it is based in. It would be good if somebody

:41:14. > :41:17.could confirm how Brexit will not affect Ryanair's flights leaving

:41:18. > :41:23.Prestwick and what the Government do to mitigate that. One opportunity

:41:24. > :41:28.that is perhaps fair in terms of Prestwick, it is not to do with the

:41:29. > :41:39.EU, it is the potential of the spaceport. It is high time the

:41:40. > :41:42.Government made a decision on that. I am going to focus on road

:41:43. > :41:46.transport. One thing that the Secretary of State in his opening

:41:47. > :41:51.speech said, which was absolutely correct, is that road transport

:41:52. > :41:58.affects us all, given the amount of goods transported by road. Under

:41:59. > :42:08.Government figures, almost three times as much goods are moved by

:42:09. > :42:15.road compared to rail and water combines, so what has the EU done

:42:16. > :42:18.for road transport? Apart from harmonisation of licensing,

:42:19. > :42:22.harmonisation of vehicle design, European wide regulations for

:42:23. > :42:31.transport of goods, workers' rights legislation, such as the working

:42:32. > :42:35.Time regulations, the agency working regulations of 2010, fixed term

:42:36. > :42:38.employees prevent short of less favourable treatment 2002, they have

:42:39. > :42:47.provided funding for road schemes in Scotland. Apart from that, they have

:42:48. > :42:52.not done much. So what else has the EU done? Apparently the guys that

:42:53. > :42:56.are not here are continuing to tell is that the EU has given is endless

:42:57. > :43:00.red tape and regulation. Let's look at how the European Union has

:43:01. > :43:05.meddled in Pan Europe transport of goods by road. This has touched on

:43:06. > :43:11.our honourable friends from Inverness. In 1998, a lorry

:43:12. > :43:17.travelling to Milan from London required 88 separate documents. Then

:43:18. > :43:22.the EU got involved, after much red tape and much wrangling the number

:43:23. > :43:31.of documents required now is one. 88 down to one. That is the red tape

:43:32. > :43:35.that the EU has created! In the 1980s there were 100,000 sets of

:43:36. > :43:39.technical regulations across the member states. Again, thanks to the

:43:40. > :43:49.EU, these have been consolidated and there is no set tonne one set of EU

:43:50. > :43:55.regulations. Just one?! -- these have been consolidated and there is

:43:56. > :44:03.now just one set of EU regulations. As we have heard, ports handle 90%

:44:04. > :44:06.of the UK's trade. Leaving the EU means there is a seamless journey on

:44:07. > :44:11.an off a ferry, but now there will be extended customs checks, very

:44:12. > :44:15.slow progress, infrastructure is not geared up for it at the moment,

:44:16. > :44:20.which could mean additional parking requirements are ports. Some of

:44:21. > :44:27.these checks need to be repeated for each country that a lorry traverses.

:44:28. > :44:31.The current estimation is that a customs clearance process for single

:44:32. > :44:37.freight container adds around a day. We have the potential for a massive

:44:38. > :44:41.course in logistical nightmare. On that, will the Minister confirm he

:44:42. > :44:55.is fighting for access to the single market and also the customs union?

:44:56. > :44:58.Here, here! I know there was a whole debate about how inflated figures

:44:59. > :45:02.might or might not have been, even if the figures were inflated they

:45:03. > :45:07.still show a huge benefit for members of the single market.

:45:08. > :45:12.One other thing I want to say regards the customs union is whether

:45:13. > :45:17.the Secretary of State and/ or the Minister has discussed such matters

:45:18. > :45:21.with the automotive industry. Car components at the moment crisscross

:45:22. > :45:25.the continent before returning for use and find themselves as car

:45:26. > :45:35.assembly parts. For them, the customs union is a major positive.

:45:36. > :45:40.In discussions, the coral to industry, they are appalled by the

:45:41. > :45:43.lack of an argument -- in discussions with the car automotive

:45:44. > :45:46.industry they are appalled by the lack of an argument. They say that

:45:47. > :45:50.targets is the number-one concern for industry, can the Minister touch

:45:51. > :45:56.on that? In terms of the haulage industry and

:45:57. > :46:03.employment, nearly 300,000 HCV drivers employed in the last year,

:46:04. > :46:10.in April 20 15th there were only 1165 job-seekers who recorded that

:46:11. > :46:14.as their standard occupation. Having the qualification of an HCV driver

:46:15. > :46:19.has actually been a pathway to Fulham Clement. And yet even then,

:46:20. > :46:23.it is touched on earlier, the Road haulage industry is having to take

:46:24. > :46:29.advantage of EU nationals using licence harmonisation to plug the

:46:30. > :46:33.skills gap. I repeat, there is a predicted shortage of 40,000 drivers

:46:34. > :46:38.by 2020, figures the Government do not challenge. This can only get

:46:39. > :46:42.worse unless there is a reciprocal licensing arrangement put in place

:46:43. > :46:49.post-Brexit. I have repeatedly called for the Government to

:46:50. > :46:53.implement a scheme, a grant given to small haulage companies to allow

:46:54. > :46:57.them to train new HCV drivers. That would pay for itself in terms of

:46:58. > :47:01.welfare savings. I have had nothing from the Government today. Earlier

:47:02. > :47:04.today the Secretary of State said it was with the skills minister, it is

:47:05. > :47:08.time that we had some concrete plans.

:47:09. > :47:18.The last topic I'm going to touch on is road funding, particularly

:47:19. > :47:23.relevant to Scotland. In other UK union dividend we have suffered from

:47:24. > :47:27.a lack of investment in Scotland's root systems. It has taken the SNP

:47:28. > :47:34.to come to power to push this agenda. Particularly with the new M

:47:35. > :47:39.80 motorways and the ongoing have a billion upgrades which are going on

:47:40. > :47:44.at present. It is ridiculous to think we have never had a continuous

:47:45. > :47:52.motorway connecting Edinburgh and Glasgow, the SNP is having to

:47:53. > :47:56.rectify that. This funding... Thank you for giving way. It is not just

:47:57. > :48:00.those motorways he has mentioned that were neglected, many of the

:48:01. > :48:10.connections to rural Scotland such as CEO nine were left without

:48:11. > :48:15.attention. There is no motorway between Perth and Inverness. I will

:48:16. > :48:22.come onto another point on that subject as well. The investment has

:48:23. > :48:26.come to the European investment bank, will these avenues still be

:48:27. > :48:30.available at affordable rates for the Scottish Government in future?

