17/01/2017

:00:00. > :00:00.in view of the high levels of personal debt? We are looking very

:00:00. > :00:09.closely at, we will see some progress in the vein of future.

:00:10. > :00:19.Statement, the Secretary of State for Health man. -- the Secretary of

:00:20. > :00:26.State for Northern Ireland. Secretary James Brokenshire. Thank

:00:27. > :00:29.you, Mr Speaker. With permission, I should like to make a statement

:00:30. > :00:36.regarding forthcoming elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly. As

:00:37. > :00:39.the House is aware, Martin McGuinness resigned as dippy Defence

:00:40. > :00:43.Minister of Northern Ireland on Monday. As a result of which, the

:00:44. > :00:49.First Minister also ceased to hold office. -- Deputy First Minister.

:00:50. > :00:52.This began a seven-day period in which to fill both positions,

:00:53. > :00:58.otherwise it would fall to me to fulfil my statutory obligations as

:00:59. > :01:03.Secretary of State to call a fresh election to the Northern Ireland

:01:04. > :01:07.Assembly. Over the past week, I having gauged intensively with

:01:08. > :01:14.Northern Ireland's political parties to establish whether any basis

:01:15. > :01:17.existed to resolve the tensions within the executive without

:01:18. > :01:21.triggering an election. I've remained in close contact with the

:01:22. > :01:25.Irish foreign minister, Charlie Flanagan. In addition, my right

:01:26. > :01:29.honourable friend the Prime Minister has been kept fully informed and has

:01:30. > :01:34.had conversations with the former first and deputy first ministers and

:01:35. > :01:37.the Taoiseach Enda Kenny. Regrettably and despite all of our

:01:38. > :01:43.collective efforts, it has not proved possible to find an agreed

:01:44. > :01:48.way forward in the time available. In the Northern Ireland as the

:01:49. > :01:51.yesterday, the Democratic Unionist Party nominated Arlene Foster as

:01:52. > :01:58.First Minister whilst Sinn Fein declined to nominate anybody to the

:01:59. > :02:03.post of Deputy First Minister. While I have some discretion in law over

:02:04. > :02:07.the setting of a date for an election, given the circumstances in

:02:08. > :02:12.which we find ourselves in Northern Ireland, I can see no case for

:02:13. > :02:19.delay. As a result, once the final deadline has passed -- had passed at

:02:20. > :02:22.5p and yesterday, I proposed Thursday the 2nd of March as the

:02:23. > :02:26.date of the Assembly election. The Assembly itself will be dissolved

:02:27. > :02:33.from the 26th of January, meaning the last sitting day will be the

:02:34. > :02:35.25th of January, allowing time to conduct any urgent remaining

:02:36. > :02:42.business before the election campaign begins in earnest. I am now

:02:43. > :02:45.taking forward the process of submitting an order in council for

:02:46. > :02:49.approval by Her Majesty the Queen on the advice of the Privy Council,

:02:50. > :02:56.formally setting in law both the dates of the dissolution and the

:02:57. > :03:00.election. In setting the stakes, I have consulted the chief electoral

:03:01. > :03:03.officer for Northern Ireland chosen he has given the assurance in

:03:04. > :03:08.operational matters relating to the running of the election. -- in

:03:09. > :03:12.setting these dates. The decisions that I've taken have also been

:03:13. > :03:15.informed by my ongoing discussion with Northern Ireland's political

:03:16. > :03:19.leadership. All right honourable and honourable members in this House

:03:20. > :03:26.will understand that elections by their nature are hotly contested.

:03:27. > :03:31.This is part of the essence of our democracy. And nobody expects the

:03:32. > :03:38.debates around the key issues in Northern Ireland to be anything less

:03:39. > :03:41.than robust. I would, however, like to stress the following. This

:03:42. > :03:43.election is about the future of Northern Ireland and its political

:03:44. > :03:48.institutions are not just the Assembly, but all of the

:03:49. > :03:49.arrangements that have been put in place to reflect relationships

:03:50. > :03:58.through these islands. That is why it will be vital for the

:03:59. > :04:02.campaign to be conducted respectfully and in ways which do

:04:03. > :04:07.not simply exacerbate tensions and division. Once the campaign is over,

:04:08. > :04:10.we need to be in a position to re-establish strong and stable

:04:11. > :04:16.devolved government in Northern Ireland. And let me be very clear, I

:04:17. > :04:20.am not contemplating any outcome other than the re-establishment of

:04:21. > :04:27.strong and stable devolved government. For all the reasons I

:04:28. > :04:29.set out in my statement last week, devolution remains this government's

:04:30. > :04:33.strongly preferred option for Northern Ireland. It is about

:04:34. > :04:39.delivering a better future for the people of Northern Ireland, and

:04:40. > :04:42.meeting their expectations. For our part, the UK Government will

:04:43. > :04:48.continue to stand by our commitments under the Belfast agreement and its

:04:49. > :04:53.successors. We will do all that we can to safeguard political

:04:54. > :04:56.stability. Over the past decade, Northern Ireland has enjoyed the

:04:57. > :05:01.longest run of unbroken devolved government since before the demise

:05:02. > :05:06.of the old Stormont parliament in 1972. It has not always been easy,

:05:07. > :05:11.with more than a few bumps in the road. But with strong leadership,

:05:12. > :05:16.issues that might once have brought the institutions down have been

:05:17. > :05:20.resolved through dialogue. And Northern Ireland has been able to

:05:21. > :05:24.present itself to the world in a way that would have been unrecognisable

:05:25. > :05:29.a few years ago. A modern, dynamic and outward looking Northern

:05:30. > :05:33.Ireland, that is a great place to live, work, invest and to do

:05:34. > :05:39.business. Mr Speaker, Northern Ireland has come so far. We cannot

:05:40. > :05:45.allow the games that have been made to be derailed. -- the gains. So,

:05:46. > :05:49.yes, we have an election but once it is over, we need to be in a position

:05:50. > :05:56.to continue building in Northern Ireland that works for everyone.

:05:57. > :06:01.That is the responsibility on all of us and we all need to rise to the

:06:02. > :06:07.challenge. And in that spirit, Mr Speaker, I commend this statement to

:06:08. > :06:12.the house. Mr David Andersen. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Can I

:06:13. > :06:16.thank the Secretary for his statement? Like most of us, I am

:06:17. > :06:19.saddened we are here today. I know many good people in Northern Ireland

:06:20. > :06:23.will feel exactly the same, the deep regret we have reached this impasse.

:06:24. > :06:29.I've personally been involved for almost three Deco Baku -- decade in

:06:30. > :06:32.Northern Ireland related issues and I have learned one thing, a

:06:33. > :06:36.political vacuum should be avoided at all gods. I say to the Secretary

:06:37. > :06:39.of State today, you must make sure that you are not only willing to

:06:40. > :06:43.fill the vacuum but you must work with all parties to try and seek a

:06:44. > :06:48.way forward so we avoid the nightmare scenario of six weeks of

:06:49. > :06:52.increasingly bitter campaigning, which leave us in the same place as

:06:53. > :06:57.when it started, with no solution in place to heal a huge divide and to

:06:58. > :07:02.bring together those elected representatives of all the people of

:07:03. > :07:06.Northern Ireland. I realise that the tension of an election dominates

:07:07. > :07:11.people's minds and the news agenda may well be focused on other issues.

:07:12. > :07:16.But Mr Speaker, I would suggest for the sake of all of us on these

:07:17. > :07:17.islands, we highlight the critical importance of maintaining devolved

:07:18. > :07:25.and functioning government in Northern Ireland. I want to see

:07:26. > :07:29.young men and women from Blaydon continue to go to Belfast with

:07:30. > :07:32.rucksacks on the backs, not back to the days when they went there with

:07:33. > :07:35.rifles on their shoulders. Anyone who thinks this is some form of

:07:36. > :07:41.local difficulty in Northern Ireland should think again. I want to see

:07:42. > :07:44.the continuing peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland that is helping

:07:45. > :07:48.to grow the economy and the life chances of all who live there. I

:07:49. > :07:50.want the world to look at Northern Ireland and rightly applaud the

:07:51. > :07:57.success we have witnessed over the past decades and hope none of us

:07:58. > :08:00.want to see a divided Northern Ireland that turns itself, as we

:08:01. > :08:05.have seen so often and so sadly in the past. There are huge issues

:08:06. > :08:09.facing the people of Northern Ireland. Our exit from the European

:08:10. > :08:13.Union and the real change it will bring to everybody's everyday lives.

:08:14. > :08:18.The uncertain position from the government on the UK's land border

:08:19. > :08:23.with Europe, how we keep improving economic performance, and

:08:24. > :08:28.critically, how we deal with Northern Ireland's unique and

:08:29. > :08:31.painful past. And without a stable, workable government, all these

:08:32. > :08:38.issues will be much harder to progress. Last week, the Secretary

:08:39. > :08:41.of State and the Prime Minister showed both myself and it out there

:08:42. > :08:45.will be scope for the Northern Ireland first -- voice to be heard

:08:46. > :08:49.in the run-up to negotiations on the EU, by the joint ministerial

:08:50. > :08:52.Council. If that is the case, then secretary of state, I say to you

:08:53. > :08:55.today, there's no reason for you not to engage with the parties and

:08:56. > :09:00.communities and begin to resolve the issues that have led to the

:09:01. > :09:05.breakdown, over the next six weeks, over the next eight weeks, and not

:09:06. > :09:12.let the election be an excuse for not getting people together. And

:09:13. > :09:15.let's Biglia, what is happening in Northern Ireland is just about who

:09:16. > :09:22.is or isn't First Minister or Deputy First Minister or the debacle that

:09:23. > :09:26.is the RHI scheme. There are real underlying issues. How we support

:09:27. > :09:33.the victims of the troubles. The women's rights and the equality for

:09:34. > :09:36.the LGBT communities. The treatment of ethnic minorities and migrant

:09:37. > :09:40.groups, and above all, how we deal with Northern Ireland's past and the

:09:41. > :09:45.crucial issue of trust and mutual respect. The Secretary of State has

:09:46. > :09:48.to face the fact that he has the responsibility to ensure the

:09:49. > :09:51.government deals with all parties in Northern Ireland on an equal basis

:09:52. > :10:00.because that clearly is a matter of huge concern to the parties in

:10:01. > :10:03.Northern Ireland. I wanted you credit to the Secretary of State,

:10:04. > :10:06.for the common measure Tony is adopted by Robert at the same time,

:10:07. > :10:13.I won't deny myself the optimism that those love Northern Ireland

:10:14. > :10:16.still feel, and to that end, I will this house that we will do

:10:17. > :10:19.everything we can develop but all parties need to look at what they

:10:20. > :10:26.can do to prevent present impasse degenerating into total collapse let

:10:27. > :10:30.me be very clear, we need to avoided if at all possible return to direct

:10:31. > :10:33.rule. We need Northern Ireland politicians to stand up and be

:10:34. > :10:39.counted, recognise their responsibility and accept that the

:10:40. > :10:42.vehicle for addressing the needs and concerns of their communities if the

:10:43. > :10:44.assembly and its executive. The need for continuing with the assembly

:10:45. > :10:48.should be the number one priority for them and all of us in

:10:49. > :10:55.Westminster. And the imposition of direct rule will serve no one. In

:10:56. > :11:01.the weeks to come, no one's personal or political position, posturing

:11:02. > :11:06.differences should get in the way it operates return to government and

:11:07. > :11:09.work in Northern Ireland. Secretary of State. Thank you Mr Speaker and

:11:10. > :11:13.can I welcome the right honourable gentleman's comment added emphasis

:11:14. > :11:17.on seeing that we return to shared government within Northern Ireland

:11:18. > :11:21.at the earliest possible opportunity. I welcome it support

:11:22. > :11:25.and his comets in underlining the focus that we must all have, and the

:11:26. > :11:29.shared responsibility that I think we all keenly feel in seeking to

:11:30. > :11:34.achieve that outcome. And indeed, how we use the time ahead as best

:11:35. > :11:40.and effectively as possible. He is aware that there is a relatively

:11:41. > :11:44.short period of time following an election, around three weeks, in

:11:45. > :11:53.order to form an executive. And we do need to use all of the time, up

:11:54. > :11:56.to polling day and beyond, to see that we bring people together and we

:11:57. > :11:59.retain the set of dialogue, as difficult and challenging as that

:12:00. > :12:05.may be during an election period but it is important that we continue to

:12:06. > :12:09.do so. It is that sense of political stability that obviously is the

:12:10. > :12:13.primary responsibility of government and we recognise that very firmly.

:12:14. > :12:18.Indeed, I have had discussions with all parties over the period since my

:12:19. > :12:24.last statement and have been very focused on engaging widely, seeking

:12:25. > :12:29.to encourage and promote a way forward, and that is absolutely what

:12:30. > :12:31.I will continue to do in the time ahead. I don't think anybody should

:12:32. > :12:37.prejudge the outcome of this election. And therefore, I think it

:12:38. > :12:43.is right that we are absolutely focused on seeking to get the right

:12:44. > :12:47.outcome, which is absolutely the continuation of devolved government

:12:48. > :12:50.in Northern Ireland. That is what I think is in the absolute best

:12:51. > :12:54.interests of the people of Northern Ireland, that allows things to move

:12:55. > :12:58.forward. And I think as the honourable gentleman said, we must

:12:59. > :13:04.all work collectively to that end and approach this in a positive way,

:13:05. > :13:08.as to what we can achieve. Mr Laurence Robertson. Thank you, Mr

:13:09. > :13:13.Speaker. Returning from Londonderry this morning, following meetings

:13:14. > :13:16.yesterday, I detected and witnessed a great sense of frustration about

:13:17. > :13:22.what is happening, and a great sense of disappointment that the assembly,

:13:23. > :13:26.yet again, was under threat and indeed, this time, has fallen. Does

:13:27. > :13:30.the Secretary of State therefore agree with me and indeed, the

:13:31. > :13:35.proposal made by the shadow Secretary of State, that the coming

:13:36. > :13:39.weeks should perhaps be used to explore all possibilities? Because

:13:40. > :13:43.none of us want to see a return to direct rule but the worry is that we

:13:44. > :13:47.are holding elections, as the secretary of state is indeed

:13:48. > :13:51.required to do, and the possibility, the strong possibility must be that

:13:52. > :13:56.those elections deliver the parties back to storm in roughly the same

:13:57. > :13:59.numbers as they are now. So what is indeed the likelihood of making

:14:00. > :14:02.progress under the present arrangement? -- back to Stormont.

:14:03. > :14:06.Surely we should use the coming weeks to put in place a plan B,

:14:07. > :14:10.where we can continue with some kind of devolved government and not bring

:14:11. > :14:16.powers back to this house because direct rule is not a satisfactory

:14:17. > :14:20.way of running Northern Ireland. I'm grateful to my honourable friend for

:14:21. > :14:22.his comments and as he rightly identifies, the key issue is the

:14:23. > :14:27.maintenance of devolved government in Northern Ireland. He is also

:14:28. > :14:32.right, I think, to see how we ensure that we use the time available to

:14:33. > :14:35.us, that communication lines, the dialogue remains open during the

:14:36. > :14:41.election period. However difficult that may appear. But equally knowing

:14:42. > :14:44.that the issues that have been highlighted, in terms of trust and

:14:45. > :14:49.confidence in the institutions, the ability for parties to be able to

:14:50. > :14:52.work together in that shared government arrangement, will still

:14:53. > :14:57.need to be resolved. And therefore, I think it is with that sense of how

:14:58. > :15:03.we can use this time to bring people together, that must be at the

:15:04. > :15:06.forefront of our minds. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Secretary of

:15:07. > :15:09.State for advance notice of his statement and I support the call is

:15:10. > :15:13.made yesterday for the election to be conducted in a manner which looks

:15:14. > :15:15.to the future and anticipates difficult but reasonable

:15:16. > :15:19.negotiations for the establishment of an effective administration after

:15:20. > :15:21.the election. No one will get everything they want from this

:15:22. > :15:27.election or from the formation of the new executive but the people

:15:28. > :15:30.that politicians serve deserve our best and most faithful efforts. The

:15:31. > :15:34.victory in this election should belong to the people, not political

:15:35. > :15:37.parties. This election has been brought about by a set of

:15:38. > :15:41.circumstances that have their genesis in Belfast and will also

:15:42. > :15:44.have their solutions in Belfast. And we will be onlookers to a great

:15:45. > :15:50.extent but there are some areas in which the efforts made here may

:15:51. > :15:53.actually help. I'm pleased to hear that dialogue between the secretary

:15:54. > :15:56.of state and the parties in Northern Ireland will continue throughout the

:15:57. > :16:01.election period so the ground is prepared for the negotiations over

:16:02. > :16:04.holding office in March. Can he tell us whether he will take those

:16:05. > :16:08.opportunities to reassure the parties that funding will not be

:16:09. > :16:13.cut, particularly from the support for addressing the legacy issues.