:48:31. > :48:37.It would be good if the Minister could provide clarity on that. In

:48:38. > :48:43.the Highlands, there are many roads which are single-track with passing

:48:44. > :48:48.places for oncoming vehicles. Those are lifeline roads. One example is

:48:49. > :48:54.the route to the Isles, Fort William to Mallaig. It was only completed to

:48:55. > :48:59.a 2-lane carriageway into Desmond nine. Previously, that Ruud was the

:49:00. > :49:04.worst turn road in Europe. That was the lack of investment that came to

:49:05. > :49:09.us from Westminster. The upgrading was able to be completed with

:49:10. > :49:14.European funding. The last allocation included 3 million

:49:15. > :49:18.European regional development fund money as well as European fund

:49:19. > :49:22.assistance. It is proof that the EU manage to get money to come back to

:49:23. > :49:28.Scotland that otherwise would not have come indirect funding. In terms

:49:29. > :49:34.of European structural funds, Scotland Security total investment

:49:35. > :49:40.of 941 million euros for the 2014, 2020 programming period. From this,

:49:41. > :49:43.?14 million has been allocated to travel and transport strategic

:49:44. > :49:54.intervention programme, which helps fund low-carbon hubs and active

:49:55. > :49:58.travel hubs. As to make money has been allocated to Strathclyde

:49:59. > :50:03.transport upgrades in the west of Scotland. It is going to happen,

:50:04. > :50:09.that money that has not yet been allocated in terms of the future,

:50:10. > :50:13.again we do not know that. There are no Government guarantees. It is time

:50:14. > :50:18.they provide certainty. The Scotsman newspaper reported a couple of days

:50:19. > :50:23.ago that the councils in Scotland are worried about the possibility of

:50:24. > :50:25.losing ?46 million of EU funding each year and much of that money

:50:26. > :50:32.goes to local transport related projects. I mentioned the Highlands

:50:33. > :50:38.as they are. As my honourable friend touched on, one common site is

:50:39. > :50:45.bus-loads of tourists traversing the country. Many of the rates of

:50:46. > :50:50.passengers, particularly disabled passengers, are incorporated into EU

:50:51. > :50:55.regulations. This is the case, tour operators that enters Scotland, we

:50:56. > :51:00.choose not to enter the country in the future as EU passengers may not

:51:01. > :51:07.want her to apply free fees as part the tour package. Can be argued that

:51:08. > :51:16.many of these issues not insurmountable. The Department for

:51:17. > :51:21.Transport gave very little consideration to buses in their

:51:22. > :51:26.balance of commerce as report released ahead of the referendum, in

:51:27. > :51:31.spite of the volume of regulation in place to protect coast passages in

:51:32. > :51:36.the EU. I will conclude by saying it is quite clear the EU directives

:51:37. > :51:43.have made the roads safer and protected the rights of HGV drivers.

:51:44. > :51:50.It has made transport rights cheaper and easier within the EU. The

:51:51. > :51:52.harmonisation process has been vital for the haulage industry or

:51:53. > :51:59.otherwise would be market failure by now. It has even harmonise the blue

:52:00. > :52:03.badge system for people with disabilities. Will this be

:52:04. > :52:08.reciprocated post Brexit? The EU has contributed funds for much-needed

:52:09. > :52:13.road operator funds and it is high time the Government understands

:52:14. > :52:20.Brexit means and off a lot more than Brexit and we want to see some

:52:21. > :52:25.clarity. I will draw the host's attention to my interest, I'm

:52:26. > :52:28.delighted the honourable member is backed in his place, because I want

:52:29. > :52:34.to point out to him that the briefing paper I have been referring

:52:35. > :52:42.to was my copy from the 29th of June this year, rather than the one in

:52:43. > :52:46.the library now. This is an issue I find of great importance. From the

:52:47. > :52:52.briefing, just generally in terms of the industry, this is as has been

:52:53. > :52:56.said, a critical industry. Coming so low down the list, you normally find

:52:57. > :53:01.that everything he wanted to say it has already been said. One thing

:53:02. > :53:05.that has not been said, is we are approximately 5.5 weeks from

:53:06. > :53:08.Christmas. The logistics industry makes Christmas happen in this

:53:09. > :53:17.country. It delivers everything. Yes, of course, Santa has his pride

:53:18. > :53:22.to play, but without the logistics, the turkey, presents, would not

:53:23. > :53:25.happen. We should but it on record that we owe everything to that

:53:26. > :53:30.industry and the people in it. In terms of the point raised earlier

:53:31. > :53:34.about staffing, I am concerned about the level of staffing within the

:53:35. > :53:40.Department for Transport to look at these issues. I am aware that the

:53:41. > :53:44.haulage Association, magazines like the transport and clean and others

:53:45. > :53:49.are doing a lot of work on the implications of Brexit for at least

:53:50. > :53:52.part of the industry, if not all of the industry. They believe they

:53:53. > :53:58.would send ready to help the Department for Transport in looking

:53:59. > :54:03.at this important issue. As the Minister is in his place, I just

:54:04. > :54:08.want to pass and think again for the table discussion on skills that we

:54:09. > :54:12.had the other day, which I think is a really positive sign of how we can

:54:13. > :54:16.move the whole agenda forward. I wouldn't miss an opportunity of

:54:17. > :54:21.taunting the honourable gentleman one more time in that a lot of the

:54:22. > :54:24.legislation of chorus, and this has come out of discussions with the

:54:25. > :54:30.various industries, a lot of the legislation that has now European

:54:31. > :54:36.Union legislation are things that we wanted in the first place. I think

:54:37. > :54:45.at terms of looking at the, it is not the great repeal, but the great

:54:46. > :54:50.domestic Isaacson of EU legislation act. That'll be important. Just a

:54:51. > :54:54.couple of points, rather than delay the house to repeat what we have

:54:55. > :55:02.already said, a couple of more things that haven't been, I think

:55:03. > :55:07.when we are at exiting the EU, DVS a needs more teeth in terms of what

:55:08. > :55:09.happens at the moment with non-UK hauliers, there are issues in

:55:10. > :55:16.another minister has recently written to me about access for the

:55:17. > :55:20.DVS eight to the database. I think the response does not make clear

:55:21. > :55:25.that at the moment a lot of vehicles stopped which are not flouting the

:55:26. > :55:28.rules are simply because they do not have good enough access to the

:55:29. > :55:36.database that can spot the hauliers and it is a bit random at the

:55:37. > :55:41.moment. Am happy to continue that dialogue, mindful of what he said

:55:42. > :55:47.and with regard to the discussion we have had. I do think they need more

:55:48. > :55:52.powers in terms of tackling in non-UK hauliers, particularly post

:55:53. > :55:57.Brexit. The point about vehicle standards has been raised by a

:55:58. > :56:01.number of colleagues in the member for Glasgow 's south talked about

:56:02. > :56:06.the issue of standards shopping and I think again, that is something,

:56:07. > :56:10.well having a common standard is very important, being able to stop

:56:11. > :56:17.the standard shopping is also very important. We need to think about

:56:18. > :56:22.revisiting HGV licensing rather than the overly convert at system we have

:56:23. > :56:27.now. Going back to class one or two would be a better way of looking at

:56:28. > :56:32.it. The certificate of professional competence is another issue within

:56:33. > :56:38.the industry that has cost a lot of concern, problems and difficulties.

:56:39. > :56:42.I think it is now much more embedded in War of the culture. I think there

:56:43. > :56:50.is a lots more that needs to be looked at. The member for, Nick and

:56:51. > :57:04.Loudoun, is that how you pronounce it? Calamari neck and Loudoun. You

:57:05. > :57:12.tried very hard, it's not your fault that you did not get it.

:57:13. > :57:35.I am conscious of time, I think the 88 documents into one is a good one,

:57:36. > :57:43.but post Brexit we could make sure it is only one document. Each S2 was

:57:44. > :57:47.mentioned, I am not such a great fan of it. The concern is that I have a

:57:48. > :57:55.bit and was regards to real freight is that as I understand it, H S to

:57:56. > :57:58.will not be allowed on the tracks. I have great doubts about whether we

:57:59. > :58:03.will actually be able to free up enough capacity on other lines, West

:58:04. > :58:07.Coast Main line for example, simply because, where will people be able

:58:08. > :58:10.to get the train from Stoke-on-Trent to Bournemouth? Are going to

:58:11. > :58:13.register and if they have to use it to come into London to get another

:58:14. > :58:17.train out rather than the service that is there at the moment, which

:58:18. > :58:26.will have to be cut to free up capacity. On road worthiness, I

:58:27. > :58:31.think it is important to note that a lot of firms are hiding behind

:58:32. > :58:35.Brexit in terms of things that fuel costs and blaming things I Brexit in

:58:36. > :58:40.the pound dropping for reasons for keeping the price of Phil

:58:41. > :58:44.artificially high. I would really urge the Government to take on board

:58:45. > :58:52.concerns from organisations like the fuel UK about the price of fuel. I

:58:53. > :58:56.will not draw any more on Port services, because that has been done

:58:57. > :59:01.more than needed to be. I want to pick up on the point about security

:59:02. > :59:06.of our Borders. In the past there has been an issue around Calais, the

:59:07. > :59:10.jungle, it is a problem that may well be a career in the future. We

:59:11. > :59:15.need to make absolutely sure that we have a good relationship with the

:59:16. > :59:19.French and in particular, northern France. A whole. Other things have

:59:20. > :59:27.been raised. I do not wish to repeat them. I would like to draw attention

:59:28. > :59:35.to an issue raised around state aid. It think any past, we have seen many

:59:36. > :59:40.airlines funded by other European nations floating state aid rules and

:59:41. > :59:45.paying the penalty afterwards, but saying there airports in the

:59:46. > :59:49.meantime. There has been an all too often a willingness on some of our

:59:50. > :59:55.European counterparts to flout the rules when it suits them, get the

:59:56. > :59:58.desired objective and face the consequences afterwards, when it is

:59:59. > :00:01.quite frankly irrelevant, because the issue has been resolved. I will

:00:02. > :00:07.not detainee has any longer, because I am keen to hear the responses from

:00:08. > :00:14.the front engine think there is one more Speaker, but I would just the

:00:15. > :00:19.again go back to my opening comments that we have an industry that is not

:00:20. > :00:26.important within the UK, it is not fairly fundamental, it is the UK.

:00:27. > :00:31.Without the logistics sector, the UK would not exist. Nothing would

:00:32. > :00:37.happen. Because we are wearing, the food we eat, it would all end. We

:00:38. > :00:44.must accept their transporters at the heart of the UK and sure that

:00:45. > :00:46.post Brexit, we get the best possible deal for the transport

:00:47. > :00:50.sector and I look forward to hearing what the minister in his wind-up

:00:51. > :00:56.says, but I do hope that like me, he really takes to his heart the fact

:00:57. > :01:00.that the transport sector, from the logistics in particular, is the UK

:01:01. > :01:04.boss Mike industry first and foremost that we have to make sure

:01:05. > :01:06.it is protected and literally get to work on it, taking help wherever it

:01:07. > :01:15.is offered. It has to be said, having sat

:01:16. > :01:21.through that debate, that once again we are not that much further forward

:01:22. > :01:26.on where things stand. I think this goes for transport, like every

:01:27. > :01:30.portfolio area. It was good to hear the honourable member for Bath, to

:01:31. > :01:34.be fair, giving an all too rare progressive view from outside of the

:01:35. > :01:40.house on maintaining membership of the single market. That is critical

:01:41. > :01:44.for Scotland's economy, critical for the UK's economy, just as the four

:01:45. > :01:47.freedoms are critical for success in the future as well.

:01:48. > :01:52.These areas are grateful for growth when there is an absolutely reckless

:01:53. > :01:57.gamble putting the country at risk -- vital for growth.

:01:58. > :02:01.Credit where credit is June, it has been good to see the member for

:02:02. > :02:06.Stone who, as usual, has been standing up for his beliefs, has

:02:07. > :02:11.been in his place, which is all too rare these days for those who backed

:02:12. > :02:15.the campaign to Leave. It is very much a tale of two Governments in

:02:16. > :02:19.these islands. We have had a Government making its plans clear

:02:20. > :02:28.north of the Bader on membership of the single market, freedom of

:02:29. > :02:31.movement, the status of European National to contribute so much to

:02:32. > :02:34.the economy, and a continued nothing from the UK Government. Madam Deputy

:02:35. > :02:39.Speaker, the Secretary of State he was not... He is in his place, I

:02:40. > :02:43.apologise, he has returned. He has to bears some responsibility. He was

:02:44. > :02:48.a member of Government who campaigned to leave the EU yet did

:02:49. > :02:53.absolutely no preparation for the decision that was eventually taken.