:16:14. > :16:17.The assembly suffers from the austerity fetish as much as the rest

:16:18. > :16:20.of the UK but it carries additional burdens, and it needs those extra

:16:21. > :16:24.resources. The past couple of months in the assembly have been marked by

:16:25. > :16:28.some serious allegations. What support will he be able to offer the

:16:29. > :16:33.assembly to have those allegations properly investigated and

:16:34. > :16:35.resolutions found? The uncertainty of this election, with the

:16:36. > :16:40.peculiarities surrounding it, adds to the uncertainty of the Brexit

:16:41. > :16:44.mess. What support can the government offered to people and

:16:45. > :16:49.businesses in Northern Ireland to smooth the next few months? And

:16:50. > :16:53.finally, can you clarify what special arrangements he is putting

:16:54. > :17:00.in place to consult on the Brexit negotiations while the election is

:17:01. > :17:04.ongoing? I'm grateful to the honourable lady for highlighting the

:17:05. > :17:07.issue in relation to the nature of elections, and again, the issues

:17:08. > :17:13.that I think we all recognise that are at stake here. I can assure her

:17:14. > :17:16.that we will be doing our part to maintain communication channels, to

:17:17. > :17:22.maintain that open dialogue, and to again continue to encourage the

:17:23. > :17:26.parties to think carefully about the nature of the campaign ahead on how

:17:27. > :17:29.best to be able to bring people back together afterwards, to get on with

:17:30. > :17:35.devolved government in Northern Ireland. She asks a number of more

:17:36. > :17:38.detailed questions, and in relation to the issue of legacy, she will

:17:39. > :17:44.know that it remains this government's intend to give effect

:17:45. > :17:47.to the Stormont House agreement and the funding commitments that were

:17:48. > :17:52.made in respect of that remain very firmly in place. In respect of

:17:53. > :17:55.support to investigation and the enquiry in relation to the

:17:56. > :17:58.allegations that in many ways have provided the trigger or the catalyst

:17:59. > :18:03.to the situation that we now find ourselves in, as she indicated, I

:18:04. > :18:08.continue to believe that the best solution for this lies within

:18:09. > :18:14.Northern Ireland. This is a devolved matter and therefore, in terms of

:18:15. > :18:16.the way in which answers are to be provided, it still seems right that

:18:17. > :18:21.it should come from that direction. But I remain open to work with

:18:22. > :18:25.parties on a cross community basis to see what support can be given

:18:26. > :18:31.because ultimately, it is about getting answers to a number of these

:18:32. > :18:36.issues, that matters so much. On the issue of the UK's departure from the

:18:37. > :18:39.European Union, well, I think that as honourable and right honourable

:18:40. > :18:42.members will have heard, the Prime Minister set out a very clear

:18:43. > :18:45.position in respect of this government's approach and indeed,

:18:46. > :18:49.emphasising those issues around the Common travel area, and indeed

:18:50. > :18:51.strengthening the union as well. I know honourable and right honourable

:18:52. > :18:52.members will have plenty of opportunity to raise further

:18:53. > :19:04.questions on that later today. Project may I make a fervent plea to

:19:05. > :19:08.my right honourable friend, that he should protect the interests of

:19:09. > :19:13.former British soldiers currently being charged by the Sinn

:19:14. > :19:19.Fein-supporting Director of Public Prosecutions in Northern Ireland,

:19:20. > :19:23.with respect to events which took place more than 40 years ago. It

:19:24. > :19:25.appears that the Director of Public Prosecutions issued a notice to news

:19:26. > :19:47.desks, not for publication. Is this not an attempt to muzzle

:19:48. > :19:51.Parliament and indeed to question the right of this House to support

:19:52. > :19:59.those soldiers who sought to bring about peace in Northern Ireland? In

:20:00. > :20:02.my usual way, I have been, as I think the House would acknowledge,

:20:03. > :20:05.extremely generous to the honourable gentleman. The honourable gentleman

:20:06. > :20:09.has asked a most interesting question and has delivered it with

:20:10. > :20:13.his usual eloquence, but it does suffer from one disadvantage, and

:20:14. > :20:16.that is that it has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the

:20:17. > :20:19.statement the Secretary of State is made. Nevertheless I have indulged

:20:20. > :20:25.the honourable gentleman, and he can thank me on a daily basis. Secretary

:20:26. > :20:28.of State... Mr Speaker, my honourable friend raises the

:20:29. > :20:34.important issue in relation to legacy. As I indicated to this House

:20:35. > :20:38.last week, I will never tyre of my praise for the work of our armed

:20:39. > :20:44.forces personnel in actually securing the peace, securing the

:20:45. > :20:49.stability and securing the arrangements that we see in Northern

:20:50. > :20:51.Ireland today. Yes, I do have some concerns about imbalance within the

:20:52. > :20:56.system, and therefore why I believe it is right that we do move forward

:20:57. > :21:01.with the Stormont agreement and the legacy bodies that are set up there.

:21:02. > :21:07.I will not comment on any individual decisions, and indeed, justice is

:21:08. > :21:11.devolved in Northern Ireland and also it has its own processes that

:21:12. > :21:15.remain in place in an independent way. But I hear very clearly the

:21:16. > :21:19.very general and firm point that my friend makes in relation to balance

:21:20. > :21:27.within the overall system trick of it is something I'm very keen to

:21:28. > :21:30.address. Mr Speaker, this party has worked tirelessly in recent years to

:21:31. > :21:34.move Northern Ireland forward, to make devolution work and to create

:21:35. > :21:38.conditions for stable government in Northern Ireland. So we are deeply

:21:39. > :21:43.disappointed, frustrated and angered by the decision of Sinn Fein to walk

:21:44. > :21:47.away from devolved government and cause this election. And what is

:21:48. > :21:51.this election about? It is fairly clear, it is not about the RHI

:21:52. > :21:55.issue, because had it been, then we could have got on with sorting it

:21:56. > :21:58.out, and indeed this election will serve to disrupt and delays ordering

:21:59. > :22:03.those issues out. What it's about is Sinn Fein sinking opportune

:22:04. > :22:07.political advantage, seeking to overturn the result of the election

:22:08. > :22:10.held just a few months ago, and seeking to gain a list of

:22:11. > :22:14.concessions from the Government on legacy issues, such as rewriting the

:22:15. > :22:18.past and putting more soldiers and police men in the dock, and other

:22:19. > :22:23.issues, and other concessions from the DUP. Let us be clear, we will

:22:24. > :22:26.work through this election and afterwards to create devolved

:22:27. > :22:29.government that is stable in Northern Ireland. But let this House

:22:30. > :22:34.know and the people of all Ireland know that just as we have not even

:22:35. > :22:39.into Sinn Fein demands in the past, we will not bow down and give into

:22:40. > :22:46.Fein 's unreasonable demands going forward, because that is what this

:22:47. > :22:53.election is all about Mr Speaker, I Recognise That There Are Strongly

:22:54. > :22:57.Held Views On All Sides, And we do enter into an election period when

:22:58. > :23:03.I'm sure that these issues will be hotly and keenly contested. What I

:23:04. > :23:05.do very much welcome from what the right honourable gentleman has said

:23:06. > :23:12.is that willingness to engage, to work things through, and that desire

:23:13. > :23:15.to get back into stable, shared, devolved devilment. And I think that

:23:16. > :23:20.is the focus that we all have in our minds in looking to the future of

:23:21. > :23:23.Northern Ireland and how we can get on with governing in the best

:23:24. > :23:30.interests of all in Northern Ireland. Does the Secretary of State

:23:31. > :23:35.agree with me that all encumbered, unhindered press is absolutely vital

:23:36. > :23:39.to the future elections? And would he agree that any chilling effect or

:23:40. > :23:42.threats could actually undermine the very democratic essence of these

:23:43. > :23:54.elections? We must have a free press. Well, I think the issues

:23:55. > :24:00.around the election will I'm sure be keenly and hotly contested. From all

:24:01. > :24:04.of my experience in seeing the experiences in Northern Ireland, the

:24:05. > :24:09.press is fair and free and open and it has wide debate contained within

:24:10. > :24:13.it. And so I think those building blocks that we see as a government

:24:14. > :24:16.on freedom of the press, and indeed the strength of our judiciary and

:24:17. > :24:25.legal processes as well, and seeing that those pillars of our democracy

:24:26. > :24:27.are upheld. In truth, Northern Ireland has lurched from one

:24:28. > :24:31.political crisis to another in recent years. Is it not time that

:24:32. > :24:36.the Government urgently reviews constitutional arrangements covering

:24:37. > :24:40.power-sharing, looking at issues like the title of First Minister and

:24:41. > :24:43.the pity First Minister but also a range of other issues? Is that not

:24:44. > :24:46.how the Government could add value in terms of long-term stability,

:24:47. > :24:54.reviewing those Costa to show arrangements? I think we need to be

:24:55. > :24:59.very careful at the moment as to the approach that we take. We are now

:25:00. > :25:03.embarking on an election which, as I have said, I do not want to prejudge

:25:04. > :25:07.the outcome of the election were indeed discussions that take place

:25:08. > :25:11.during this period and through and beyond the short window of time that

:25:12. > :25:19.we have after the election period, either. We will do all that we can

:25:20. > :25:22.as the UK Government, that primary responsibility that we hold in

:25:23. > :25:27.providing political stability within Northern Ireland. Clearly, the

:25:28. > :25:30.parties will need to discuss and have that open dialogue which I hope

:25:31. > :25:34.brings people back together again, but I think at this stage, seeking

:25:35. > :25:37.to try and widen the debate can I think we need to be very focused on

:25:38. > :25:41.the task at hand in bringing people back together again. Yes, the UK

:25:42. > :25:45.Government will play its part in supporting the Belfast agreement and

:25:46. > :25:47.its successors and bringing that element of stability and getting

:25:48. > :25:56.devolved government back in Northern Ireland, which is what we all want

:25:57. > :26:00.to see. Can I congratulate my right honourable friend for his calm and

:26:01. > :26:07.measured approach during these difficult circumstances? Does he

:26:08. > :26:09.show my concern that if indeed the resignation of Mr McGinnis was

:26:10. > :26:14.political and not over the environment in issue, that the

:26:15. > :26:20.intent of Sinn Fein is to halt these elections and then not to reappoint

:26:21. > :26:23.afterwards, which would put pressure on my right honourable friends to

:26:24. > :26:29.resort to direct rule, and all the consequences of that. Does he share

:26:30. > :26:33.my concern that this is a real possibility? I have said that I am

:26:34. > :26:40.concerned that an election campaign which seeks to divide and seeks to

:26:41. > :26:47.make it that much harder to bring people back together again

:26:48. > :26:50.afterwards clearly is a risk and one which I am concerned about, and one

:26:51. > :26:54.which I would again remind and encourage people to think about

:26:55. > :27:01.these issues very, very carefully. It's clear that the issues at stake

:27:02. > :27:07.here go much wider than simply the renewable heat scheme which perhaps

:27:08. > :27:11.was the issue which customised this. But I think we need to be very

:27:12. > :27:16.careful and appreciate quite what is at stake. -- which crystallised

:27:17. > :27:19.this. It is very important for people to be able to work together,

:27:20. > :27:25.to maintain communication and dialogue so that we do see the

:27:26. > :27:26.return of shared government in Northern Ireland for all communities

:27:27. > :27:36.at the earliest possible opportunity. The Secretary of State

:27:37. > :27:39.has rightly touched upon the fact that trust and confidence has to be

:27:40. > :27:44.rebuilt in the suggestions in Northern Ireland. One of the best

:27:45. > :27:47.ways of doing that is transparency. Transparency around the renewable

:27:48. > :27:53.heating scheme and also, with the greatest respect to the Secretary of

:27:54. > :27:57.State transparency around political parties and their donations to

:27:58. > :28:01.elliptical parties operating in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein has

:28:02. > :28:05.precipitated this election. The people in Northern Ireland are

:28:06. > :28:10.entitled to know, who funds Sinn Fein? Who is funding this Pallo

:28:11. > :28:16.Jordan Assembly election? And by the same token, who is sponsoring and

:28:17. > :28:21.funding the other political parties in Northern Ireland? Please don't

:28:22. > :28:25.tell me he will reflect upon it, what is the Secretary of State going

:28:26. > :28:31.to do about it? The honourable lady has made the point about political

:28:32. > :28:34.donations and transparency over a number of weeks and months. And I

:28:35. > :28:38.have a huge amount of sympathy for the view that she rightly takes the

:28:39. > :28:43.Government that's why I did write out to all of the party leaders a

:28:44. > :28:49.very short time ago to ask them for their views, to come back to me by

:28:50. > :28:53.the end of this month, to be able to move things forward. I think it is

:28:54. > :28:57.right that we look at that reform and that we actually start to put in

:28:58. > :29:03.place changes that give that rate transparency to politics in Northern

:29:04. > :29:12.Ireland. That's why I look forward to receiving those responses so that

:29:13. > :29:16.we can move forward. Can I commend my right honourable friend's calm

:29:17. > :29:22.and measured approach? Could he update the House on what he's going

:29:23. > :29:24.to do to facilitate the voice of Northern Ireland, from politicians,

:29:25. > :29:30.into the run-up to triggering Article 50? Obviously, the Assembly

:29:31. > :29:33.will be the move very quickly, there is an election can do very short

:29:34. > :29:36.period of time before we will trigger Article 50, and we want to

:29:37. > :29:40.make sure that the voice of Northern Ireland is heard in our approach to

:29:41. > :29:46.our future. I think it's important to recognise that while an election

:29:47. > :29:50.has been called, that ministers other than the first and Deputy

:29:51. > :29:54.First Minister remain in place within the executive, and that

:29:55. > :29:59.therefore we will continue to issue invitations to the executive, to

:30:00. > :30:01.send representation to each of the meetings that will continue through

:30:02. > :30:06.the joint ministerial committee or through other means, and therefore,

:30:07. > :30:11.it is that approach that will be taken as we look towards the

:30:12. > :30:15.triggering of Article 50. But obviously, I will continue to have

:30:16. > :30:19.my broad engagements across community, with business, with the

:30:20. > :30:23.voluntary and community sector and more broadly, to ensure that we

:30:24. > :30:25.continue to listen to and reflect upon the views of people in Northern

:30:26. > :30:36.Ireland, as we look to the negotiations ahead. Could the

:30:37. > :30:40.Secretary of State share with us something more of his thoughts on

:30:41. > :30:43.what he expects to happen after an election in Northern Ireland? Does

:30:44. > :30:49.he accept that the problems will remain, and without him calling a

:30:50. > :30:54.public enquiries into renewable heat, or if he cannot find a way to

:30:55. > :30:58.do that, making it clear that he fully supports a public inquiry?

:30:59. > :31:02.Because without a public inquiry, public confidence in our political

:31:03. > :31:06.settlement will sink even lower and make restoration of the executive

:31:07. > :31:10.even more difficult. That's what people are telling me on the streets

:31:11. > :31:15.over the last few days and the last week, that they basically need to

:31:16. > :31:23.see clarity. That we are having an election here in a fog. It is quite

:31:24. > :31:27.clear that the issues surrounding the renewable heat incentive scheme

:31:28. > :31:31.are very much at the heart of what has led to the election that I have

:31:32. > :31:34.now called. I think it is right that we do get answered around this. I

:31:35. > :31:39.think it is absolutely critical in terms of re-establishing trust and

:31:40. > :31:41.confidence and accountability, giving answers to the public in

:31:42. > :31:47.relation to what has taken place here. As I've indicated, I think

:31:48. > :31:51.that it is right for that, as much as it possibly can do, to come from

:31:52. > :31:57.Northern Ireland itself. This was a devolved issue, this was something

:31:58. > :32:03.that relates to decisions within Northern Ireland. But I stand ready

:32:04. > :32:05.to work with and consider options on a cross community basis which will

:32:06. > :32:11.command support across the community. It is actually how we get

:32:12. > :32:17.those answers and see that we are injecting those back into the whole

:32:18. > :32:20.process. I'm sure the Secretary of State and others in the House may

:32:21. > :32:23.reflect on the irony that this election has been caused by the

:32:24. > :32:26.resignation of a man who spent a lot of his life trying to use violence

:32:27. > :32:29.to overcome the democratic will of the people of Northern Ireland to be

:32:30. > :32:33.part of this United Kingdom. But will he also agree with me that it

:32:34. > :32:38.is vital that work is done to ensure that in dealing with the past, those

:32:39. > :32:41.who have put their lives on the line to defend this democracy, are not

:32:42. > :32:46.unduly hounded by these legal processes? I think it is absolutely

:32:47. > :32:50.right that we have a system that is fair just, balanced and

:32:51. > :32:54.proportionate. I've been very clear on that on a number of occasions.

:32:55. > :32:58.That's why I strongly believe that the framework of Stormont house, the

:32:59. > :33:02.legacy institutions which are contemplated within that, divider

:33:03. > :33:08.framework and way forward to achieve that. Because I am concerned that

:33:09. > :33:12.there is an imbalance in the system with a focus on state -based actors.