:02:54. > :02:57.That was an act of gross irresponsibility during the campaign

:02:58. > :03:01.that he continues by continuing to say nothing five months on. Madam

:03:02. > :03:08.Deputy Speaker, this is what preparation looks like, 670 pages of

:03:09. > :03:13.the white paper prepared during the independence rep random. I knew the

:03:14. > :03:20.honourable member would not be able to resist... -- prepared during the

:03:21. > :03:24.independence referendum. Would he like to tell the Secretary of State

:03:25. > :03:28.under the members of the house which currency Scotland would have used if

:03:29. > :03:32.it voted for independence? We were so well-prepared that not only is it

:03:33. > :03:38.in the White Paper, that I know he has read, but we even had a fiscal

:03:39. > :03:41.commission working group. 670 pages, fiscal commission working group

:03:42. > :03:46.setting out three options, sharing the currency, something that the

:03:47. > :03:50.minister said we would be able to do, as opposed to Tumbleweed and

:03:51. > :03:55.absolute nothing from that side of the House. There was even, the

:03:56. > :04:01.Secretary of State might want to take note, 15 pages on transport

:04:02. > :04:04.alone in the White Paper, which sets out the areas that the member for

:04:05. > :04:09.Stoke-on-Trent will be happy to hear, areas of high speed rail. It

:04:10. > :04:14.makes much more sense if you have high-speed rail going to Glasgow

:04:15. > :04:19.bunches Birmingham, specialist transport organisations... I will

:04:20. > :04:26.give way on that point. How many of those 600 and whatever pages started

:04:27. > :04:33.with the word could, maybe or might? To be fair, a lot more than the

:04:34. > :04:38.Government's plans. I give him that point and he makes a fair point.

:04:39. > :04:47.There were a lot more could, woulds or maybes than in the Government

:04:48. > :04:51.points, he makes a very good points. The honourable member for North

:04:52. > :04:56.Antrim would be glad to hear, they must have been reading it, there was

:04:57. > :05:00.talk about the benefits of transitional agreements. Clearly

:05:01. > :05:04.from press reports recently on what the Government's plans are, they are

:05:05. > :05:08.taking ideas of transitional agreement to hard, which have come

:05:09. > :05:12.straight from the white Paper for Scottish independence. There is talk

:05:13. > :05:16.about working with European partners and the EU where retires

:05:17. > :05:19.responsibility. That side of the House said if they voted in favour

:05:20. > :05:23.of Scottish independence we would not be in the European Union, that

:05:24. > :05:32.the only way somehow to guarantee membership the European Union was

:05:33. > :05:38.to... What happened there? The point is that cooperation with Europe is

:05:39. > :05:41.vital. The member for Eastleigh has taken her place again, and I am

:05:42. > :05:48.glad. She raised the critical issues of climate change and a greenhouse

:05:49. > :05:51.gas emissions, of course. And, of course, it is reducing greenhouse

:05:52. > :05:56.gas emissions that we have so much to be grateful for cooperation with

:05:57. > :06:01.European partners. After all, the air quality directives came from the

:06:02. > :06:06.EU. Everybody who has survived this debate so far continues to benefit

:06:07. > :06:10.from the air quality directive every single day and moment. There is a

:06:11. > :06:14.more serious point here, on areas of climate change, for instance, this

:06:15. > :06:22.is something where Scotland, with its world leading climate change

:06:23. > :06:27.act... Target, which had smashed when people outside of the House

:06:28. > :06:32.said we could not, it is much closer to Brussels policy than this place.

:06:33. > :06:35.We have allies and friends who take a similar view. Also in terms of the

:06:36. > :06:44.single market, a really important point. I watched as certain members,

:06:45. > :06:48.such as for Oban, Peterhead and elsewhere, lorries from across the

:06:49. > :06:52.EU taking fine Scottish seafood straight on to ticket later glories

:06:53. > :06:58.to markets across the European Union. Let's think about EU

:06:59. > :07:06.nationals contributing so much. Driver licensing for EU markets,

:07:07. > :07:12.whether it is in the Borders, North East Fife, Northern Ireland or the

:07:13. > :07:16.Highlands, is critical. We want to have these people at home, because

:07:17. > :07:20.they contribute so much. I wonder if driver licenses will be continued,

:07:21. > :07:24.will we continue to have the harmonisation we have enjoyed or

:07:25. > :07:30.not? Briefly on the point of airports, our geography means that

:07:31. > :07:34.airports are very, very important, and air links. I have been delighted

:07:35. > :07:39.that the Scottish Government has secured 23 new route since 2014. We

:07:40. > :07:42.benefit from that, and people benefit from our roots. Who would

:07:43. > :07:49.not want to come to North East Fife for the holidays? I am sure you

:07:50. > :07:53.would, Madam Deputy Speaker, and have done so as well.

:07:54. > :07:58.The EE relationship is critical and the member for Kilmarnock can load

:07:59. > :08:03.and made the point of Prestwick being nearby. Michael O'Leary said

:08:04. > :08:08.that this Government does not have a clue, and it is hard to disagree

:08:09. > :08:15.with him on that. Finally, on research and development, European

:08:16. > :08:22.funding has been critical, and continues to be. We need to develop

:08:23. > :08:28.clean, green technologies and Scotland is well placed for that.

:08:29. > :08:32.Horizon 2020, there is a smart green integrated transport fund with 6.5

:08:33. > :08:37.billion euros. You need to stop planning now for after 2020 in terms

:08:38. > :08:42.of research, and I wonder if the ministers can set out their plans

:08:43. > :08:46.after 2020 -- you need to start planning now.

:08:47. > :08:49.Scotland is closer to Brussels that many policy areas, that becomes

:08:50. > :08:56.clearer and clearer. Transport is just one.

:08:57. > :09:02.Jenny Chapman. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. In transport, just

:09:03. > :09:06.as in virtually every other area of policy, there are challenges

:09:07. > :09:10.presented by the UK's decision to leave the European Union. I just

:09:11. > :09:13.want to start by referring to the Right Honourable member, my

:09:14. > :09:18.honourable friend the member for Doncaster Central. She did an

:09:19. > :09:22.excellent job of outlining some of the issues, most notably rail

:09:23. > :09:28.freight. Can I just say what a pleasure it is to hear her voice

:09:29. > :09:32.ring out in this chamber again? I am sure her constituents and everybody

:09:33. > :09:37.else he welcomes it. Fascinatingly, the Transport

:09:38. > :09:41.Secretary has said that transport will be prioritised in Brexit

:09:42. > :09:46.negotiations. His comment suggests the Government has developed a plan.

:09:47. > :09:51.With the Government has set such a priority and decided which areas of

:09:52. > :09:54.policy it is most concerned about, perhaps the Government could share

:09:55. > :09:58.the outcome of its deliberations with the House of Commons, and the

:09:59. > :10:03.British people want to know. The member for Inverness said the

:10:04. > :10:11.Government is my plan was an empty vessel, a point well made. -- the

:10:12. > :10:15.Government 's plan. He referred to the Titanic and the Marray Celeste,

:10:16. > :10:20.and we must make sure that the Good Ship Brexit sales safely into

:10:21. > :10:26.harbour, although I expect choppy waters. A failure to conclude

:10:27. > :10:32.negotiations... Thank you... Of the deal within the article 50 time

:10:33. > :10:35.period of two years would be catastrophic for British industry.

:10:36. > :10:40.The Government does not give the impression that it accepts this

:10:41. > :10:45.reality and the seriousness of this threat, so can the Minister confirm

:10:46. > :10:49.that he is looking to establish a transitional agreement with the EU

:10:50. > :10:54.to prevent aviation and other industries from going over a cliff

:10:55. > :10:57.edge? My honourable friend the member for Liverpool Riverside quite

:10:58. > :11:02.rightly challenged the Government to explain whether transport will be

:11:03. > :11:07.negotiated in isolation or as part of a wider deal. Not only do we not

:11:08. > :11:13.know what is going to be done, we don't know how it is to be done,

:11:14. > :11:18.either. In the case of aviation, agreements are not covered under the

:11:19. > :11:25.scope of the World Trade Organisation so there is no deal to

:11:26. > :11:29.be negotiated. This means that there is no World Trade Organisation deal

:11:30. > :11:33.to fall back on if a specific aviation agreement is not reached.

:11:34. > :11:39.It is vital that our regional airports, which rely heavily on

:11:40. > :11:43.overseas carriers for international routes, are fully involved in all

:11:44. > :11:47.future negotiations to ensure the wider interests of the regions are

:11:48. > :11:53.not overlooked. Can the Minister confirm that this will happen? On

:11:54. > :11:59.our Railways, there is a danger that funding gaps are not filled. UK rail

:12:00. > :12:05.projects receive EU funding as direct funding or as loans. Will the

:12:06. > :12:10.Government commit to matching this funding penny for penny? In a series

:12:11. > :12:13.of interventions from the member for Blaenau Gwent, we watch the

:12:14. > :12:17.Secretary of State twitching on the end of the line, and I would not

:12:18. > :12:22.advise the Secretary of State that the member for Blaenau Gwent is

:12:23. > :12:26.unlikely to let this issue go. The Secretary of State will not hear the

:12:27. > :12:34.end of it, I can guarantee. Briefly, I give way. Specifically on the

:12:35. > :12:39.Welsh context, around burn-out went and road infrastructure, the EU has

:12:40. > :12:43.been a huge asset for heads of the valleys road. Did she agree with me

:12:44. > :12:46.that it is important for the Department for Transport to secure

:12:47. > :12:51.that funding for road infrastructure so Welsh Government can continue to

:12:52. > :12:57.deliver those improvements? Completely right, I think the First

:12:58. > :13:00.Minister for Wales who, correctly... Correct me if I'm wrong, has

:13:01. > :13:04.promised that funding will be matched penny for penny. Or will

:13:05. > :13:10.discussion of the same way as the ?350 million a for the NHS and

:13:11. > :13:15.disappear like a smoke ring from one of Nigel Farage's cigars? Rail fares

:13:16. > :13:19.have gone up by over a quarter since the Tories came to power in 2010,

:13:20. > :13:22.more than twice as fast as wage growth, and there is a danger that

:13:23. > :13:28.the economic consequences of Brexit will mean yet another fare hike for

:13:29. > :13:32.commuters. What is the Government prepared to do to stop fare is

:13:33. > :13:37.becoming even less affordable for passengers? I will give credit for

:13:38. > :13:43.this next statistic to the member for Stoke South. Over 90% of UK/

:13:44. > :13:49.International Trade in weight passes to UK ports. UK ports directly

:13:50. > :13:54.employs over 25,000 people and the sector contributes over ?7 billion

:13:55. > :13:58.to the UK economy. Like every other sector, our ports need to know how

:13:59. > :14:03.the Government intends to proceed. The member for Stone explained that

:14:04. > :14:10.the proposed Port services regulations are deeply unpopular

:14:11. > :14:14.with UK ports, but it is far from clear that the UK leaving the EU

:14:15. > :14:20.will mean our ports will not be subject to these regulations all the

:14:21. > :14:24.same. In fact, the UK Government's ability to influence the regulations

:14:25. > :14:28.to suit British ports is virtually the row, so how will the Government

:14:29. > :14:34.protect our magnificent ports sector? Similarly, road haulage

:14:35. > :14:40.sector faces uncertainty as a result of Brexit and there is no one with

:14:41. > :14:45.more passion for this issue than the member for Stoke South. He

:14:46. > :14:48.challenged the Government to ensure they are adequately staffed to

:14:49. > :14:59.support the haulage sector through the Brexit period. I don't want to

:15:00. > :15:03.be negative about Brexit, I don't. But by pretending that these

:15:04. > :15:10.challenges do not exist or are somehow straightforward to resolve,

:15:11. > :15:15.we are just kidding ourselves. We need to be upfront about this and we

:15:16. > :15:19.need to be honest with the British people. The Government should

:15:20. > :15:26.perhaps use these debates to inform the House and perhaps with the

:15:27. > :15:29.publication of position papers beforehand, outlining the

:15:30. > :15:33.Government's priorities. The debate has been interesting but I don't

:15:34. > :15:38.think there is anybody in this chamber who will leave this debate

:15:39. > :15:41.any clearer about what the Government's position is on these

:15:42. > :15:48.issues as a result of having had this debate. We're not going to

:15:49. > :15:52.obstruct article 50, we're not going to do that. We have made that

:15:53. > :15:58.commitment very, very clear. But there is now, I would suggest to the

:15:59. > :16:04.Minister, a moral imperative for the Government to act in good faith and

:16:05. > :16:09.Cherie 's priorities and its planned with the British people and this

:16:10. > :16:16.House. -- and Cherie 's priorities. Mr David Jones.