:33:13. > :33:16.And actually getting answers for those who lost loved ones as a

:33:17. > :33:20.consequence of terrorist atrocities is really, really essential. That's

:33:21. > :33:27.why I want to see this moving forward, and why we strongly believe

:33:28. > :33:31.that change is required. We all wish everyone well in Northern Ireland in

:33:32. > :33:37.trying to resolve these current difficulties. Can I pass the

:33:38. > :33:39.Secretary of State on what he's doing with respect to the Irish

:33:40. > :33:44.government, working in partnership with the Irish government? The

:33:45. > :33:47.British and Irish governments are co-and tours of the Good Friday

:33:48. > :33:52.Agreement. So what plans has he got to work with the Irish government,

:33:53. > :33:56.is he planning a summit, is he panning talks, what concrete

:33:57. > :34:02.measures is the Secretary of State planning to take with the Irish

:34:03. > :34:06.government, to help resolve these difficulties together? As I've

:34:07. > :34:11.indicated to the House, I've had regular, ongoing communication with

:34:12. > :34:14.Charlie Flanagan, the Irish foreign minister, and indeed the

:34:15. > :34:19.conversations that the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach have had

:34:20. > :34:24.together. I certainly do intend to meet Charlie Flanagan in the very

:34:25. > :34:30.near future. So that we can assess the current situation, and determine

:34:31. > :34:34.how we as two governments can seek to encourage, promote and see that

:34:35. > :34:38.we are bringing people together in this way, such that, as I've said,

:34:39. > :34:39.we see the maintenance and continuation of devolved government

:34:40. > :34:46.in Northern Ireland. What alternative to direct rule

:34:47. > :34:51.would be available in these elections do not see an immediate

:34:52. > :34:56.power-sharing government? Mr Speaker, I indicated that it is, I

:34:57. > :35:00.think it would be premature and wrong to contemplate something other

:35:01. > :35:04.than devolved government in Northern Ireland. I think that is where we

:35:05. > :35:10.have to have all of our focus in the weeks ahead. That encouragement to

:35:11. > :35:14.the parties, the dialogue, the communication that I think is

:35:15. > :35:18.absolutely necessary. And while I know that others will say what is

:35:19. > :35:22.this, what if that, what if we don't get to a position where we have

:35:23. > :35:26.that, well, I'm not contemplating that. I'm contemplating how we use

:35:27. > :35:31.the time available to us, to maintain devolved government, to get

:35:32. > :35:33.people back into that power-sharing arrangement, and getting on,

:35:34. > :35:37.frankly, with what people in Northern Ireland want which is a

:35:38. > :35:40.settled situation, taking Northern Ireland forward and seeing that

:35:41. > :35:47.positive, optimistic Northern Ireland I know if parent has so much

:35:48. > :35:50.more to give. Thank you Mr Speaker. Central to those political

:35:51. > :35:55.institutions has been the principle of power-sharing. So what efforts

:35:56. > :35:58.will be Secretary of State and the British government, working with the

:35:59. > :36:02.Irish government do to ensure that those principles of power-sharing on

:36:03. > :36:07.a mutual understanding, respect for political difference, which have

:36:08. > :36:10.been withered away over the last number of months, will be strictly

:36:11. > :36:15.adhered to following these elections and what work with the Irish

:36:16. > :36:21.government will actually take place within the next number of weeks to

:36:22. > :36:25.do just that? Well, I've already indicated to the house the dialogue

:36:26. > :36:29.and discussion we have had with the Irish government. And the work that

:36:30. > :36:33.we will continue and the discussions that we will continue to have. But I

:36:34. > :36:37.would stress as I said in my statement that this government

:36:38. > :36:43.remains committed to the Belfast agreement and its successors. All of

:36:44. > :36:47.what that means. Therefore, we will play our part to support the

:36:48. > :36:51.parties, to support discussion and dialogue, to see that we move to

:36:52. > :36:56.that stable, devolved government position that I think underpins so

:36:57. > :36:59.much of the work, so much of the positive work we see in Northern

:37:00. > :37:06.Ireland. And returning to that period of stability which is what

:37:07. > :37:08.everybody would wish to see. Foreign direct investment into Northern

:37:09. > :37:11.Ireland has been a great success in recent years. Will my right

:37:12. > :37:14.honourable friend reassure me that he had his office will do all they

:37:15. > :37:19.can to maintain a positive momentum during this period of political

:37:20. > :37:23.instability? Absolutely, I can give that assurance to my honourable

:37:24. > :37:27.friend because Northern Ireland has seen so much success in terms of

:37:28. > :37:30.foreign direct investment. I think the region with the greatest foreign

:37:31. > :37:37.direct investment outside of the City of London. I think that

:37:38. > :37:39.underlines the huge potential I see, the huge ability for Northern

:37:40. > :37:43.Ireland to continue to flourish and do so much more and absolutely yes,

:37:44. > :37:49.we will continue to underline that message. Jeffrey Donaldson. I echo

:37:50. > :37:52.the comments made by the honourable member for South Belfast. He and I

:37:53. > :37:55.and many others in this house have worked hard to bring the peace

:37:56. > :37:59.process to where it is today and we have taken risks and I despair of

:38:00. > :38:04.where we are just now. But can I say to the Secretary of State that if he

:38:05. > :38:07.is going to sit on his hands in the next six weeks and do nothing about

:38:08. > :38:11.the current crisis, then he can forget three weeks after an election

:38:12. > :38:15.to get devolution up and running. I support the suggestion made by the

:38:16. > :38:17.honourable member for South Belfast for which there is cross community

:38:18. > :38:21.support, that this government get on with holding a public enquiry into

:38:22. > :38:28.the RHI scheme that Sinn Fein have blocked. -- public inquiry. I can

:38:29. > :38:31.say to the honourable gentleman that this government will continue to do

:38:32. > :38:35.all it can to support the parties to find a resolution and the way

:38:36. > :38:40.through. As I have already indicated in answers the previous questions, I

:38:41. > :38:46.remain open to consider issues that command cross community support in

:38:47. > :38:51.order to find answers to be able to get to the root of issues in respect

:38:52. > :38:55.of the RHI enquiry and therefore, I will continue to hear those points

:38:56. > :38:58.that are made on that costume unity basis because ultimately, whatever

:38:59. > :39:06.is done must command confidence and support in Northern Ireland in order

:39:07. > :39:10.for this to be successful. Alison McGovern. The connection between the

:39:11. > :39:15.people of Merseyside and the people of Northern Ireland are many and

:39:16. > :39:18.they run deep. Can I press the Secretary of State on what he's

:39:19. > :39:22.doing, given the current political situation, the effect on Stormont's

:39:23. > :39:30.budget, to absolutely make sure the people of Northern Ireland lose out?

:39:31. > :39:32.The obvious way for the people of Northern Ireland not to lose out is

:39:33. > :39:36.to see the re-establishment of devolved government at the earliest

:39:37. > :39:39.popular -- possible opportunities work can continue, but it can get

:39:40. > :39:43.set and programmes can be put in place to take Northern Ireland

:39:44. > :39:46.further forward. That is why I make the point in those clear terms, in

:39:47. > :39:51.the focus and attention and effort that give in working with the

:39:52. > :39:54.parties to encourage dialogue, discussion, to bring people together

:39:55. > :39:59.because that is the most powerful and effective way to give effect to

:40:00. > :40:03.what the honourable lady was saying. Alistair Carmichael. Mr Speaker, we

:40:04. > :40:07.can have as many elections as we choose to hold but we will only get

:40:08. > :40:10.the strong and stable devolved government that the secretary of

:40:11. > :40:14.state says he wants when we have trust between the parties and

:40:15. > :40:18.transparency in the workings of the executive and in order to get that

:40:19. > :40:24.now, we need an independent examination of the conduct of the

:40:25. > :40:28.RHI will stop the secretary of state as the locus under the 2005 act to

:40:29. > :40:35.order that enquiry. It is surely apparent that nobody else is going

:40:36. > :40:37.to do it. He must. Well, I agree with the right honourable gentleman

:40:38. > :40:41.in terms of that sense of trust which has clearly broken down in

:40:42. > :40:46.Northern Ireland, hence the situation that we now find ourselves

:40:47. > :40:51.in. I hear the point that he makes clearly in relation to the need to

:40:52. > :40:56.get answers, the need for that transparency, the need for an

:40:57. > :40:59.inquiry and as I previously indicated, I strongly believe the

:41:00. > :41:02.best way to achieve that is by Northern Ireland being able to do

:41:03. > :41:06.that itself because that is where the issues arose, that is where

:41:07. > :41:10.devolution holds fire. But as I have already indicated to other parties,

:41:11. > :41:14.I will listen to and reflect upon suggestions, proposals that come

:41:15. > :41:19.forward on a costume unity basis because ultimately, it is that cross

:41:20. > :41:24.community bases -- cross community basis, it is that cross community

:41:25. > :41:27.basis which command confidence and respect and ensure that any

:41:28. > :41:30.investigations and inquiries are balanced and ensure they get to the

:41:31. > :41:37.answer is that people want and that accountability is shown. Mr Speaker,

:41:38. > :41:41.the Secretary of State... As he charts the course set by the Good

:41:42. > :41:43.Friday and St Andrews agreement in re-establishing the devolved

:41:44. > :41:47.institutions but the Prime Minister's commitment to data hard

:41:48. > :41:50.Brexit will cause widespread concern in Northern Ireland. Can I ask him

:41:51. > :41:53.to outline how he will work in full partnership with the Irish

:41:54. > :41:58.government on this matter while the assembly and executive is not

:41:59. > :42:04.functioning? I welcome the honourable gentleman's support for

:42:05. > :42:07.our work to ensure the return of stable devolved government, although

:42:08. > :42:12.I don't recognise his characterisation of what the Prime

:42:13. > :42:15.Minister has said. I think she has set out a bold, positive vision of

:42:16. > :42:19.what this country can be and what this country will be outside the

:42:20. > :42:23.European Union but yes, of course there is a negotiation to come. Of

:42:24. > :42:26.course we have had initial dialogue and discussion with the Irish

:42:27. > :42:29.government on how we get the best possible outcome for Northern

:42:30. > :42:32.Ireland and how that has been reflected in what the Prime Minister

:42:33. > :42:35.has said today, around the Common travel area and strengthening the

:42:36. > :42:45.union. That is precisely the approach we will take. Jim Shannon.

:42:46. > :42:47.Would be secretary of state care to outline exactly what people are

:42:48. > :42:53.voting for if Sinn Fein refused to work with the DUP or set a possible

:42:54. > :42:56.criteria or ask for possible concessions? How is the Secretary of

:42:57. > :43:00.State ensuring that Sinn Fein are not calling the shots, excuse the

:43:01. > :43:04.pun, on the elected government of Northern Ireland, and the electorate

:43:05. > :43:08.know their vote will not be ignored by the pithy fascinations of a party

:43:09. > :43:15.who simply want their own weight and do not like being challenged by a

:43:16. > :43:17.strong DUP team? Ultimately, this election is about the future of

:43:18. > :43:22.Northern Ireland, its future direction. In a democracy, I'm quite

:43:23. > :43:27.sure that these issues will be debated to and fro in the coming

:43:28. > :43:30.weeks. That is absolutely the whole point of the political and

:43:31. > :43:35.democratic system that we operate. How much is at stake here. As I said

:43:36. > :43:41.yesterday, how much I would encourage people to take part and

:43:42. > :43:45.vote at that election. Karen Smith. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The people of

:43:46. > :43:48.Northern Ireland are magnificent people and they have got used to

:43:49. > :43:52.living with a sense of peace over the last 18 years and they need hope

:43:53. > :43:55.now going forward. I have just listened to the Prime Minister's

:43:56. > :43:59.speak and she talked about making practical arrangements about the

:44:00. > :44:04.border, about making it a priority. Those are warm words in this context

:44:05. > :44:13.today. She has managed a phone call. She should be here. She should have

:44:14. > :44:15.been there. I've listened to the Secretary of State talk about his

:44:16. > :44:18.phone call and his activity over the last week and with due respect, I

:44:19. > :44:20.think it is wholly inadequate. The elections are about the future of

:44:21. > :44:23.Northern Ireland but they are actually about all our futures, on

:44:24. > :44:26.the island of Ireland and the island in which we live. What meetings will

:44:27. > :44:32.he be having with the Irish government with the Taoiseach? What

:44:33. > :44:38.will those conversations involving the next few weeks? What hope can he

:44:39. > :44:41.offer today to the people of Northern Ireland? As I have

:44:42. > :44:47.indicated, it is this government's clear intent and focus on seeing the

:44:48. > :44:50.return of devolved government in Northern Ireland. That is what I

:44:51. > :44:54.think is absolutely in the best interests of Northern Ireland. That

:44:55. > :44:59.is why I will be continuing to do all that I can to bring the

:45:00. > :45:03.political parties together because ultimately, that has been a part of

:45:04. > :45:08.the issues at stake here, in terms of some of that political division.

:45:09. > :45:11.But yes, of course, as I have indicated to the house today, we

:45:12. > :45:15.have had continued dialogue and discussion with the Irish government

:45:16. > :45:22.as well. We will continue to keep them closely informed. And as I have

:45:23. > :45:25.indicated to my right honourable friend, I intend to meet the Irish

:45:26. > :45:28.Foreign Minister very shortly to discuss the current position, how we

:45:29. > :45:33.can work together and ultimately, get the re-establishment of the form

:45:34. > :45:38.of government, that sense of the politics moving forward, and yes,

:45:39. > :45:41.how we should I think be positive about what we can achieve here. I'm

:45:42. > :45:45.certainly not going into this in a negative way. It is about how we can

:45:46. > :45:53.get on with this and make it happen. Sammy Wilson. The secretary of state

:45:54. > :46:00.has said today that he is committed to any action having cross community

:46:01. > :46:04.support in Northern Ireland. Since this crisis has been brought about

:46:05. > :46:11.by Sinn Fein's demand to have more security force personnel placed in

:46:12. > :46:15.the dock, taken to court and to have politically motivated inquests into

:46:16. > :46:21.deaths caused by the security forces, will he give a commitment

:46:22. > :46:26.today that there will be no money for inquests which are politically

:46:27. > :46:33.motivated, no releasing of security force files which have security --

:46:34. > :46:37.national security implications and that he will not persuade Sinn Fein

:46:38. > :46:42.to re-enter government at the expense of soldiers being dragged

:46:43. > :46:49.through the courts? On the issue of legacy, I think Stormont House,

:46:50. > :46:52.which all the parties signed up to, provided the right framework and way

:46:53. > :46:54.forward. I hold very keen responsibilities in relation to

:46:55. > :47:01.national security and I feel those very starkly in terms of the here

:47:02. > :47:04.and now of safety on the streets of Northern Ireland and what that means

:47:05. > :47:08.more broadly. I think it is important that we are able to find a

:47:09. > :47:13.way forward in relation to the whole issue of legacy. That it is more

:47:14. > :47:16.balanced, more proportionate, is able to see Northern Ireland looking

:47:17. > :47:20.to the future rather than looking to the past and I think it is that

:47:21. > :47:26.framework that we must be focused upon to be able to move things

:47:27. > :47:29.forward in that way. He will well know the issues that are set out

:47:30. > :47:35.there, the bodies that are set out their, the weighing gateman has

:47:36. > :47:38.taken place over many months. I believe there is a way forward in

:47:39. > :47:42.that but it is having the framework and intent and having the balance

:47:43. > :47:48.and proportionate approach that I continue to underline. Margaret

:47:49. > :47:54.Greenwood. What assessment has been made of the effect of the political

:47:55. > :47:57.instability on potential investment into Northern Ireland? I have

:47:58. > :48:04.certainly had some discussions with some business representatives. It is

:48:05. > :48:06.important that we get back into a stable devolved government at the

:48:07. > :48:10.earliest opportunity. Again, that is the most powerful way to underline

:48:11. > :48:14.Northern Ireland's moving forward and there is so much we can be

:48:15. > :48:17.positive about, the jobs that have been created, the foreign direct

:48:18. > :48:21.investment that has gone in and so many fantastic businesses in

:48:22. > :48:26.Northern Ireland. That is what we should be celebrating and it is that

:48:27. > :48:28.positive, optimistic viewpoint of what Northern Ireland's economies

:48:29. > :48:35.that we should be advancing and taking forward. Mr Speaker, after

:48:36. > :48:39.the assembly election in March agreement will need to be reached on

:48:40. > :48:45.a new power-sharing executive. However, if this doesn't happen,

:48:46. > :48:47.there is a very real possibility of returning to direct rule from

:48:48. > :48:51.Westminster. Does the secretary think it is acceptable for the

:48:52. > :48:58.people of Northern Ireland, who voted to remain in the European

:48:59. > :49:03.Union, to witness the triggering of article 50 while they live in total

:49:04. > :49:06.political limbo? It underlines my general point on the need to get

:49:07. > :49:10.back to devolved government at the earliest opportunity. But as I have

:49:11. > :49:14.indicated, we do intend to trigger Article 50 by no later than the end

:49:15. > :49:19.of March that is the approach we have taken. That is the work that

:49:20. > :49:22.continues and indeed, the way in which, as I have said, invitations

:49:23. > :49:24.will continue to be made to appropriate meetings to the

:49:25. > :49:30.executive, notwithstanding the current situation.

:49:31. > :49:38.Further to the comments made by my colleague from East Antrim, there

:49:39. > :49:42.are concerns within my constituency with the Government's eagerness to

:49:43. > :49:47.set up an Assembly immediately after the elections, that they could

:49:48. > :49:51.possibly contemplate some form of side deals with Republicans in order

:49:52. > :49:57.to get it up and running. Can I gently warm the Secretary of State

:49:58. > :50:01.that that will be an unacceptable situation to have? Well, I say to

:50:02. > :50:07.the honourable gentleman that there is a limited period under law in

:50:08. > :50:13.order to form a new executive. It is around three weeks following a poll.

:50:14. > :50:15.That's why I make the point about maintaining open dialogue, thinking

:50:16. > :50:20.about how we can bring parties together. It has to be that sense of

:50:21. > :50:24.commanding support from across community, which is why we do need

:50:25. > :50:27.to listen keenly and intently to the voices of his party and other

:50:28. > :50:32.parties in respect of this process ahead. But I do stress to him that

:50:33. > :50:37.need for dialogue and discussion and the need to focus on those

:50:38. > :50:41.principles in the Belfast agreement and its successors, those things

:50:42. > :50:45.that all parties have signed up to. I think that provides us with the

:50:46. > :50:51.framework, and that's what we need to get on and do. As we face the

:50:52. > :50:57.current phase of challenges, I think it is right that we should mourn the

:50:58. > :50:59.passing of Dermot Gallagher, former bullion of the department of foreign

:51:00. > :51:06.affairs and one of the linchpins for so much of this process come

:51:07. > :51:08.bringing us from transfixed to transactions to transformations. We

:51:09. > :51:15.need to emulate his purposeful ethic in the time ahead. Will the

:51:16. > :51:19.Secretary of State recognised that after the elections, there will be

:51:20. > :51:22.negotiations, and will he recognise that those negotiations will have to

:51:23. > :51:28.be more inclusive, Morecambe free hands of a more fundamental than

:51:29. > :51:32.what passed for negotiations in Stormont house? And the outcome will

:51:33. > :51:37.have to be more robust and reliable than what we got with the fresh hour

:51:38. > :51:43.agreement? I certainly pay tribute to Dermot Gallagher and obviously

:51:44. > :51:46.send my condolences to all his friends, family, all of those who

:51:47. > :51:52.remember him and the conjugation that he made. As I've indicated, I

:51:53. > :51:57.don't want to prejudge the outcome of this election, nor indeed

:51:58. > :52:01.discussions that take place. I earnestly want to see that through

:52:02. > :52:04.this election period, however possible that can be achieved. And

:52:05. > :52:09.equally in terms of discussions that take place there afterwards. But it

:52:10. > :52:15.has to be a position which creates that stability and sense of shared

:52:16. > :52:20.power arrangements, which allows Northern Ireland to move on from

:52:21. > :52:25.where we currently sit. That has to absolutely be our focus and

:52:26. > :52:28.intention and indeed why I make the points which I do about being

:52:29. > :52:31.thoughtful and conscious of the nature of the campaign itself, such

:52:32. > :52:37.that we are able to bring people back together afterwards. Mr

:52:38. > :52:40.Speaker, can the Secretary of State confirm that post-election, the

:52:41. > :52:46.framework of a devolved Assembly, of a shared executive, is the settled

:52:47. > :52:50.framework for moving forward? And that joint authority with the

:52:51. > :52:53.Republic of Ireland or wholesale renegotiation of the agreements that

:52:54. > :53:00.are already in place to not form part of his plan for moving forward?