:16:17. > :16:23.May say that this has been an excellent debates. I would like to

:16:24. > :16:29.express my personal thanks to all members who have contributed. It is

:16:30. > :16:33.clear that everybody who has participated in this debate

:16:34. > :16:36.recognises the centrality of transport to our economy and it is

:16:37. > :16:41.therefore entirely correct that this is an issue that should be debated

:16:42. > :16:46.at length and in detail today. This has been the second in a series of

:16:47. > :16:51.debates on important issues that arise in the context of the decision

:16:52. > :16:58.to leave the European Union that were promised by my right honourable

:16:59. > :17:01.friend the Secretary of State for exiting the EU. Its importance is

:17:02. > :17:05.that it will help inform our consideration of these important

:17:06. > :17:13.issues as we prepare for the negotiations. I will certainly give

:17:14. > :17:17.way. Perhaps he could just, as these debates are so valuable, explained

:17:18. > :17:25.one issue where his considerations have been moved on by what he has

:17:26. > :17:30.heard today? As I proceed with my response to this debate, the

:17:31. > :17:33.honourable lady will find out. I think she has to understand that the

:17:34. > :17:38.prisoners we are engaged in at the moment of the process of

:17:39. > :17:44.consultation. That engages not only colleagues here in Parliament, but

:17:45. > :17:49.also industry and the wider civil society. Frankly, anybody sensible

:17:50. > :17:51.would expect the Government be engaging the sort of consultation

:17:52. > :17:59.and I make no apologies for doing so. As the Secretary of State for

:18:00. > :18:03.Transport made clear in his opening, the Government fully recognises that

:18:04. > :18:07.central role for transport will play. Our transport links with

:18:08. > :18:14.Europe and the rest of the world are crucial to this nation's prosperity.

:18:15. > :18:18.As we develop a new relationship with the EU we are determined to

:18:19. > :18:22.develop networks that build on the excellent connectivity that we

:18:23. > :18:26.already have around the world. This debate has highlighted some of the

:18:27. > :18:31.challenges that this country faces in the process of those

:18:32. > :18:38.negotiations, but has also highlighted opportunities. As they

:18:39. > :18:44.say, this has been an important exercise in helping inform our

:18:45. > :18:49.position. I would like to touch on a number of important issues that were

:18:50. > :18:53.raised during the context of the debates. Firstly, I'd like to

:18:54. > :19:00.comment on the point that my honourable friend, the memo dot-mac

:19:01. > :19:04.member of restoring raised with the regard to port service regulation.

:19:05. > :19:09.-- my honourable friend, the member of stolen.

:19:10. > :19:21.It is aimed at the continental landlord model and doesn't sit at

:19:22. > :19:24.all with the United Kingdom is fairly commercial and predominantly

:19:25. > :19:30.private-sector model. In effect, the United Kingdom 's ports stood to

:19:31. > :19:37.beat penalised and having led the way in liberalisation is in the

:19:38. > :19:40.1980s. Our experience in ports drive efficiency and investment. We have

:19:41. > :19:45.engaged successfully with the European institutions to prevent

:19:46. > :19:49.this in the near final text of the regulation is considerably less

:19:50. > :19:55.onerous than what was first proposed. What I would say it to my

:19:56. > :20:03.honourable friend and in fact he touched on it in his remarks is that

:20:04. > :20:10.Brexit is, this is a good example of how Brexit can regain control of

:20:11. > :20:16.important issues to the UK economy. We must remember that we will be

:20:17. > :20:19.promoting the great repeal Bill and that Bill when it enacted will

:20:20. > :20:25.absorb into the body of British law the entire corpus of EU law which

:20:26. > :20:32.will then enable us to review that law and repeal or amend it as

:20:33. > :20:35.appropriate. I rather imagine that my honourable friend would regard

:20:36. > :20:43.this particular regulation is one that was correct for the repeal. I

:20:44. > :20:47.will give way. Can he tell is how many of those will be related to

:20:48. > :20:52.transport? That will be a matter for this Parliament and that is of

:20:53. > :20:56.course the entire issue of regaining control. At the moment we do not

:20:57. > :21:04.have this control. Once the regain control, we will decide that in

:21:05. > :21:11.Parliament. The honourable member for Inverness, Nairn, strapped the

:21:12. > :21:19.exhibited a nice line in transport related puns, for which, meant him.

:21:20. > :21:26.He raised the issue of the effects on business and travellers leaving

:21:27. > :21:30.the European Union. My department is currently engaging closely with

:21:31. > :21:36.businesses right across the sector and 50 other sectors with a view to

:21:37. > :21:39.gauging their concerns and gauging the opportunities. He raised a

:21:40. > :21:43.number of issues and I apologise that I cannot reply to them all. An

:21:44. > :21:51.important one was the issue of transatlantic routes. I had a very

:21:52. > :21:54.interesting discussion recently with the group airlines for America- you

:21:55. > :22:01.clearly have an equal interest and those in the other direction and I

:22:02. > :22:05.think this is an example of the fact that third countries will also play

:22:06. > :22:08.a part in this process and is part of the consultation that we have the

:22:09. > :22:14.department are carrying out, we are engaging not only with British into

:22:15. > :22:21.non-killers, but also Continental and those from third countries. The

:22:22. > :22:25.member for Bath raised a number of issues, including vehicle emissions

:22:26. > :22:31.and again what I would say is that EU environmental law would be fully

:22:32. > :22:35.absorbed into our own corpus of law and then we can decide what

:22:36. > :22:43.arrangements we make with regard to that legislation, including if

:22:44. > :22:48.necessary confirming it. The honourable member for Liverpool

:22:49. > :22:52.Riverside who chairs the transport select committee raised a number of

:22:53. > :22:57.very important issues. I would like to touch on some of them in reply.