:53:01. > :53:03.If he does not give expression to that certainty, further drift will

:53:04. > :53:08.occur, and we've got to net this in the bud now. I can confirm that that

:53:09. > :53:11.is absolutely my intent, that is absolutely the approach that I take

:53:12. > :53:15.to this. It's about getting through the election, about seeing the

:53:16. > :53:19.re-establishment of the executive, seeing the re-establishment of

:53:20. > :53:22.devolved government in the way that we have seen. And therefore whilst I

:53:23. > :53:29.hear order of the broader discussions and broader talk,

:53:30. > :53:31.actually that has to be where we focus, how we re-establish that

:53:32. > :53:35.trust and confidence in the institutions that we have, such that

:53:36. > :53:40.Northern Ireland is able to move forward. The Ulster Unionist Party

:53:41. > :53:48.want to see a strong and stable devolved government that works for

:53:49. > :53:52.everyone. But this crisis is about trust, relating to the two main

:53:53. > :53:55.parties in Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State has said that he

:53:56. > :54:00.is committed to the Belfast agreement and its successors. And

:54:01. > :54:03.yet this morning on the radio, we heard the DUP executive minister

:54:04. > :54:08.saying he had no intention to increment the St Andrews agreement

:54:09. > :54:12.in full. Surely this undermines all agreements, if you're not willing to

:54:13. > :54:15.tie yourself to what you've agreed? With the minister looked at the

:54:16. > :54:20.structures of the Belfast agreement and how we get back to the joint

:54:21. > :54:23.election of the first and Deputy First Minister? I did not hear the

:54:24. > :54:28.comments this morning when it's difficult for me to comment

:54:29. > :54:35.directly. For as I've indicated, the UK Government stands by its

:54:36. > :54:38.commitments under the Belfast agreement. I think it is how we are

:54:39. > :54:45.able to use the time ahead to look at ways in which we can, which gaps

:54:46. > :54:56.and in which we can see devolved power-sharing arrangements put in

:54:57. > :55:01.place at the earliest opportunity. With the Secretary of State agree

:55:02. > :55:06.with me that in the past months and years, the way in which problems

:55:07. > :55:07.have been resolved is when all parties dedicated themselves to

:55:08. > :55:13.working through those problems? Yesterday we had a Sinn Fein Deputy

:55:14. > :55:16.First Minister refusing to be re-elected, and even after the

:55:17. > :55:20.election, indicating that they will not nominate then. Walking away is

:55:21. > :55:24.not the solution, working through the problem is most certainly is. I

:55:25. > :55:28.think we can look to Northern Ireland's past, where division has

:55:29. > :55:32.existed and some people have said that it's not possible to breach

:55:33. > :55:36.that. And yet Northern Ireland has shown what can be done. And I think

:55:37. > :55:39.we need to reflect on Northern Ireland's past, the political

:55:40. > :55:44.achievements that have been reached and the strengths of dialogue, of

:55:45. > :55:52.discussion, of bringing people together in that way as we look to

:55:53. > :55:58.the future. I hope that we will see that return of devolved Vermont.

:55:59. > :56:03.Thank you, Mr Speaker. -- devolved government. Belfast politicians

:56:04. > :56:08.begin a leak quote the dogs on the street, but if they were to

:56:09. > :56:11.summarise their position on this, it would be barking mad. This is not

:56:12. > :56:15.the time, Secretary of State, for you to be a bystander in these

:56:16. > :56:18.discussions. Or to fail to recognise what the Prime Minister last week

:56:19. > :56:24.recognised, that no-one can or should benefit from their

:56:25. > :56:27.instability, and for wrecking the progress of the political

:56:28. > :56:32.institutions that we have fought so hard to attain for Northern Ireland.

:56:33. > :56:37.I say to the honourable gentleman that I do not and will not be a

:56:38. > :56:42.bystander in relation to these issues. It is important that the UK

:56:43. > :56:46.Government plays its role in supporting the parties, in

:56:47. > :56:52.fulfilling our obligations in relation to providing political

:56:53. > :56:55.stability in Northern Ireland. That is what we will use the time ahead

:56:56. > :57:01.to achieve. Because the issues at stake are significant. The issues in

:57:02. > :57:05.relation to the political future of Northern Ireland are very, very

:57:06. > :57:08.clear. That's why I make the points that I do about the collective

:57:09. > :57:14.response River Tees that we all hold and all feel in being able to take

:57:15. > :57:16.this forward and get back to that positive outlook for Northern

:57:17. > :57:27.Ireland. -- collective responsibilities. Mr Speaker, the

:57:28. > :57:30.Secretary of State stated that with strong leadership, issues which

:57:31. > :57:33.might once have brought their own institutions could be resolved

:57:34. > :57:37.through dialogue. Could he therefore assure the House that the Prime

:57:38. > :57:42.Minister will give that strong leadership, and as the vice-chair of

:57:43. > :57:47.the all-party group on Ireland, I echo the sentiment of my honourable

:57:48. > :57:50.friend the member for St Helens come in calling the Prime Minister to put

:57:51. > :57:58.foot to the pedal and get that 100% support. I can underline to the

:57:59. > :58:02.honourable gentleman the commitment that the Prime Minister gets to

:58:03. > :58:06.these issues. The way in which she has been kept very closely informed

:58:07. > :58:10.and updated, the discussions that she has had with the former First

:58:11. > :58:15.Minister and Deputy First Minister. And indeed, the discussion that she

:58:16. > :58:18.had with the Taoiseach. We are committed as a government to seeing

:58:19. > :58:21.the return of devolved government, to seeing a positive outcome after

:58:22. > :58:25.these elections take place. That is what the people of Northern Ireland

:58:26. > :58:29.want to see and what we all have that shared and collective drive to

:58:30. > :58:40.achieve, and we all need to be focused on achieving. Point of order

:58:41. > :58:46.which relates I gather to the immediate next business. Thank you,

:58:47. > :58:49.Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, in our constitution, Parliament and sure

:58:50. > :58:53.you will agree is supposed to be sovereign. We need a system which

:58:54. > :58:56.gives Parliament hours over ministers and restores public trust.

:58:57. > :59:00.Not my words but the use of the now Prime Minister in 2007. I will be

:59:01. > :59:07.scrutinising a minister shortly on the applications of Brexit for Wales

:59:08. > :59:10.- but you share my concern that one of the most fundamental issues

:59:11. > :59:13.facing this country in a generation, the Prime Minister chose not to

:59:14. > :59:17.speak to this this morning but to the media and foreign ambassadors?

:59:18. > :59:23.Churchill would not have done it, a little bit would not have done it,

:59:24. > :59:27.but when it comes to this House, Mr Speaker, this lady is not for

:59:28. > :59:32.turning up! I am grateful to the honourable gentleman for his point

:59:33. > :59:35.of order. I have not got all of the Presidents in front of me but I

:59:36. > :59:41.think there has been a developing phenomenon in recent decades whereby

:59:42. > :59:43.under successive governments, important statements have sometimes

:59:44. > :59:50.been made outside the House, which would have welcomed being made first

:59:51. > :59:54.inside the House. I am pragmatic in these matters, and what I would say

:59:55. > :00:00.to the honourable gentleman and two others who might share his concern

:00:01. > :00:06.is, I heard of the Prime Minister's important speech today, and my first

:00:07. > :00:10.concern was that a senior member of the government should come to the

:00:11. > :00:15.House on the same day to address us on the same matter. And I had

:00:16. > :00:20.contact with the powers that be to make precisely that point. I am

:00:21. > :00:29.pleased to say that we do have in our midst and indeed in my line of

:00:30. > :00:33.vision the Secretary of State for Exiting The European Union, whom I

:00:34. > :00:36.imagine the honourable gentleman will wish to interrogate in due

:00:37. > :00:44.course. Meanwhile, let's hear from the Secretary of State. I will say

:00:45. > :00:48.to the honourable gentleman who has just spoken that I have spent many

:00:49. > :00:56.years sitting on those benches, hoping... We did not have the

:00:57. > :01:00.opportunity at all to interrogate Mr Tony Blair after he had been on the

:01:01. > :01:04.radio and television! But today is a Parliamentary day and I wish to

:01:05. > :01:09.share with Parliament what I think are some important points. I would

:01:10. > :01:13.like to the House on the Government's plans for exiting the

:01:14. > :01:18.European Union. Today, the Prime Minister is setting up a plan for

:01:19. > :01:21.Britain. It is a plan to ensure that we embrace this moment of change to

:01:22. > :01:26.build a confident global trading nation that seizes the new

:01:27. > :01:29.opportunities before it and a fairer, stronger society at home and

:01:30. > :01:36.bracing bold economic and social reform. It is a plan which

:01:37. > :01:40.recognises that the referendum vote was not one to pull up tall, which

:01:41. > :01:45.is and retreat from the world, but rather a vote of confidence in the

:01:46. > :01:49.UK's ability to succeed. It is a plan to build a strong new

:01:50. > :01:52.partnership with our European partners while reaching beyond the

:01:53. > :01:59.borders of Europe to forge deeper links with old allies and new ones.

:02:00. > :02:02.Today, we set out 12 objectives in the negotiation to come. They answer

:02:03. > :02:07.the questions of those who have been asking what we intend while not

:02:08. > :02:11.undermining the UK's negotiating position. We are clear what we seek

:02:12. > :02:17.is that new partnership, not a partial EU membership, not a model

:02:18. > :02:21.adopted by other countries, not a position which means we're half in

:02:22. > :02:27.and half-hour. Let me address of our aims in turn. First, we will provide

:02:28. > :02:33.certainty wherever possible, while recognising we are about to enter a

:02:34. > :02:35.two sided negotiation. We have already made announcements about

:02:36. > :02:42.agriculture payments and student funding. Our proposal regarding EU

:02:43. > :02:47.law and UK law is designed to make the process as smooth as possible.

:02:48. > :02:51.At the point of exit, the same rules and laws will apply, and it will

:02:52. > :02:56.then be for this Parliament to determine changes in the country's

:02:57. > :03:00.interests. For we also intend to take control of our own laws and end

:03:01. > :03:05.the authority of the European Court of Justice in the UK. Laws have been

:03:06. > :03:09.made in this Parliament and in the devolved assemblies and interpreted

:03:10. > :03:17.by our judges, not those in Luxembourg. -- laws will be made. We

:03:18. > :03:19.will continue to engage with the devolved administrations and ensure

:03:20. > :03:24.that as powers our return from Brussels to the UK, the right powers

:03:25. > :03:30.come to Westminster and the right powers are passed to Edinburgh,

:03:31. > :03:32.Cardiff and Belfast. Another key objective will be to maintain the

:03:33. > :03:36.Common travel area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. No-one

:03:37. > :03:42.wants to see a return to the borders of the past. In terms of

:03:43. > :03:48.immigration, we will remain an open, tolerant nation. We will continue to

:03:49. > :03:50.welcome the brightest and the best and ensure that immigration continue

:03:51. > :03:56.to bring benefits in terms of addressing skill shortages where

:03:57. > :04:02.they exist. But we will manage our immigration system properly, which

:04:03. > :04:06.means free movement from the European Union cannot continue as

:04:07. > :04:10.before. We want to guarantee the rights of European Union citizens

:04:11. > :04:14.who are already in this country and make such a great contribution to

:04:15. > :04:16.our society already, and in tandem with that protect the rights of UK

:04:17. > :04:25.citizens in EU countries. Would like to resolve this issue at

:04:26. > :04:32.the early possible moment. -- earlier. Already UK law goes further

:04:33. > :04:35.than EU minimums in many areas but as we shift the UK law, we will

:04:36. > :04:41.ensure that workers' rights are not just protected but enhanced. In

:04:42. > :04:45.terms of trade, we want to build a more open, outward looking,

:04:46. > :04:52.confident nation that is a global champion for free trade. Membership

:04:53. > :04:56.of the EU's internal market means accepting its four freedoms, in

:04:57. > :05:00.terms of the movement of goods, services, capital and people, and

:05:01. > :05:03.complying with the EU's rules and regulations. That would effectively

:05:04. > :05:10.mean not leaving the European Union at all. So we do not propose to

:05:11. > :05:15.maintain membership of the EU single market. Instead, we will seek the

:05:16. > :05:20.broadest possible access to it through a comprehensive free trade

:05:21. > :05:26.agreement with the EU. We want it to cover goods and services and be as

:05:27. > :05:30.ambitious as possible. This is not a zero-sum game. It should be in the

:05:31. > :05:37.interests of both the UK and the European Union. It is in all our

:05:38. > :05:40.interests, that financial services continue to be provided freely

:05:41. > :05:44.across borders, that integrated supply chains are not disrupted and

:05:45. > :05:49.that trade continues in as barrier free away as is possible. While we

:05:50. > :05:52.will seek the most open and possible market in the European Union, we

:05:53. > :05:56.also want to further trade links with the rest of the world. So we

:05:57. > :06:00.will deliver the freedom of the UK to strike trade agreements with

:06:01. > :06:02.other countries. The Department for International trade has already

:06:03. > :06:06.started to prepare the ground and it is clear there is enormous interest

:06:07. > :06:14.around the globe in forging new links to the UK. Full membership of

:06:15. > :06:17.the EU's Customs union would prohibit new international trade

:06:18. > :06:22.deals so we do not intend to remain part of the common commercial policy

:06:23. > :06:28.ought to be bound by the common external tariff. Instead, we will

:06:29. > :06:31.seek a customs agreement with the European Union with the aim of

:06:32. > :06:36.ensuring that cross-border trade remains as barrier free as possible.

:06:37. > :06:42.Clearly, how this is achieved is a matter for negotiation. The UK is

:06:43. > :06:45.one of the best places in the world for science and innovation, with

:06:46. > :06:49.some of the best universities in the world. So we must continue to

:06:50. > :06:54.collaborate with our European allies. When it comes to crime,

:06:55. > :06:57.terrorism, security, we will aim to further cooperation with EU

:06:58. > :07:01.countries. We will seek practical arrangements in these areas to

:07:02. > :07:06.ensure we keep our continent secure and defend our shared values.

:07:07. > :07:11.Finally in terms of our exit, we have said repeatedly that it would

:07:12. > :07:14.be no one's interest for it to be disorderly, with any sort of cliff

:07:15. > :07:18.edge, the word used over there, as we leave the European Union. So we

:07:19. > :07:22.intend to reach broad agreement about the terms of our new

:07:23. > :07:26.partnership with the EU by the end of the two-year negotiation

:07:27. > :07:29.triggered by Article 50. But then we will aim to deliver an orderly

:07:30. > :07:33.process of implementation. That does not mean an unlimited transitional

:07:34. > :07:38.period where the destination is not clear but time for both the UK and

:07:39. > :07:42.EU member states to prepare for new arrangements whether it is in terms

:07:43. > :07:44.of customs arrangements, regulation of financial services, cooperation

:07:45. > :07:49.over criminal justice and immigration controls. These are the

:07:50. > :07:54.aims and objectives we set today for negotiations to come. So our

:07:55. > :07:57.objectives are clear, to deliver certainty and clarity wherever we

:07:58. > :08:01.can, to take control of our own laws, to protect and strengthen the

:08:02. > :08:06.union, to maintain the Common travel area with the Republic of Ireland,

:08:07. > :08:09.to control immigration, to protect the rights of EU nationals in the UK

:08:10. > :08:14.and UK nationals in the EU, to protect workers' rights, to allow

:08:15. > :08:18.free trade with European markets, to forge new trade deals with other

:08:19. > :08:22.countries, to boost science and innovation, to protect and enhance

:08:23. > :08:27.cooperation over crime, terrorism and security and to make our exit

:08:28. > :08:30.smooth and orderly. It is the outline of an ambitious new

:08:31. > :08:34.partnership between the UK and the countries of the European Union. We

:08:35. > :08:38.are under no illusions, agreeing terms that work for both the UK and

:08:39. > :08:42.the 27 nations of the European Union will be challenging and no doubt,

:08:43. > :08:48.there will be bumps on the road once talks begin. We must embark on a

:08:49. > :08:55.negotiation clear, however, that no deal is better than a bad deal. As

:08:56. > :09:00.the Prime Minister made clear today, the UK could not accept a punitive

:09:01. > :09:05.approach. So let me be clear, we do not expect this outcome. We are

:09:06. > :09:09.confident that if we approach these talks in the spirit of goodwill, we

:09:10. > :09:14.can deliver a positive deal which works to the mutual benefit of all.

:09:15. > :09:18.It is absolutely in our interests that the EU succeeds and in the EU's

:09:19. > :09:25.interest interests that we succeed, too. We do not want the European

:09:26. > :09:28.Union to fail. We wanted to prosper politically and economically. We

:09:29. > :09:33.will seek to convince our eyes that a strong new partnership with the UK

:09:34. > :09:36.will help them to do so. -- our allies. Our approach is not about

:09:37. > :09:41.cherry picking but reaching a deal which fits the aims of both sides.

:09:42. > :09:45.We understand the EU wants to preserve its four freedoms and chart

:09:46. > :09:50.its own course. That is not a project UK will now be apart of. And

:09:51. > :09:54.so we will leave the single market and the institutions of the European

:09:55. > :09:58.Union. We will make our own laws and decisions about immigration. And let

:09:59. > :10:03.me be crystal clear today, if there was any doubt, the final deal agreed

:10:04. > :10:09.between the UK and EU will be put to a vote in both Houses of Parliament

:10:10. > :10:12.before it takes effect. To conclude, we are leaving the European Union

:10:13. > :10:18.but we're leaving Europe. We will continue to be reliant on partners,

:10:19. > :10:22.willing allies and close friends to European neighbours. -- we are not

:10:23. > :10:25.leaving Europe. We anticipate success, not failure but we are

:10:26. > :10:28.ready for any outcome. The UK will embrace its new place in the world

:10:29. > :10:35.with optimism, strength and confidence. Thank you Mr Speaker.