:22:58. > :23:04.She asked what would be the future arrangements for a setting standards

:23:05. > :23:09.for new vehicles was back in the Department for Transport is very

:23:10. > :23:14.focused on this question, many vehicle standards are actually

:23:15. > :23:19.shaped in United Nations bodies in the EU absorb that into you lot and

:23:20. > :23:22.therefore as part of the great repeal Bill process, that would

:23:23. > :23:31.equally be absorbed into our own domestic law. She raised the issue

:23:32. > :23:35.of access to the single market. May I say that this does remain a top

:23:36. > :23:41.priority for the Government. We want to secure the best possible access

:23:42. > :23:50.to the single market, consistent with our other priorities as a

:23:51. > :23:54.Government. The honourable member for Eastleigh raised a number of

:23:55. > :24:00.converting constituency issues, including the important issue of

:24:01. > :24:02.Southampton Airport. She welcomed my right honourable friend the

:24:03. > :24:07.Chancellor is infrastructure announcements today, which will

:24:08. > :24:12.provide a major boost for transport infrastructure in this country. The

:24:13. > :24:20.Right Honourable member for Doncaster Central focused her

:24:21. > :24:25.remarks on railfreight. We recognise that railfreight is an important

:24:26. > :24:30.part of the issue that we are considering today. I can tell that

:24:31. > :24:33.representatives of the rail freight industry had participated and

:24:34. > :24:36.roundtable discussions held with the real industry generally with my

:24:37. > :24:42.right honourable friend the Secretary of State. I give away.

:24:43. > :24:47.Thank you for giving way. Could you say whether he is also having

:24:48. > :24:54.meetings with the trade unions who represent members in the railfreight

:24:55. > :24:57.industry as well? I think what I can say is that the department

:24:58. > :25:03.encourages the trade unions, as they do every other aspect of the

:25:04. > :25:08.community. To contribute to the consultation that we are carrying

:25:09. > :25:15.out now. What I would suggest that she does is encourage that they

:25:16. > :25:24.contact us. In the honourable member for Glasgow 's south, who pronounced

:25:25. > :25:30.himself to be a passionate supporter of the remaining campaign, made a

:25:31. > :25:35.remarkably Eurosceptic speech in which the raised the issue of

:25:36. > :25:39.Volkswagen, of what he described as a scandal, which I think many in

:25:40. > :25:49.this Chamber would agree with. I would say that when the great repeal

:25:50. > :25:52.Bill comes through, as I have said, the EU legislation would be absorbed

:25:53. > :25:57.into our own body of legislation, but we can then amend it and it will

:25:58. > :26:02.be up to this Parliament to decide whether it wishes to improve on the

:26:03. > :26:05.current arrangements. I discern from the honourable gentleman's marks,

:26:06. > :26:13.that that is something he personally would welcome. The honourable member

:26:14. > :26:18.for North Antrim made a very upbeat speech in which he identified a

:26:19. > :26:23.number of opportunities arising from Brexit. He raised the issue of the

:26:24. > :26:26.package travel directive and what I would say in response is what we are

:26:27. > :26:33.aiming at is a new state of affairs under which this Parliament can make

:26:34. > :26:40.decisions such as that cannot simply except directives from the EU. On

:26:41. > :26:49.packaged erected, would you make a commitment that will never come into

:26:50. > :26:53.force? I did not hear the question. As a person called Paisley, I have

:26:54. > :26:59.never been told that somebody could not hear me. I apologise. On the

:27:00. > :27:02.issue of package directive, canny minister commit at this point I

:27:03. > :27:08.sometime in the future, that the directive will never come into

:27:09. > :27:12.force? The answer to that is that it depends on how quickly we complete

:27:13. > :27:15.our withdrawal from the European Union and what this Parliament

:27:16. > :27:21.decides to do and I have no doubt that he will be a strong advocate

:27:22. > :27:35.for its nonacceptance. The honourable member for Loudon made a

:27:36. > :27:42.contribution relating to the spaceport that he hopes will be

:27:43. > :27:46.located at Prestwick. I have to say that I had ambitions for north

:27:47. > :27:52.Wales, but nevertheless, we will be happy wherever it is located. He

:27:53. > :27:56.raised the issue of road freight and customs checks, all of which are

:27:57. > :28:04.matters that I certainly been taken into account by my department and by

:28:05. > :28:08.the Department for Transport and the context of ie you except

:28:09. > :28:13.negotiations. We finally had a contribution from the honourable

:28:14. > :28:18.member from Stoke on Trent raise the importance of logistics. I

:28:19. > :28:22.understand he is the chairman of the haulage. He has raised a number of

:28:23. > :28:28.these issues in round tables which have been arranged by my right

:28:29. > :28:35.honourable friend the member for south Holland. He is undertaking to

:28:36. > :28:39.maintain that dialogue. We had a contribution from the honourable

:28:40. > :28:45.member for North East Fife who spoke that the Scottish referendum.

:28:46. > :28:54.LAUGHTER Madam Deputy Speaker, this has been,

:28:55. > :28:59.I believe, an important and valuable debate. As I say, it has helped

:29:00. > :29:04.inform the consideration of my department and the Department for

:29:05. > :29:09.Transport. We will continue to hold similar engagements, both within

:29:10. > :29:15.this Parliament and with stakeholders from outside the EU. I

:29:16. > :29:19.make no apologies, because I hear the catcalls from the opposition

:29:20. > :29:25.front bench, I make no apologies for the fight that this Government is

:29:26. > :29:30.giving proper consideration to the process of withdrawal from the EU. I

:29:31. > :29:38.will not give way. I'm near the end of my time. I believe that today's

:29:39. > :29:43.announcements have demonstrated the commitment of this Government to

:29:44. > :29:48.investing in transport in the United Kingdom, to help deliver growth and

:29:49. > :29:52.economic security for the whole of the UK. This will remain the case,

:29:53. > :30:00.Madam Deputy Speaker, after we leave the EU. The UK remains open for

:30:01. > :30:05.business, industry continues to invest, we have had a ?50 million