:10:36. > :10:38.Sur Keir Starmer. Thank you Mr Speaker, and can I thank the

:10:39. > :10:41.secretary of state for giving me an advanced copy of this statement? Mr

:10:42. > :10:46.Speaker, the Prime Minister's speech which she has just given is the most

:10:47. > :10:49.important one she has made, it is about the future of our relationship

:10:50. > :10:56.with the EU and our position in the world. The place for such a speech

:10:57. > :11:01.is here. At this dispatch box. That is not just a convention. That is so

:11:02. > :11:04.that MPs across this house can ask the Prime Minister directly on

:11:05. > :11:11.behalf of their constituents about the plans she has for their future.

:11:12. > :11:15.There are many questions. For many months, the Labour Party has been

:11:16. > :11:19.demanding fullest possible access to the single market, emphasising the

:11:20. > :11:23.risks of leaving the customs union, arguing for a collaborative

:11:24. > :11:26.relationship with our EU partners, emphasising the need for

:11:27. > :11:31.transitional arrangements, and the need for entrenchment of workers'

:11:32. > :11:35.rights. Today, the Prime Minister has rightly accepted these in her

:11:36. > :11:39.plan and I acknowledge that. She has given little detail about how that

:11:40. > :11:47.is to be achieved and there are some unanswered questions and some big

:11:48. > :11:57.gaps. It is, in truth, a half in, half out plan. She has not... Let me

:11:58. > :12:00.give an example. The Prime Minister says that she doesn't want the

:12:01. > :12:03.jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. But she wants a

:12:04. > :12:08.comprehensive trade agreement. Sooner or later, she and others will

:12:09. > :12:13.have to face the fact that any such agreement will have a dispute

:12:14. > :12:20.resolution clause and that will have to be independent of this country.

:12:21. > :12:25.It will not be by reason and resolution in the High Court in

:12:26. > :12:34.London, according to English law. So there will have to be, as she has

:12:35. > :12:37.avoided fronting up to some of these essential questions. But if the

:12:38. > :12:43.Prime Minister achieves all she has set out to achieve, she will fall

:12:44. > :12:49.short of hard Brexit, that many in business and trade unions have

:12:50. > :12:56.feared, the Brexit of no deal, their trade agreements, out of any customs

:12:57. > :13:00.union and at arms length with our EU relations. -- their trade

:13:01. > :13:04.agreements. It is good she has ruled out hard Brexit at this stage. But

:13:05. > :13:09.as the Prime Minister knows, setting out ambitions is the easy bit.

:13:10. > :13:12.Delivery is more difficult, much more difficult. The Prime Minister

:13:13. > :13:15.has taken the precarious course of taking the UK out of single market

:13:16. > :13:21.membership and changing the customs arrangements. This will cause

:13:22. > :13:23.concern to businesses, as the secretary of state knows, and to

:13:24. > :13:28.trade unions and the Prime Minister should have been more ambitious. But

:13:29. > :13:32.I accept that form follows function. So let me set out in terms what

:13:33. > :13:37.Labour will hold the Prime Minister to account for, as far as trade is

:13:38. > :13:44.concerned. Tariff free access to the single market. Access to the single

:13:45. > :13:47.market unencumbered by impediment, and I paused there, this is what was

:13:48. > :13:52.in the exchange of letters with Nissan, it is what all businesses

:13:53. > :13:57.want, and all trade unions want for those dealing in goods and services.

:13:58. > :14:02.Alignment of regulatory bodies to avoid dual bureaucracy or worse,

:14:03. > :14:07.diverted. And a deal that works for goods and services. That is the test

:14:08. > :14:11.we set out today. It is the test we will return to throughout the

:14:12. > :14:18.negotiations and it is the test to be applied when the deal is reached.

:14:19. > :14:22.And that is why the concession on a vote at the end of the negotiations

:14:23. > :14:26.is significant. We have been demanding that for months. It has

:14:27. > :14:29.not been given before today. It is significant because it means that we

:14:30. > :14:34.can ensure that those tests are met throughout the process and at the

:14:35. > :14:39.end of the process. The sting in the tail in the plan this morning if the

:14:40. > :14:43.threat to destroy the economic model which has been in place for many

:14:44. > :14:49.decades if the ambition is not reached. This is a very serious

:14:50. > :14:54.threat. That model, a shared model, about which there has been consensus

:14:55. > :14:57.for decades across this house, is designed to share prosperity,

:14:58. > :15:02.protect workers' rights, and improve living standards. There is no

:15:03. > :15:09.mandate for reckless disregard of that model and of so much that this

:15:10. > :15:16.country stands for. The Prime Minister described that model,

:15:17. > :15:22.resorting to that model, as an act that would be one of self harm for

:15:23. > :15:27.the EU. It would, Mr Speaker, be an act of huge self harm for the UK to

:15:28. > :15:33.abandon the economic model that we have had in place for so many years.

:15:34. > :15:39.It is also totally inconsistent, totally inconsistent with any

:15:40. > :15:45.meaningful commitment to workers' rights and a fairer society. So that

:15:46. > :15:49.sting in the tail, that threat undermines the ambition is a plan

:15:50. > :15:53.that I recognise. Let me touch on wider issues. The UK and EU have

:15:54. > :15:56.usually benefited from our collaborative work in the field of

:15:57. > :16:00.criminal Justice, anti-terrorism, research, medicine, science,

:16:01. > :16:04.technology, arts and culture and much else. We should be seeking to

:16:05. > :16:09.preserve that collaboration, not destroy it. Yet the Prime Minister

:16:10. > :16:13.said today, and I quote, "We do not seek to hold onto bits of membership

:16:14. > :16:26.as we leave". Let me give some examples of the bits she should seek

:16:27. > :16:29.to retain... Order. No, the honourable gentleman is a learning

:16:30. > :16:34.and celebrated and cerebrally individual. I don't want to

:16:35. > :16:38.interrupt him but the convention is that the reply is normally half the

:16:39. > :16:41.length of the statement so I can indulge the honourable gentleman

:16:42. > :16:44.modestly. There normally a bit of attitude but I was concerned when he

:16:45. > :16:52.had some, particularly as he is a lawyer! Mr Speaker, without details,

:16:53. > :16:55.the European Aviation Safety Agency which deals with safety, the

:16:56. > :16:58.European medicines agency and of course, Europol, which I worked with

:16:59. > :17:02.for many years. These are the bits of the EU we should be seeking to

:17:03. > :17:09.retain and not to throw away. Mr Speaker, I end by saying this. It

:17:10. > :17:12.was the previous Prime Minister who got us to this place without any

:17:13. > :17:19.forethought or planning. This Prime Minister has now chosen a risk

:17:20. > :17:25.implementation plan. She owns the consequences now. She owns them in

:17:26. > :17:31.2019 and beyond that. Thank you. The secretary of state. When we started

:17:32. > :17:37.down this route, I said to the house that the government have been given

:17:38. > :17:41.a national instruction which we would attempt to interpret in the

:17:42. > :17:47.national interest. It seemed to me that was the right approach to this,

:17:48. > :17:52.not a 52-48 approach but one that encompassed the interests of

:17:53. > :17:57.everybody. And I hope today that we had done that today. I mean in terms

:17:58. > :18:01.of the honourable gentleman's, and he's a very talented man, his

:18:02. > :18:04.questions were Azarenka as you'd expect, asking us about membership

:18:05. > :18:08.of the single market and we answer that. We laid out the claims of a

:18:09. > :18:12.customs union, another of his questions. He asked for detailed to

:18:13. > :18:17.scrutinise the plans and we will give it. In the context of not

:18:18. > :18:22.undermining our negotiation, that is entirely what we have tried to do. I

:18:23. > :18:27.had hoped that we would see support from some members of the benches

:18:28. > :18:31.opposite for what we think is a responsible, thoughtful, but

:18:32. > :18:36.realistic plan that takes on board the instructions we have been given

:18:37. > :18:40.by the British people. -- people, to take us out of the European Union

:18:41. > :18:43.but in a way which preserve that interest as best we can, whether

:18:44. > :18:47.they are security, economic interests or whatever. Let me deal

:18:48. > :18:52.with all the specific points he raised. I will put aside my

:18:53. > :18:55.disappointment at tone. He says a free trade arrangement will have do

:18:56. > :18:59.have a dispute resolution procedure. So it will cover they nearly all do

:19:00. > :19:04.but it does not have to be the European court of justice. We can

:19:05. > :19:11.agree but he has got the thrust of it wrong. As for other things,

:19:12. > :19:13.tariff free, I agree, impediment free, I agree, alignment regulation

:19:14. > :19:17.May be necessary in some aspects and we will see at the negotiating

:19:18. > :19:22.developments. -- develops. On goods and services, I agree. He's not

:19:23. > :19:30.putting up any hurdle but frankly we don't intend to cross ourselves.

:19:31. > :19:33.This question of threats, it is not a threat, this was the Chancellor,

:19:34. > :19:36.in response to an interview, saying, if you go down the route of a

:19:37. > :19:40.punitive approach, this is the consequence, what will happen.

:19:41. > :19:43.Nations defend themselves. No one says what we want to do, it is

:19:44. > :19:47.specifically what we don't want to do. We want the freest possible

:19:48. > :19:49.relationship, the most friendly possible we can get and that is what

:19:50. > :20:20.we will set out to do. You can take it as read that all the

:20:21. > :20:24.issues he raised, we will be addressing over time in this House

:20:25. > :20:29.and most particularly we'll be addressing in the negotiating

:20:30. > :20:36.chamber with the Europeans. I think that they'll have as much interest

:20:37. > :20:42.as we do. That is what the negotiation is predicated upon. We

:20:43. > :20:49.are going to do what is in the interests of everyone, ourselves, if

:20:50. > :20:53.Europeans and owl our neighbours in part of globe -- and our neighbours

:20:54. > :21:01.and our part of the globe. That's what we intend to do.

:21:02. > :21:06.I'm sure we'll acknowledge the Prime Minister's speech, it's principled,

:21:07. > :21:10.reasonable and statesmanlike. Does he agree that, in relation to

:21:11. > :21:16.what the 27 member states, heads of Government said, only a few weeks

:21:17. > :21:20.ago, the last counsel sum commitment, that there would be no

:21:21. > :21:25.access to the single market unless we accepted all the four freedoms --

:21:26. > :21:27.summit. That this does represent a difficulty. Does he accept therefore

:21:28. > :21:32.that it's essential that we clear that with the other member states on

:21:33. > :21:36.the basis of principle, reasonableness and statesmanship?

:21:37. > :21:43.I have tried throughout the six months so far not to respond to

:21:44. > :21:49.sometimes the emotional comments we've heard from various people

:21:50. > :21:54.around the continent. I'm sort of slightly surprised in him, however.

:21:55. > :21:57.He of all people would pull me up if I confused access to single market

:21:58. > :22:00.with membership of single market. Pretty much every country in the

:22:01. > :22:04.world that's not subject to sanctions has access to the single

:22:05. > :22:08.market. We will have access to the single market. The question that

:22:09. > :22:13.this is about is the terms. My job, and the job frankly of everybody,

:22:14. > :22:17.including the opposition, is to persuade our opposite numbers in

:22:18. > :22:20.Europe that it's in their their interests too that we all have

:22:21. > :22:31.access to each other's markets. That's what I intend to do.

:22:32. > :22:38.Thank you Mr Speaker. I thank the secretary for advance sight of the

:22:39. > :22:42.statement. We have seen the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State

:22:43. > :22:45.today complete an un-Holy Trinity of Westminster promises to people of

:22:46. > :22:50.Scotland. They promised to take account of the 62% remain vote in

:22:51. > :22:53.Scotland. And to consider all options for Scotland's future.

:22:54. > :22:58.They've broken that promise today. They promised during the referendum

:22:59. > :23:01.and in the election manifesto that leaving the EU doesn't mean we have

:23:02. > :23:06.to leave the single market. Today they are making that promise. As for

:23:07. > :23:09.the promise in 2014 remaining in the United Kingdom guaranteed Scotland's

:23:10. > :23:13.place in Europe, we all know where that's gone. I have to say to the

:23:14. > :23:17.Secretary of State, I hope he'll pass the message back to his boss

:23:18. > :23:24.that if she insists on giving Scotland only one option to remain,

:23:25. > :23:28.Scotland will take that option. We do have certainty, we know with

:23:29. > :23:34.certainty that Brexit means hard Tory Brexit. Can I ask the Secretary

:23:35. > :23:37.of State, even at this late stage, to accept that the promises that he

:23:38. > :23:43.and the Prime Minister have made must be honoured. Will he tell the

:23:44. > :23:49.House how he proposes to recognise the 62% Remain vote in Scotland and

:23:50. > :23:54.the overwhelming unanimous view in Scotland that our free movement of

:23:55. > :23:57.people is essential for our well-being. Can he tell the House if

:23:58. > :24:02.he's read the Scottish Government paper on Scotland's place in Europe

:24:03. > :24:07.and give than he's nodding, will he undertake this paper will be

:24:08. > :24:13.properly and thoroughly discussed at the joint ministerial council next

:24:14. > :24:16.week. Will he undertake, that before any non-returnable steps are taken,

:24:17. > :24:21.that Members of Parliament of all devolved nations will be given a

:24:22. > :24:25.chance, even on an advisory basis to consider the Government's plans,

:24:26. > :24:30.even before they are implemented. I thank the honourable gentleman for

:24:31. > :24:34.his question. It's been my privilege to chair the joint ministerial

:24:35. > :24:38.committee on European negotiations on which Mike Russell broadly

:24:39. > :24:46.represents the Scottish Government's position. I gave him an undertaking

:24:47. > :24:49.that we'd debate that paper at the next JMCEN, as it's known in

:24:50. > :24:53.Whitehall jargon. That's what we'll do. One of the things I've been very

:24:54. > :24:56.careful not to do is comment publicly on it because I said we

:24:57. > :25:01.want to give it the most open debate possible. There are parts of it I

:25:02. > :25:07.disagree with and parts I agree with. On the question of protection

:25:08. > :25:10.of workers' rights or maintenance of our terrific universities, I'm

:25:11. > :25:17.entirely on the side of the paper. On areas of devolution, Mr Russell

:25:18. > :25:20.may be surprised on how pro-devolution I am. There'll be

:25:21. > :25:24.nothing taken away and we'll have to decide what passes to them from the

:25:25. > :25:28.European Union. That will be a rational debate, based around the

:25:29. > :25:34.interests of the UK and Scotland. So he must take it as read I think

:25:35. > :25:39.that we will take very, very seriously the idea that we do not

:25:40. > :25:42.allow any part of the United Kingdom, any nation, Scotland,

:25:43. > :25:46.Wales, Northern Ireland, England, to lose out by this process. We are

:25:47. > :25:51.determined of that. THE SPEAKER: Anna Soubry? Thank you

:25:52. > :25:55.very much. I'll continue to come pain for membership of the single

:25:56. > :25:58.market and to make the positive case for immigration because I believe in

:25:59. > :26:09.the free movement of the people from the European Union. But can I make

:26:10. > :26:14.it very clear that I welcome the - I nearly said Her Majesty - the Prime

:26:15. > :26:20.Minister's speech and the statement made by my right honourable friend.

:26:21. > :26:27.I think it's realistic. It's much-needed clarity. I think the

:26:28. > :26:31.tone is to be hugely welcomed. It marks in that tone, a genuine

:26:32. > :26:37.desire, to bring about a consensus to reunite our country. So, in that

:26:38. > :26:42.spirit, would my right honourable friend commit, please, to putting

:26:43. > :26:47.those 12 objectives, this is not unreasonable, Mr Speaker, into a

:26:48. > :26:52.White Paper, bringing it into this House so that we can finally,

:26:53. > :26:56.because we haven't, and many others feel that Parliament's been

:26:57. > :26:59.deliberately procluded from this, that we can debate the single

:27:00. > :27:04.market, the customs union and free movement of people. I'll say first

:27:05. > :27:11.to my right honourable friend about her slip of the tongue, I often make

:27:12. > :27:23.the same mistake. Probably why I am where I am!

:27:24. > :27:26.As for her request to the you believe stance of this, I've tried

:27:27. > :27:31.today and the Prime Minister's tried today to answer all the questions we

:27:32. > :27:37.are able to answer without undermining the negotiation. But in

:27:38. > :27:40.terms of debates in the House, I can see in this chamber entirely a part

:27:41. > :27:45.for debating the very thing she talked about. So that's why I'll

:27:46. > :27:49.seek to get. THE SPEAKER: Ed Miliband. Thank you,

:27:50. > :27:52.Mr Speaker. The Secretary of State and the Prime Minister have both

:27:53. > :27:55.more or less admitted today what's been obvious for months, that it

:27:56. > :28:00.will take more than two years to have a trade deal with the EU ready

:28:01. > :28:04.to go. But there then follows a crucial question for many, many

:28:05. > :28:07.businesses up and down this country which is what the arrangements will

:28:08. > :28:11.be when we leave the EU and that trade deal is not yet completed. But

:28:12. > :28:14.listening to the Secretary of State today and indeed reading the Prime

:28:15. > :28:18.Minister's speech, we are not the wiser what that will be. Can the

:28:19. > :28:27.Secretary of State now enlighten us on this crucial point which matters

:28:28. > :28:32.to families and businesses hugely. I'll correct one or two things what

:28:33. > :28:38.he got wrong. He's wrong to interpret what I said as any

:28:39. > :28:43.suggestion that we'll not be able to negotiate this outcome in the

:28:44. > :28:47.timetable in front of us. The issue I said was that we'd look at

:28:48. > :28:52.implementation issues because I may well take time and I cited the

:28:53. > :28:55.borders and customs and various other aspects which might take time

:28:56. > :29:02.to take effect. It will be in the joint interests of the European

:29:03. > :29:08.Union and ourselves to put that in place. More widely, I cannot think

:29:09. > :29:12.how I could have been clearer. I've answered every single question with

:29:13. > :29:17.one exception that his spokesman of the party put to us. I've tried to

:29:18. > :29:20.answer as many as I can of the ones the Select Committee put to us. We

:29:21. > :29:24.have been very clear. I don't think out there anybody will believe the

:29:25. > :29:27.Labour Party now when they say we don't know what the negotiating

:29:28. > :29:34.strategy is. It's as plain as a pike staff and he should recognise that.

:29:35. > :29:38.The Prime Minister's given clarity, we are leaving the single market and

:29:39. > :29:43.customs union. Further to the point that's just been asked, in the

:29:44. > :29:48.implementation phase of the Prime Minister's proposal after article

:29:49. > :29:52.50, that period of adjustment to a deal, will all of the detailed terms

:29:53. > :29:57.already have been finalised or, is the period during which the details

:29:58. > :30:05.of the so-called bold and ambitious deal, as she put it, to be still

:30:06. > :30:09.worked out during the phase? My right honourable friend wrote a very

:30:10. > :30:14.wise paper which I referred to previously in a previous exchange

:30:15. > :30:17.here and he'd recognise that the negotiating balance changes at the

:30:18. > :30:21.end of the two-year period, so it's very, very important that we

:30:22. > :30:26.conclude the deal by then. The implementation is a different

:30:27. > :30:30.matter, it may take time and it does take time and we can't control

:30:31. > :30:33.whether we say putting in place a new customs arrangement or whatever

:30:34. > :30:37.it may be. It's the practicalities of it and that's what will drive it.

:30:38. > :30:41.Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. While the Prime Minister's made

:30:42. > :30:44.things clearer today and I welcome in particular the commitment that

:30:45. > :30:48.Parliament will have a vote on the final deal and that the Government

:30:49. > :30:51.will seek transitional arrangements, both things the Select Committee

:30:52. > :30:56.called for in its first report, there is one big issue where there

:30:57. > :31:04.is still uncertainty for businesses and that is the continuation of

:31:05. > :31:06.tariff free and barrier free trade. Now, given the Government's

:31:07. > :31:11.unequivocal commitment today to that goal, can the Secretary of State

:31:12. > :31:17.tell the House that if remaining in the customs turns out to be the only

:31:18. > :31:23.way of assuring that that is what we'll get what we asked for, can you

:31:24. > :31:26.ensure that's what we'll do to honour that commitment to

:31:27. > :31:28.businesses? Zbloo we'll abide by the instruction given to it by the

:31:29. > :31:34.British people and the instruction was to leave the European Union.

:31:35. > :31:37.I'm afraid that is inconsistent with membership of the market. What we

:31:38. > :31:43.have said in terms, is that we intend to deliver the very thing

:31:44. > :31:48.that he says British business is uncertain about. That is tariff free

:31:49. > :31:54.and barrier free access to the European market.

:31:55. > :31:57.Can I welcome the contribution to increased clarity that the Prime

:31:58. > :32:02.Minister's brought to the EU debate today. I just hope that the 27

:32:03. > :32:06.remaining countries in the EU will take this opportunity to embrace the

:32:07. > :32:09.positive spirit in which this plan's been put forward. But the Prime

:32:10. > :32:13.Minister actually said in her speech that she was putting the

:32:14. > :32:19.preservation of our precious union at the heart of everything and, in

:32:20. > :32:23.that spirit, can I ask the Secretary of State if there is parts of the

:32:24. > :32:28.country that are net beneficiaries from the EU, such as Wales and

:32:29. > :32:31.Cornwall, will continue to get that level of funding so they can take

:32:32. > :32:36.advantage of the great opportunities ahead. The aim of the entire

:32:37. > :32:43.strategy is to improve the economic prospects of the country and to do

:32:44. > :32:48.that properly, the Prime Minister has been very forward in terms of

:32:49. > :32:54.talking about the benefits of that. One of the things which has passed

:32:55. > :32:58.almost unremarked but was in fact remarkable, was the speed with which

:32:59. > :33:01.the Treasury stepped in very early on universities and farming and

:33:02. > :33:05.structural funds. It made a decision in four weeks in the middle of

:33:06. > :33:08.August, something which I don't think I can remember in my lifetime

:33:09. > :33:11.in this parent which is quite long. So I think she can take it as read

:33:12. > :33:15.that we'll do everything possible to make sure that awe parts in the

:33:16. > :33:18.United Kingdom benefit from this policy.

:33:19. > :33:24.I applaud the Prime Minister's speech and her vision of a liberal

:33:25. > :33:28.Brexit. Can the minister confirm that where mutual cooperation is

:33:29. > :33:30.needed between the EU and UK after we've left such as

:33:31. > :33:37.intelligence-sharing, that arrangements will be put in place on

:33:38. > :33:41.the basis of bilateral treaties, rather than us being the supplement?

:33:42. > :33:46.One of the things the Prime Minister's made plain is that we are

:33:47. > :33:51.not the supplement here or in what follows afterwards. Britain is the

:33:52. > :33:54.intelligent super power, we are critical to the fence of Europe from

:33:55. > :34:00.terrorist threat and we are also critical to the military support of

:34:01. > :34:05.Europe and dealing with migration, the navy at work -- with the navy at

:34:06. > :34:08.work. They are often on a bilateral basis now but they'll be done on a

:34:09. > :34:22.treaty basis equal to both sides. I think we should loyally support

:34:23. > :34:29.the Government. Hear-hear! LAUGHTER

:34:30. > :34:33.Will the Secretary of State confirm this, that insist on controlling

:34:34. > :34:36.your own borders and insisting on doing international trade deals is

:34:37. > :34:41.inconsistent, not just with membership of the European Union,

:34:42. > :34:44.but also the customs union and the single market, so I agree after the

:34:45. > :34:51.welcome turn of today's speech it's not hard Brexit, it's full Brexit.

:34:52. > :34:56.Well, I will start by saying with respect to his opening remarks, my

:34:57. > :35:02.health is fragile these days, careful about such assertions of

:35:03. > :35:05.supporting the Government! But it is plain, I mean, we have endeavoured

:35:06. > :35:08.to put together the option which gives the best outcome for Britain

:35:09. > :35:13.whilst obeying the decision of the people. That's what we have done and

:35:14. > :35:16.it will work. Thank you, MrSpeaker. The Prime

:35:17. > :35:20.Minister in the first part of her speech made a welcome commitment to

:35:21. > :35:26.enhance and protect workers' rights but at the end was threatening to

:35:27. > :35:31.take them away and to undercut the rest of Europe and rip up the

:35:32. > :35:35.British economic model if we don't get what we want. Can he now

:35:36. > :35:38.withdraw that threat and be clear that Britain will not do that

:35:39. > :35:43.because otherwise if the Government is prepared to rip up workers'

:35:44. > :35:48.rights as soon as the negotiations get difficult, how can we trust them

:35:49. > :35:51.to ensure that the rest of Britain's interests are protected if the

:35:52. > :35:56.negotiations get difficult, as well? I will say to her what I said to the

:35:57. > :35:59.head of the TUC a couple of weeks ago, there is no circumstance under

:36:00. > :36:02.which we will rip up worksers' rights. That's my commitment from

:36:03. > :36:11.the beginning in this job and it will be my commitment for as long as

:36:12. > :36:14.I am in it. The governor of the Bank of England

:36:15. > :36:17.said the financial stability risks to the eurozone are greater than

:36:18. > :36:21.those faced by the UK, will he undertake to offer the European

:36:22. > :36:25.Union a full agreement to ensure that through the withdrawal

:36:26. > :36:30.agreement the eurozone continues to enjoy access to the City of London?

:36:31. > :36:35.Well, the governor and my honourable friend make a good point. The City

:36:36. > :36:40.of London, the existence of the City of London ensures both a pool of

:36:41. > :36:43.liquidity and a source of almost bottomless source of low cost

:36:44. > :36:50.finance for most of the industries of Europe. So, I think they've every

:36:51. > :36:56.interest in doing the deal we described and that again I reiterate

:36:57. > :37:00.is what we are relying on that's in everybody's interests economically,

:37:01. > :37:04.socially and in terms of financial stability. As the Secretary of State

:37:05. > :37:08.knows I support reform of freedom of movement but in a way that does

:37:09. > :37:12.least damage to the economy and particularly the regional economy. I

:37:13. > :37:15.see in the Prime Minister's speech she makes specific mention of

:37:16. > :37:19.protecting the interests of Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, the City of

:37:20. > :37:22.London, but there is no mention of the north-west of England, Greater

:37:23. > :37:29.Manchester or indeed any English region. Rather than leaving these

:37:30. > :37:33.crucial decisions to a London centric click isn't it take to open

:37:34. > :37:36.up this debate, give Greater Manchester a voice in it and

:37:37. > :37:43.establish a Brexit committee for the nations and regions?

:37:44. > :37:52.If he is not very careful, I shall invite him to jump on to the M62 and

:37:53. > :37:57.visit me at my home in Yorkshire, this right-wing bastion in the north

:37:58. > :38:01.of England. Firstly, as you he - as he might imagine, I am acutely

:38:02. > :38:05.conscious of the needs of the north and what I am intending to do, I had

:38:06. > :38:09.intended to announce it - I hadn't intended to announce it today but I

:38:10. > :38:14.will as he asked, after the mayoral elections I intend to All Yours the

:38:15. > :38:23.mayors to have a meeting to talk about precisely that.

:38:24. > :38:29.It's a makeshift plan but before he is able to negotiate it, can I urge

:38:30. > :38:35.on him enormous patience because our partners will first want to discuss

:38:36. > :38:38.the money, the division of the assets and liabilities. I shall

:38:39. > :38:45.almost reiterate the answer I gave to the previous question. I am from

:38:46. > :38:52.Yorkshire and we are known to be just like the Scots, but a lot less

:38:53. > :38:59.generous! Today's speech is a result of what

:39:00. > :39:04.you get when you allow immigration policy to dictate economic policy,

:39:05. > :39:06.rather than considering these crucial questions of immigration and

:39:07. > :39:11.economics together. The Prime Minister set out a plan to leave the

:39:12. > :39:15.European Union but she did not set out a plan to keep anything like the

:39:16. > :39:19.current access to our biggest single market for jobs, businesses and

:39:20. > :39:23.trade and during the referendum campaign she said that pulling out

:39:24. > :39:28.of the single market would mean a loss of investors and going

:39:29. > :39:33.backwards on international trade. Let me ask the Secretary of State,

:39:34. > :39:39.what economic assessment did the Government make on the impact of

:39:40. > :39:45.today's speech on jobs, trade and prosperity or was the speech made

:39:46. > :39:49.without any such assetment at all? The first thing I will say to him is

:39:50. > :39:53.that the outcome of the referendum last year was not principally, it

:39:54. > :39:55.was a large part about immigration, but not principally about

:39:56. > :39:59.immigration, it was about control of our country. If you talk to the

:40:00. > :40:03.people who voted that was what they were concerned about. That's what

:40:04. > :40:07.this is about. Since I was party to the writing of this speech I can

:40:08. > :40:10.tell him, we had the economic future of the country, the security of the

:40:11. > :40:14.country, the sovereignty of the country and our part in the world

:40:15. > :40:24.all squarely in our sights when we wrote it.

:40:25. > :40:29.My right honourable friend in his speech made clear that no deal is

:40:30. > :40:32.better than a bad deal. In the unlikely I am sure event that we

:40:33. > :40:35.were to get a bad deal and the House were to vote against it, what would

:40:36. > :40:46.be the impact in terms of our status within the European Union?

:40:47. > :40:49.Well, the referendum last year set in motion a circumstance where the

:40:50. > :40:54.UK is going to leave the European Union and it won't change that. What

:40:55. > :40:56.we want to have is a vote so the House can support the policy which

:40:57. > :41:04.we are quite sure they will approve of when we get there.

:41:05. > :41:08.Can I welcome the Prime Minister's speech today in the sense that it

:41:09. > :41:12.gives certainty to those millions of Labour supporters who voted to leave

:41:13. > :41:15.and now know that the slogan taking back control is not just a slogan

:41:16. > :41:21.but actually means something. Could I ask him in the interim period now,

:41:22. > :41:25.before we actually leave, will he assure us that the negotiations

:41:26. > :41:29.about trade deals with other countries that may be nearly there,

:41:30. > :41:33.that we will continue to do that work so we are ready to go when we

:41:34. > :41:38.actually leave the EU? Of course we will do that. The honourable lady is

:41:39. > :41:44.entirely right. What we are constrained by is a thing called the

:41:45. > :41:48.duty of sincere co-operation. It requires us not to do things which

:41:49. > :41:52.jeopardise actions by the European Union. If the European Union

:41:53. > :41:56.currently has a trade deal in negotiation we have to be very

:41:57. > :41:59.careful about how we impact on that. Of course we can't actually sign

:42:00. > :42:03.until the day we leave. But I have a strong suspicion that there will be

:42:04. > :42:12.a lot of things ready to sign that very next day.

:42:13. > :42:16.I apologise for being unavoidably rather late in the chamber. Whilst I

:42:17. > :42:20.welcome the tone of the Prime Minister's statement today and the

:42:21. > :42:24.commitments to free trade and internationalism and so on which are

:42:25. > :42:29.very welcome, does my right honourable friend agree that when he

:42:30. > :42:36.is negotiating free trade agreements or customses union with any other

:42:37. > :42:42.country or groups of country, the parties both agree to be bound by

:42:43. > :42:47.sets of rules which neither of them are going to change and any

:42:48. > :42:53.agreement involves submitting to some means of resolution of

:42:54. > :42:58.disputes, be it arbitration or a court of law or the World Trade

:42:59. > :43:01.Organisation rules. So what I don't understand when reading the Prime

:43:02. > :43:05.Minister's statement or listening to my right honourable friend is which

:43:06. > :43:09.country in the world is going to enter into a trade agreement with

:43:10. > :43:13.this country on the basis that the rules are entirely what the British

:43:14. > :43:17.say they're going to be on any particular day and if there is any

:43:18. > :43:21.dispute about the rules it's going to be sorted out by the British

:43:22. > :43:30.Government? LAUGHTER

:43:31. > :43:34.Well, those on that side have a very short memory. I can forgive my right

:43:35. > :43:37.honourable friend, he didn't hear the first question which was on

:43:38. > :43:40.exactly this point. And I answered it in the same way I am going to

:43:41. > :43:43.answer this, which is of course there will be agreements between us

:43:44. > :43:46.and there will they'll be arbitrated by an organisation which we agree

:43:47. > :43:54.between us, not normally the European Court of justice.

:43:55. > :43:57.Thank you, MrSpeaker. Can the Secretary of State be absolutely

:43:58. > :44:00.crystal clear, does his statement and the Prime Minister's speech

:44:01. > :44:07.represent the totality of the plan promised to parliament and will

:44:08. > :44:11.there be a White Paper, yes or no? I was asked by the select committee

:44:12. > :44:19.that we will present the plan as quickly as possible, that's what we

:44:20. > :44:27.have done. I am very pleased to hear priorities

:44:28. > :44:30.include allowing the EU citizens to stay here and allowing us to still

:44:31. > :44:35.access those vital skills we need for science and insroe vasion. I

:44:36. > :44:41.appreciate the negotiation can't be open for all to see and no running

:44:42. > :44:46.commentary will be possible. Will the Secretary of State commit -

:44:47. > :44:53.needs and requirements must be reflected in negotiating aims.

:44:54. > :44:58.Broadly, yes, the honourable lady is a member for Cambridgeshire? I was

:44:59. > :45:04.in Cambridge only just before Christmas to speak to a number of

:45:05. > :45:10.hi-tech organisations, one of them ARM but a number of others, as well,

:45:11. > :45:14.some pharmaceutical ones, as well, with the direct intention of

:45:15. > :45:23.informing exactly how we approach some of these complex matters in the

:45:24. > :45:29.negotiation. The Government took a wise decision

:45:30. > :45:32.to inform our E. Partners that in the event of intransigence during

:45:33. > :45:37.our negotiations to establish a new partnership that we would not take

:45:38. > :45:43.it lying down and would use the fiscal and legislative levers at our

:45:44. > :45:47.disposal to ensure that Britain's economic case was represented

:45:48. > :45:51.properly. Is he surprised at the casual way in which the opposition

:45:52. > :45:56.has dismissed the use of these levers on the basis that it might

:45:57. > :46:02.start a trade war and would he not accept that the sure way of getting

:46:03. > :46:06.entrance generals from the EU is to throw away this economic deterrent

:46:07. > :46:16.we have at our disposal? I am disappointed but not surprised, what

:46:17. > :46:19.is perhaps spicing -- surprising. This is something in the national

:46:20. > :46:26.interest, every single member of our nation stands to gain.

:46:27. > :46:31.Can I welcome the detailed plan set out by the Prime Minister for a

:46:32. > :46:35.post-Brexit Britain that means that we are a self-governing democracy, a

:46:36. > :46:39.firm friend to Europe but have a global perspective. Does he agree

:46:40. > :46:42.that it's vital this is a positive vision because that's the way we can

:46:43. > :46:47.unite the country and make sure Britain goes from strength to

:46:48. > :46:50.strength? Well, my honourable friend goes to

:46:51. > :46:55.the heart of this. The purpose of this and the reason we addressed the

:46:56. > :46:59.questions that were put by the opposition was because we wanted to

:47:00. > :47:04.get people behind a vision of Britain which will be in everybody's

:47:05. > :47:06.interests, everybody, north, south, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern

:47:07. > :47:10.Ireland, every part of the country, rich and poor and that's what we

:47:11. > :47:15.intend to do. Thank you, MrSpeaker. In 45 minutes

:47:16. > :47:25.the Prime Minister hasn't delivered a plan, she's delivered a Pandora's

:47:26. > :47:29.Box. She said she wants us to leave the common commercial policy and the

:47:30. > :47:33.common external tariff but to have associate membership of the customs

:47:34. > :47:37.union. A membership that doesn't yet exist and nobody else has. Can the

:47:38. > :47:43.Secretary of State tell us exactly what this means now for the deals

:47:44. > :47:51.like the aniesen deal on which thousands of jobs -- Nissan. Or what

:47:52. > :47:56.is it he - what cake he wants to eat and have this time? Nissan have

:47:57. > :48:02.decided to enlarge their investment in Britain, so they are clearly

:48:03. > :48:07.persuaded of this circumstance. The second thing I would say to her is

:48:08. > :48:10.that we have said from the beginning the relationship, the new

:48:11. > :48:14.partnership we want to have with the European Union will be unique T will

:48:15. > :48:20.be brand new, it is unique in many ways. Let me give one example. In

:48:21. > :48:24.the trade deal that we are seeking to arrive at we will be at the same

:48:25. > :48:27.standards of production, same standards applying to all of Britain

:48:28. > :48:32.that applies to the European Union now. There is no other trade deal in

:48:33. > :48:36.the world like that. The same thing applies to customs agreements, we

:48:37. > :48:39.are in a position where currently we have no customs barriers, why should

:48:40. > :48:47.we not have a frictionless one when we get to the end of the deal?