:30:06. > :30:10.investment at the port of Southampton. We will do our best to

:30:11. > :30:15.ensure that transport remains central to consideration of the

:30:16. > :30:19.issue that arises in the context of a departure from the EU. I think the

:30:20. > :30:27.honourable members for their contributions today. The question is

:30:28. > :30:30.that this House has considered exiting the EU and transport, As

:30:31. > :30:37.many as are of the opinion, say "aye". To the contrary, "no". The

:30:38. > :30:52.Ayes have it. Point of order. I seek your guidance in relation to

:30:53. > :30:58.matter, notice of which I have given to Mr Speaker and the Foreign

:30:59. > :31:00.Office. Yesterday at Foreign Office questions the Parliamentary under

:31:01. > :31:07.Secretary of State for Foreign Commonwealth Office, answer to

:31:08. > :31:13.information from the honourable lady for Central as Shire concerning the

:31:14. > :31:18.demolition of a village in Israel, said, and I quote from: 749, I will

:31:19. > :31:22.be looking at this particular announcement and making a statement

:31:23. > :31:27.on this later today. At about 6:30pm yesterday evening my

:31:28. > :31:30.office mate inquiry of the Minister's office and told a

:31:31. > :31:34.statement would be issued as soon as possible. We were told the same this

:31:35. > :31:40.morning and then told, in fact, it would be a media statement. From

:31:41. > :31:43.about five o'clock when my office phoned again to give notice that it

:31:44. > :31:50.was my intention to raise this as a point of order, it was at that point

:31:51. > :31:56.that a very short press release was put onto the FCO website. The point

:31:57. > :32:01.at which ICQ guidance is this, is a minister in compliance with his or

:32:02. > :32:06.her duties to the House by saying that he or she will make a statement

:32:07. > :32:09.and then issuing a press release, give my Mr Speaker has said in the

:32:10. > :32:15.past about the House being told first before the media? -- Micro

:32:16. > :32:19.given what Mr Speaker has said in the past.

:32:20. > :32:24.I thank him for that point of order. He and the house know that it is not

:32:25. > :32:29.appoint on which I can make a ruling from the track, because the way in

:32:30. > :32:36.which statements are made by ministers is ultimately a matter for

:32:37. > :32:41.the Minister himself or herself. But I do appreciate the point that the

:32:42. > :32:48.honourable gentlemen has made, he has effectively drawn the attention

:32:49. > :32:53.to the house and, hopefully, rather more widely than the House, because

:32:54. > :32:58.it is sensitive and important. Mr Speaker has said many times in the

:32:59. > :33:06.past that when a minister has something to say, it ought to be

:33:07. > :33:10.said first to the house. I cannot make a judgment ruling about the

:33:11. > :33:14.particular issue that the honourable gentleman razors, but one would hope

:33:15. > :33:19.that if a minister has given an undertaking to the House to come to

:33:20. > :33:24.the House with a particular piece of information, he will at some point

:33:25. > :33:27.do so, and I thank the honourable gentleman for bringing this very

:33:28. > :33:35.sensitive issue to the attention of the House. Petition, Mr Andrew Rose

:33:36. > :33:43.and Dell. Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I rise this evening in

:33:44. > :33:51.order to present a petition to this house for no less than 866 of Her

:33:52. > :33:57.Majesty's most loyal subjects who live in the Australian external

:33:58. > :34:03.territory of Norfolk Island. I know Madam Deputy Speaker that you

:34:04. > :34:08.yourself are very supportive of Norfolk Island, having visited the

:34:09. > :34:13.territories years ago. Today's petition coincides with this year's

:34:14. > :34:16.visit to Norfolk Island of myself and the honourable members for

:34:17. > :34:22.Dewsbury and Shrewsbury, who visited the island to see what is happening

:34:23. > :34:27.in terms of the rights of self-governance being removed from

:34:28. > :34:31.the people of that territory. As you will know, Madam Deputy Speaker, we

:34:32. > :34:37.cherish the fact that territories and dependencies should have the

:34:38. > :34:42.right of self-determination. As we uphold that for our territories, so

:34:43. > :34:45.should Australia for the people of Norfolk Island. The petition

:34:46. > :34:50.coincides with the visit to the United Kingdom of the former chief

:34:51. > :34:54.minister of Norfolk Island, the honourable Emre Nobbs, and the

:34:55. > :35:02.president of the Council of Elders of Norfolk Island, Mr Albert

:35:03. > :35:05.Burford. The petition says as follows, declares behalf of the

:35:06. > :35:12.residents of Norfolk Island that there is unidentified historic,

:35:13. > :35:16.cultural, legal and constitutional relationship which Norfolk Island

:35:17. > :35:20.and the Norfolk Island people have celebrated since 1856 with the

:35:21. > :35:28.United Kingdom and the British people. The petitioners therefore

:35:29. > :35:34.request that the House of Commons urges Her Majesty's government to

:35:35. > :35:38.allow the people of Norfolk Island to support their self-determination

:35:39. > :35:42.in accordance to the United Nations charter specific to the

:35:43. > :35:45.decolonisation, and humbly request the same right of self-determination

:35:46. > :35:58.as afforded to the people of the British Overseas Territories.

:35:59. > :36:12.Petition, Norfolk Island. I beg to move that this house do know Joan.

:36:13. > :36:17.The question is that this has to now adjourned will stop as many of the

:36:18. > :36:22.opinion say aye. The ayes have it, the ayes Hubbard. -- have it. Order,

:36:23. > :36:40.order. STUDIO: That is the end of the day

:36:41. > :36:45.in the House of Commons. We will be going over to the House of Lords.

:36:46. > :36:49.You can watch recorded coverage of all of today's business in the House

:36:50. > :36:55.of Lords after The Daily Politics to mind.

:36:56. > :36:58.I know that the Minister has worked very closely with Welsh treatment

:36:59. > :37:04.ministers and his officials with theirs, but it seems to me that

:37:05. > :37:09.there should be no objection on his part to this amendment. Indeed, I

:37:10. > :37:13.hope he will respond in a conciliatory way, because on that

:37:14. > :37:20.point I think you will expedite progress on the bill. Then can I

:37:21. > :37:24.turn to moving amendment 128, standing in my name and that of my

:37:25. > :37:30.noble friend. It ensures that the bill cannot come into force unless

:37:31. > :37:31.the Treasury has laid before each house of parliament a