:48:48. > :48:53.Does the Secretary of State agree with me that a strong, fair and

:48:54. > :48:57.global Britain must include showing support for EU nationals currently

:48:58. > :49:04.living and working in our communities and to that end does he

:49:05. > :49:08.agree with me that we should unilaterally guarantee their rights

:49:09. > :49:13.as this would demonstrate our goodwill with a clear statement of

:49:14. > :49:19.intent? En What we have done is we have

:49:20. > :49:23.sought at the earliest possible opportunity with the national

:49:24. > :49:27.governments of those EU nationals to try to establish an agreement which

:49:28. > :49:31.covers both those EU nationals about which we care deeply, but also those

:49:32. > :49:35.citizens for whom we have a legal and moral responsibility, that's the

:49:36. > :49:38.point to remember, we have a legal and moral responsibility for our own

:49:39. > :49:42.citizens and those nations have not yet taken up the offer.

:49:43. > :49:51.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Further to the point made by the honourable

:49:52. > :49:53.lady for Twickenham, the speech does contain the words "guarantee", so

:49:54. > :50:00.there is a commitment from the Government that they want to do

:50:01. > :50:07.this. However, with 3.5 million citizens living in our country, will

:50:08. > :50:10.it be 23rd June or the day we trigger. Certainly is extremely

:50:11. > :50:15.important and work needs to be done on the basis of when people arrived

:50:16. > :50:22.because the number of EU citizens will have arrived without passports

:50:23. > :50:26.but with identity cards. He'll know as a long-standing ex-chairman of

:50:27. > :50:30.the Home Affairs Select Committee which actually published a report on

:50:31. > :50:38.this and put up three dates, that this is a matter strictly for the

:50:39. > :50:44.Home Office to initiate and their policy on it.

:50:45. > :50:51.People came here in good faith to feel fear, concern about the future

:50:52. > :50:54.and we want to be able to guarantee all the other things that go with

:50:55. > :50:59.it, the welfare support and so on. That's what we intend to do. He'll

:51:00. > :51:03.forgive me if I don't pick a date out of the air because he knows what

:51:04. > :51:08.will happen, it will create an instant problem in terms of concerns

:51:09. > :51:13.for people who arrived either before or after that date. I don't wish

:51:14. > :51:16.this to make it any more difficult for the decent people that I want to

:51:17. > :51:20.help. I also welcome the Prime Minister's

:51:21. > :51:25.tone and her outlined objectives as she enters into the Brexit

:51:26. > :51:27.negotiations. I'm pleased she's listened to honourable friends to

:51:28. > :51:30.putting that vote to Parliament. Does my right honourable friend

:51:31. > :51:34.agree with me that in order to ensure that the Government is in

:51:35. > :51:43.tune with the will of Parliament that the single market is

:51:44. > :51:46.desperately overdue, the debate on it, and also so that Britain can be

:51:47. > :51:51.a best friend and neighbour to European partners. To do anything

:51:52. > :52:02.else would make Britain poor and the European partners. He goes to the

:52:03. > :52:05.heart of the strategy. The non-tariff barriers are as important

:52:06. > :52:10.in some ways as the 0% tariff and maybe harder to negotiate.

:52:11. > :52:17.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Once the UK's left the EU, there'll

:52:18. > :52:20.be a ?9 billion in EU finances. Given reduced resources, why does

:52:21. > :52:23.the Government believe the EU will prioritise negotiating a trade deal

:52:24. > :52:29.with the UK over more lucrative markets such as the US or China?

:52:30. > :52:34.Well, I'm afraid she's wrong about the more lucrative market bit. I

:52:35. > :52:37.mean, we are, once we are outside the European Union, the largest

:52:38. > :52:42.market for the European Union. They do not want to lose what they

:52:43. > :52:46.already have, which is a massive trade deficit, as it were, in their

:52:47. > :52:55.direction, which is very important for many, many millions of jobs.

:52:56. > :52:59.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to warmly welcome the statement by

:53:00. > :53:01.my right honourable friend and the speech earlier by the Prime

:53:02. > :53:05.Minister. I'm sure my right honourable friend is aware of the

:53:06. > :53:11.importance of the British university sector for research, jobs and

:53:12. > :53:16.growth, and that is challenged, that sector, in terms of the workforce

:53:17. > :53:19.and also in terms of many of the grants it gets from the European

:53:20. > :53:22.Union. Will my right honourable friend commit to prioritising with

:53:23. > :53:27.the university sector to make sure it has a viable and strong future in

:53:28. > :53:32.a post-Brexit world? We are already at that. As I

:53:33. > :53:34.mentioned to his honourable friend, I was in Cambridge just before

:53:35. > :53:38.Christmas with that very much in mind.

:53:39. > :53:43.Let me just reiterate the point. I know I've made it from despatch box

:53:44. > :53:47.before. I'll reiterate the point. My job is to bring back control of the

:53:48. > :53:51.immigration policy to the UK. But do not assume that we'll do anything

:53:52. > :53:57.other than interpret that immigration policy in the UK's

:53:58. > :54:02.national interests. We are a university, a science super power

:54:03. > :54:06.and that science super power status depends on our access to tariffs,

:54:07. > :54:10.our ability to get people to come and work in our universities with

:54:11. > :54:15.Nobel Prizes and do what they do very well here and we have got that

:54:16. > :54:21.very, very square and centre in what we are attempting to achieve. Thank

:54:22. > :54:25.you very much, Mr Speaker. The Secretary of State was an early

:54:26. > :54:29.advocate of a White Paper. Downing Street have made it clear that

:54:30. > :54:35.there'll be no White Paper that the Prime Minister's speech is all we

:54:36. > :54:40.are going to get. Is he disappointed with that and, will he go back and

:54:41. > :54:47.ask her to think again so that we can have meaningful debate with

:54:48. > :54:52.votes ahead of the final agreement? I mean, frankly, she should read it.

:54:53. > :54:56.It's almost 7,000 words, a closely argued strategy in terms of the

:54:57. > :55:01.approach to the European Union. It answers all of her questions that we

:55:02. > :55:04.can answer at this stage and that's what we set out to do, to help

:55:05. > :55:13.Parliament with its decisions. That's what I think we have done.

:55:14. > :55:19.The honourable member from hoe burn and St Pancras suggested that the

:55:20. > :55:23.ECJ would retain the trade deal. Given the Canada trade deal contains

:55:24. > :55:27.an arbitration clause, does the Secretary of State think this is

:55:28. > :55:31.absolutely necessary? There is always an arbitration clause in any

:55:32. > :55:35.trade deal but whoever the organisation that carries out the

:55:36. > :55:40.arbitration, is a part of that deal. That's what we'll agree. I think

:55:41. > :55:44.it's incredibly unlikely it will be the ECJ.

:55:45. > :55:47.Can I suggest to the honourable member that the Government's threat

:55:48. > :55:50.of turning Britain into a corporate tax haven floating off on the edge

:55:51. > :55:54.of Europe is not what people voted for on the 23rd June. People also

:55:55. > :55:59.did not vote to wreck our environmental protections. So will

:56:00. > :56:02.the Government introduce a new Environmental Protection Act as

:56:03. > :56:06.advocated by the Environmental Audit Committee so that vital safeguards

:56:07. > :56:08.for nature are neither quietly dropped through secondary

:56:09. > :56:11.legislation, nor bargained away in this rush to be able to conclude new

:56:12. > :56:15.trade deals, for example, with the US.

:56:16. > :56:21.Well, what I'll say to her is this. The way we have structured this,

:56:22. > :56:26.very clearly I think, with the great Repeal Bill, so that that all of the

:56:27. > :56:29.existing protections in law will be put into British law, then anything

:56:30. > :56:37.thereafter will be for this Parliament to decide, something that

:56:38. > :56:42.hasn't been true for about 40 years. Mr Speaker, in the Secretary of

:56:43. > :56:46.State's long and distinguished political career, did he ever think

:56:47. > :56:53.that in his political lifetime, he would have a British Prime Minister

:56:54. > :56:56.make such a splendid speech on the EU, totally in line with the British

:56:57. > :57:04.people? Absolutely not! But sadly that won't

:57:05. > :57:09.get me a pay increase. Russia. Russia this week has been up

:57:10. > :57:14.to its usual tricks no trying to stir up trouble between Serbia and

:57:15. > :57:17.Kosovo and of course is trying to face down the United States of

:57:18. > :57:22.America and, for that matter, other members of NATO on the border with

:57:23. > :57:28.Poland and Estonia. Now, I believe that the bedrock of our national

:57:29. > :57:36.security is NATO. I hope my party does too. But successive Foreign

:57:37. > :57:39.Secretaries and Home Secretaries and Prime Ministers have come to this

:57:40. > :57:43.House and said that they are proud when they've come back from the EU,

:57:44. > :57:47.that they have been able to make sure that the EU keeps strong

:57:48. > :57:51.sanctions against Russian territorial aggression. How will we

:57:52. > :57:55.be able to do that in the future when we've left the European Union?

:57:56. > :57:58.Well, we'll be able to do it by bilateral negotiation. Let me go

:57:59. > :58:05.back to the fundamental of what he said. I mean, one of the - he's

:58:06. > :58:09.right, we need to contain Russian expansionism - and he's right that

:58:10. > :58:14.that's an important part of this country's role in the world. One of

:58:15. > :58:18.the most important parts of the incredibly important speech was the

:58:19. > :58:24.Prime Minister making it very plain that we will continue to be a good

:58:25. > :58:29.global citizen and a good European citizen, particularly on matters of

:58:30. > :58:34.regional security. I welcome today's statement and the

:58:35. > :58:39.clarity it brings. In the Black Country and the wider West Midlands

:58:40. > :58:43.economy, their businesses have driven export growth, particularly

:58:44. > :58:46.outside of the European Union. Would the Secretary of State agree with me

:58:47. > :58:51.that whatever we agree in terms of access to the single market, must

:58:52. > :58:55.not constrain the ability of West Midlands exporters to continue to

:58:56. > :58:59.ply trade outside of the European Union and grow their exports?

:59:00. > :59:03.He makes a point which goes to the heart of the approach to the customs

:59:04. > :59:07.union. The reason we are not going to be a part of the common

:59:08. > :59:11.commercial policy is to enable us to make the deals which enable the

:59:12. > :59:18.Black Country industrialists to make the maximum out of international

:59:19. > :59:24.trade. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. EU

:59:25. > :59:28.workers in Scotland contribute ?7. 5 billion to our economy, not to

:59:29. > :59:32.mention the huge contribution they make to our social fabric. What is

:59:33. > :59:35.he going to do to protect their rights and Scotland's place in

:59:36. > :59:41.Europe as they voted for by a majority in the EU vote?

:59:42. > :59:45.I mean, there was a part of the report that was produced by the

:59:46. > :59:53.Scottish Government which related to this and, as I said to one of my

:59:54. > :59:56.colleagues earlier, that we will not be managing the immigration policy

:59:57. > :00:01.or the migration policy in a way which harms the national interest.

:00:02. > :00:05.That means not causing Labour shortages, shortages of talent and

:00:06. > :00:11.so on. That applies, not just as it were globally, but to each nation

:00:12. > :00:14.state of the United Kingdom too. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

:00:15. > :00:20.I welcome the Prime Minister's plan for Britain and her speech today. I

:00:21. > :00:26.represent a rural constituency which has a long history and future of

:00:27. > :00:31.agriculture. Can my right honourable friend assure the House that

:00:32. > :00:36.agriculture will be central in any trade negotiations and that the high

:00:37. > :00:42.quality of food standards for which British farming is famed will be a

:00:43. > :00:48.key principle in those negotiations? The answer very simply is yes. We

:00:49. > :00:51.are a large market for European agriculture and food production but

:00:52. > :00:58.they are a large market for us too and we'll keep that in mind.

:00:59. > :01:01.Mr Speaker, on rethinking immigration policy, will ministers

:01:02. > :01:06.consider allowing EU citizens to come to the UK if they have a firm

:01:07. > :01:10.job offer in the UK, as part of the quid pro quo for the barrier free

:01:11. > :01:15.access to the single market which he said is his goal?

:01:16. > :01:20.I think if I remember correctly from the speech, the Prime Minister made

:01:21. > :01:24.the point thats the not a policy to shut out Europeans at all, it's a

:01:25. > :01:27.policy to deliver the best interests of the United Kingdom and the best

:01:28. > :01:32.interests of the European Union and therefore we'll keep that in mind,

:01:33. > :01:36.of course. I welcome the Prime Minister's

:01:37. > :01:38.speech and her plans. But would my right honourable friend agree his

:01:39. > :01:41.negotiations will be greatly enhanced by his commitment to

:01:42. > :01:45.working with Britishth British business and that the Government's

:01:46. > :01:50.commitment to shaping a modern industrial strategy with British

:01:51. > :01:54.business will also provide a clear vision for our post-Brexit economic

:01:55. > :02:01.future? The two policies fit together hand and glove almost, the

:02:02. > :02:04.industrial policy and the negotiating policy with the European

:02:05. > :02:08.Union. It's right that we have made an enormous amount of attention to

:02:09. > :02:12.business, finance and manufacturing, to aviation, energy, every single

:02:13. > :02:15.sector, 51 different sectors. We have paid a great deal of attention

:02:16. > :02:20.to them in order to get the best possible deal and we'll continue to

:02:21. > :02:27.do so. Mr Speaker, trading with the EU

:02:28. > :02:33.under WTO rules would be vastly inferior to our current arrangements

:02:34. > :02:37.with 10% tariffs on cars, 13% on clothes, up to 40% tariffs on

:02:38. > :02:42.agricultural produce that the lady was talking about. For the sake of

:02:43. > :02:46.clarity, can he be absolutely clear, does the Prime Minister's commitment

:02:47. > :02:55.to an interim implementation arrangement amount to the Government

:02:56. > :03:00.ruling out leaving the EU with no deal at all. That would be damaging

:03:01. > :03:10.for jobs and businesses in this country.

:03:11. > :03:18.If you walk into a negotiating option with no other option you

:03:19. > :03:23.won't do very well. Can I welcome the tone of the Prime

:03:24. > :03:29.Minister this morning in the building formerly known as Stafford

:03:30. > :03:36.House. Would he agree with me that this issue of no cliff edge of a

:03:37. > :03:39.really well-worked out implementation plan is incredibly

:03:40. > :03:43.important, not just for businesses, but for the entire economy and all

:03:44. > :03:47.of the people of the United Kingdom and indeed of the EU.

:03:48. > :03:53.I think my right honourable friend is, as ever, right. I would say to

:03:54. > :03:56.him, of course, the point I tried to make earlier and it was made this

:03:57. > :03:58.morning, is this is important to us but also important to the European

:03:59. > :04:06.Union too. Thank you, Mr Speaker. If we are

:04:07. > :04:09.looking things which unite us and will enable us to exit the European

:04:10. > :04:12.Union more smoothly, can I suggest the minister starts talking to the

:04:13. > :04:18.Home Office and to minister who is deal with universities to find a way

:04:19. > :04:21.where we can properly remove the numbers of international students

:04:22. > :04:28.from the head count of immigration figures?

:04:29. > :04:35.Having explained earlier how I got the job, I think answering that

:04:36. > :04:40.question would lose me the job. It is a matter for the Home Office. But

:04:41. > :04:44.she can be sure that as I have said earlier, in answer to other

:04:45. > :04:48.questions, the operation of the immigration policy after we depart

:04:49. > :04:53.the European Union will be in the national interest, that includes the

:04:54. > :04:59.interest of our incredibly powerful and effective university sector. As

:05:00. > :05:04.the Shadow Minister said, this is not a hard Brexit, nor is this a

:05:05. > :05:08.soft Brexit, this is a plan for Britain on Brexit. The pound is up

:05:09. > :05:11.almost 3% since the announcement of the Prime Minister this morning.

:05:12. > :05:15.Could I urge my right honourable friend to not give in to the voices

:05:16. > :05:18.opposite who want a constant commentary but to carry on the clear

:05:19. > :05:22.strategy that's been laid out since he took post of making announcements

:05:23. > :05:25.when there is something to announce because that stability has been

:05:26. > :05:30.proved on the markets today that it works. Well, I am slightly loath to

:05:31. > :05:35.pin the entire effectiveness of the strategy on the currency markets,

:05:36. > :05:39.although I have to say that in two speeches now we managed to move it

:05:40. > :05:43.by a total of 5% so I have made more money on that than in the entire

:05:44. > :05:47.rest of my industrial career. But I take the point. This is a very

:05:48. > :05:51.important issue that we must not give a running commentary on but I

:05:52. > :06:00.think the opposition have a point that clarity was worthwhile and

:06:01. > :06:04.that's been demonstrated today. The Prime Minister said in her

:06:05. > :06:10.speech that we are leaving the single market, that she was going to

:06:11. > :06:15.negotiate a tree trade agreement with the EU and -- free trade

:06:16. > :06:21.agreement with the EU. Taking arrangements in certain areas. The

:06:22. > :06:25.Prime Minister continued, if so, it is reasonable that we should make an

:06:26. > :06:30.appropriate contribution. Can the Secretary of State say today and

:06:31. > :06:33.confirm is the Government actually considering continuing to make a

:06:34. > :06:39.financial contribution on that basis to the EU? I think he should have

:06:40. > :06:45.listened to the questions as well when she elaborated on that. She

:06:46. > :06:49.pointed out there are elements of the European Union where it's to our

:06:50. > :06:54.benefit, some of the research arrangements and so on. We are not

:06:55. > :06:56.in the business of going into great detail beyond that. I have said

:06:57. > :07:07.before we are not closing doors, but neither are we committing to things

:07:08. > :07:13.at this point. Well done the Prime Minister, well done my right

:07:14. > :07:18.honourable friend. Does he share my optimism that access to the European

:07:19. > :07:23.markets will not be affected by our departure because of the millions of

:07:24. > :07:27.European workers who will not allow their politicians or their

:07:28. > :07:30.bureaucrats to threaten their livelihoods simply to punish the

:07:31. > :07:33.United Kingdom? I am sure my right honourable friend

:07:34. > :07:47.is right and I particularly like the opening of his question!

:07:48. > :07:52.Could I commend the honourable lady for her sanity in her common sense

:07:53. > :07:56.earlier and the member for Rushcliff for bringing a degree of integrity

:07:57. > :08:00.to the discussion. Does the Secretary of State for exiting the

:08:01. > :08:05.EU recognise that I and thousands of others in Northern Ireland won't be

:08:06. > :08:09.leaving the EU willingly. We recognise the very significant

:08:10. > :08:14.benefits that have flowed from EU membership. We hold EU passports and

:08:15. > :08:17.we intend to retain them. But can I ask the Secretary of State what

:08:18. > :08:21.arrangements he will make to accommodate us? People like myself

:08:22. > :08:27.and the 70% of my constituents who voted to remain in the EU and intend

:08:28. > :08:32.to retain the benefits and could he when he tell us how he intends

:08:33. > :08:35.Northern Ireland to have its voice heard at the GMC meetings that he

:08:36. > :08:41.has and in the negotiations generally in the next three months?

:08:42. > :08:47.Let me say to the honourable gentleman. Firstly, since the

:08:48. > :08:52.beginning of this process, since I took this post, we have put the

:08:53. > :08:55.preservation of the stability and interests of Northern Ireland pretty

:08:56. > :09:01.much at the top of the tree of the negotiation, in particular on issues

:09:02. > :09:05.such as maintaining an open border and indeed on preserving the

:09:06. > :09:11.economic basis of Northern Ireland which is very dependent on trade

:09:12. > :09:15.with the Republic of Ireland. In terms of the JMC, I don't think

:09:16. > :09:19.whether it's gone yesterday but I approved it yesterday for the

:09:20. > :09:23.Northern Ireland economictive asking them whether they during the interim

:09:24. > :09:28.period, although the Government doesn't - is now subject to an

:09:29. > :09:32.election, ministers, most of the ministers are still in place to get

:09:33. > :09:34.them to send representatives either Ministerial or other

:09:35. > :09:38.representatives, so that we are always across the interests of

:09:39. > :09:41.Northern Ireland. He must take it as read, I am absolutely committed to

:09:42. > :09:45.making sure that the stability we have got used to and the peace we

:09:46. > :09:50.have got used to and prosperity in the last several years, we intend to

:09:51. > :09:53.maintain. As the Secretary of State said, if

:09:54. > :09:59.we are to give up our membership of the European Union and indeed the

:10:00. > :10:01.single market, this is not incompatible with us negotiating

:10:02. > :10:06.access to the single market either in whole or in part, I was wondering

:10:07. > :10:12.if at this stage my honourable friend has considered red lines he

:10:13. > :10:18.may put down in terms of what we pay for such access? I have considered,

:10:19. > :10:22.but the idea that I might talk about them is neither here... The simple

:10:23. > :10:27.truth is, there is a sort of naivety in modern politics that you have to

:10:28. > :10:33.establish in some sort of butch way red lines. If you establish a red

:10:34. > :10:36.line what you do is you invite your opposite, your negotiating opposite

:10:37. > :10:41.to make that red line very expensive to you. So, I do not intend to get

:10:42. > :10:44.into the business of laying out red lines here, there and everywhere,

:10:45. > :10:55.because I intend to get the best possible outcome for the country.

:10:56. > :11:01.The Prime Minister has said that we will be leaving the jurisdiction of

:11:02. > :11:06.the European Court of justice but can the Secretary of State, who has

:11:07. > :11:10.been a strong advocate of human rights, confirm that we will not be

:11:11. > :11:16.leaving the European Convention on Human Rights?

:11:17. > :11:19.Well as she knows I have history in this area and they're completely

:11:20. > :11:26.separate entities, nothing to do with this.

:11:27. > :11:32.I wholeheartedly welcome my right honourable friend's statement and

:11:33. > :11:36.that of the Prime Minister. Steel production is hugely important in

:11:37. > :11:40.Northamptonshire, will he consult widely about the future of the steel

:11:41. > :11:44.industry to make sure we get these arrangements right because this is a

:11:45. > :11:48.vitally strategic important industry for our country? Yes, the short

:11:49. > :11:56.answer is yes. The Secretary of State talked about

:11:57. > :12:01.bumps in the road. But this threatens to be a head of on car

:12:02. > :12:06.crash for Wales where 200,000 jobs are supported by trade with Europe.

:12:07. > :12:12.Does he have any idea how many jobs will be lost in Wales as a result of

:12:13. > :12:18.his Government's chosen path? The intention is none. I will say to

:12:19. > :12:22.that end the joint Ministerial committee for European negotiation

:12:23. > :12:27.will be considering a subfrom the Government for Wales I think in the

:12:28. > :12:30.meeting after next. I actually believe the Prime

:12:31. > :12:34.Minister's powers are pragmatic plan because it sets out the ambitions

:12:35. > :12:38.that we have to continue to attract the best talent to continue access

:12:39. > :12:41.to the single market and to have a phased implementation and that

:12:42. > :12:46.certainly recognises the ambitions of the financial services industry.

:12:47. > :12:52.Could my right honourable friend confirm he will follow the Prime

:12:53. > :12:57.Minister's lead and put the needs at the forefront of his negotiations

:12:58. > :13:00.and secure mutual recognition and equiff Lance in those negotiations?

:13:01. > :13:04.Following my earlier comments of course I will follow the Prime

:13:05. > :13:11.Minister's lead! And yes, of course, national

:13:12. > :13:14.services is an enormously important industry, plus all the associated

:13:15. > :13:18.industries that support it. I have to tell him as well it's an industry

:13:19. > :13:22.that general rates great revenue for the tresh ear, even if I didn't pay

:13:23. > :13:28.attention I am sure the Chancellor would.

:13:29. > :13:32.58% of the north-east exports are destined for the EU, 10% more than

:13:33. > :13:37.the UK average, leaving our region the most exposed from leaving the

:13:38. > :13:41.single market. Could the Secretary of State confirm what specific

:13:42. > :13:44.assessment or specific conversations he has had with business

:13:45. > :13:48.organisations and others in the north-east to ensure that our voice

:13:49. > :13:51.is heard in these discussions and that those jobs that depend on our

:13:52. > :13:58.access to the single market are not put at risk.

:13:59. > :14:04.I am not a southerner, she will understand that I come at this from

:14:05. > :14:09.a different view from some, and companies like Nissan clearly took a

:14:10. > :14:15.view too. Let me put this to her clearly, the aim of this strategy is

:14:16. > :14:18.to deliver absolutely the maximum possible access to the European

:14:19. > :14:22.Union marketplace, as well as delivering access to other global

:14:23. > :14:27.marketplaces at the same time. Those two things will be to the benefit of

:14:28. > :14:33.the north-east just as much as anywhere else.

:14:34. > :14:37.Nearly 70% of my constituents voted to leave the EU so I very much

:14:38. > :14:41.welcome the Prime Minister's speech today and my right honourable

:14:42. > :14:48.friend's statement outlining a plan of how we can deliver this exit. But

:14:49. > :14:51.just a point on trade. Can my right honourable friend outline in more

:14:52. > :14:56.detail what the Government is going to do to ensure businesses such as

:14:57. > :15:01.those in Cannock Chase can make the most of global trade opportunities

:15:02. > :15:05.as we exit the EU? Strictly this is a question she

:15:06. > :15:08.should address to the department for international trade because one

:15:09. > :15:13.element of what they do is negotiating new deals but the other

:15:14. > :15:18.element is facilitating, particularly for medium sized

:15:19. > :15:20.businesses, the ones where we underperform, access to those

:15:21. > :15:30.markets and they'll be doing that, as well.

:15:31. > :15:33.The second of the Prime Minister's Brexit principles as leaving the

:15:34. > :15:37.European Union will mean our laws will be made in Westminster,

:15:38. > :15:42.Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, in the spirit of principle one that the

:15:43. > :15:46.Government will provide certainty wherever it can, will the Secretary

:15:47. > :15:51.now provide details to the House of what further devolution or as he

:15:52. > :15:53.called it the right powers will go to the devolved administrations

:15:54. > :15:58.following our exit from the European Union?

:15:59. > :16:03.The first thing to say to her is that not a single power will come

:16:04. > :16:06.away from the devolved administrations, not one. If one was

:16:07. > :16:10.to listen sometimes to people talk being this you would think somehow

:16:11. > :16:15.we are going to strip the Scottish parliament of powers, which is not

:16:16. > :16:18.true. Secondly, I will say this to her, my presumption is I can tell

:16:19. > :16:22.her the principle, I can't give her the details at this stage, but my

:16:23. > :16:26.presumption is that wherever possible we will devolve so long as

:16:27. > :16:30.it doesn't undermine the UK single market, for which it is incredibly

:16:31. > :16:36.important to Scotland, about five times as much as it is to a European

:16:37. > :16:39.single market is. Secondly, that it preserves the ability of the

:16:40. > :16:42.Government to do international negotiation because - thirdly, to

:16:43. > :16:45.meet the international standards. Those are very important. Subject to

:16:46. > :16:51.that, I am on her side in terms of devolving.

:16:52. > :16:54.MrSpeaker, I totally agree with my right honourable friend that the UK

:16:55. > :16:58.is one of the best places for innovation and science and not least

:16:59. > :17:02.we have many world-class universities just like in my home

:17:03. > :17:06.town of Huddersfield. Would he agree that's exactly why our European

:17:07. > :17:12.allies will be eager to build a strong, new relationship?

:17:13. > :17:15.Of course. If the European negotiators take a rationale

:17:16. > :17:21.approach to this we will do this deal inside that two years and it

:17:22. > :17:27.will be good for both sides. No deal may be better than a bad

:17:28. > :17:32.deal but isn't the reality that no deal means, despite its best

:17:33. > :17:38.efforts, the British Government has been unable to conclude what it

:17:39. > :17:42.regards as a satisfactory outcome to the negotiations and therefore we

:17:43. > :17:46.are left with what the other 27 members want to impose on us,

:17:47. > :17:50.doesn't that sound like a pretty bad deal?

:17:51. > :17:57.No, being left to what 27 nations want to impose on sup a definition

:17:58. > :18:00.of a bad deal. I am sure the Secretary of State

:18:01. > :18:04.shares my enthusiasm for the clarity of the Prime Minister's speech

:18:05. > :18:07.today, a global Britain, freedom from the customs union and the

:18:08. > :18:13.constraints of single market membership. How will my right

:18:14. > :18:17.honourable friend impart that same enthusiasm amongst our EU friends

:18:18. > :18:22.and partners as we approach this future realising it's as good for

:18:23. > :18:28.them as it is good for us and it's a positive sum game? That last point

:18:29. > :18:32.is the most sper swaysive aspect. It will be to their benefit. The

:18:33. > :18:36.European Union has had a difficult five years, in economic terms and

:18:37. > :18:39.they really, if anybody has an appetite for more jobs and business

:18:40. > :18:47.and more trade it's them and we are their biggest market.

:18:48. > :18:52.The EU procurement rules have led to privatisation of parts of the health

:18:53. > :18:57.service, including part of the ambulance service in the East

:18:58. > :19:00.Midlands. Will the Secretary of State guarantee that when these

:19:01. > :19:04.negotiations are concluded and put in front of parliament that we will

:19:05. > :19:10.have the opportunity as parliament if we then choose to renationalise

:19:11. > :19:13.the entirety of the health service, without EU procurement getting in

:19:14. > :19:17.the way and if we also choose the rail industry?

:19:18. > :19:21.The honourable gentleman will understand better than most, that

:19:22. > :19:24.once we have exited the European Union, every change in law will be

:19:25. > :19:27.subject to this Parliament's decision.

:19:28. > :19:37.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I very much welcome the Prime Minister's speech

:19:38. > :19:40.today and indeed my right my right honourable friend's statement

:19:41. > :19:45.earlier on. We have seen the New Zealand Prime Minister visiting

:19:46. > :19:50.London over the weekend expressing a desire for a trade deal and also the

:19:51. > :19:54.US President Elect Trump wanting a swift deal as well with the UK.

:19:55. > :19:59.There seems to be some confusion. Can my right honourable friend

:20:00. > :20:05.confirm that we cannot negotiate global free trade deals if we remain

:20:06. > :20:09.members of the customs union? Well, he's exactly right. What

:20:10. > :20:12.that's what the common commercial policy is, it prevents us doing

:20:13. > :20:25.that, that's why we have come to the conclusion that we have. Thank you

:20:26. > :20:29.Mr Speaker. The UK is going to do away with free movement, it's going

:20:30. > :20:35.to come out the customs union and leaving the single market. Yet we

:20:36. > :20:41.are going to maintain a common free movement deal with Ireland. How can

:20:42. > :20:51.that work but we are constantly told such a deal would not be possible

:20:52. > :20:56.between Scotland and England? If I remember correctly, the common

:20:57. > :21:02.travel area started in 1923 and has nothing to do with the European

:21:03. > :21:10.Union. Mr Speaker, my right honourable friend is the man with

:21:11. > :21:14.the plan. They may mock if they wish, Mr Speaker, but will he ensure

:21:15. > :21:21.that those wanting a running commentary will not get their way in

:21:22. > :21:27.wrecking the negotiation? Of course. Thank you very much

:21:28. > :21:30.indeed Mr Speaker. The Secretary of State and indeed

:21:31. > :21:35.the Prime Minister are very keen to repeat this phrase - no-one wants to

:21:36. > :21:38.see a return to the border of the past - between Northern Ireland and

:21:39. > :21:43.the republic. Of course no-one wants to see the return of the borders of

:21:44. > :21:49.the past with army patrols and that sort of thing. The reality is, we

:21:50. > :21:53.can't have a return to the border of the past because we don't have the

:21:54. > :21:57.army watch Towers. They've gone. Dissident Republicans have not gone.

:21:58. > :22:01.Dissident Republicans have murdered two prison officers in the last four

:22:02. > :22:04.years in Northern Ireland. This is a really serious issue. So if we are

:22:05. > :22:08.not going to go back to the border of the past and I don't want to go

:22:09. > :22:14.back to that very hard type of border, it's a porous border in

:22:15. > :22:18.south Armargh, 300 miles of it. Is the British Government proposing to

:22:19. > :22:21.outsource our immigration control to the Irish Government in terms of

:22:22. > :22:25.lick Rick, Shamrock, Dublin and Shannon? What is the British

:22:26. > :22:29.Government going to do and please throw some light on this in this

:22:30. > :22:34.debate in this House today because I'm so tired of hearing that sound

:22:35. > :22:38.byte, no-one wishes to return to the borders of the past. The first thing

:22:39. > :22:45.to say is of course there is an open border now and that's the existing

:22:46. > :22:49.circumstance. I don't wish to give her sound bytes but I'll say this to

:22:50. > :22:53.her. There are other borders and perhaps not quite the same security

:22:54. > :22:58.issues are related to them, around Europe, Norway to Sweden for

:22:59. > :23:02.example, where there is an open border maintained where you've got

:23:03. > :23:06.Customs and Excise across the border but nevertheless it's frictionless

:23:07. > :23:09.and that's what we'd aim for. On the security front, it's a question more

:23:10. > :23:14.for my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Northern

:23:15. > :23:19.Ireland. Thank you Mr Speaker. Some 44% of

:23:20. > :23:22.our exports currently go to the European Union. But does the

:23:23. > :23:26.Secretary of State agree with me that in many respects that figure is

:23:27. > :23:30.part of the problem given that just 7% of the world's population lives

:23:31. > :23:33.in the EU. So does the Secretary of State agree with me that today's

:23:34. > :23:37.decision to come out of the single market gives us a wonderful

:23:38. > :23:46.opportunity to be more global and international with our trading

:23:47. > :23:51.partners. A difficult one. My right honourable friend will know better

:23:52. > :23:55.than me since, well in the last 16, 17 years, the balance of exports in

:23:56. > :24:00.this country to Europe and the rest of the world has always turned

:24:01. > :24:04.around. It was 60-40 in favour of Europe 20 years ago, it's now almost

:24:05. > :24:12.60-40 the other way. That reflexes the growth rates in global markets

:24:13. > :24:22.are much higher -- that reflects. That is one of the bonuses of exit

:24:23. > :24:28.of the European Union. The Prime Minister's come up with a wish list

:24:29. > :24:31.and a scorched earth policy of slashing taxes and Public Services

:24:32. > :24:35.if she doesn't get what she wants. Given that many of the Secretary of

:24:36. > :24:39.State's colleagues would regard that as an ideal snarl yes, it's the

:24:40. > :24:42.economics model they would love to see implemented here, how is he

:24:43. > :24:45.going to square that during the negotiations and ensure we homed out

:24:46. > :24:50.for the best deal, rather than this deal which would be absolutely

:24:51. > :24:57.terrible for this country? Ink it would help the honourable lady if

:24:58. > :25:02.she read the speech with an impartial view. It says in terms,

:25:03. > :25:05.the preferred outcome is that of the freest possible open market with the

:25:06. > :25:15.European Union as well as the rest of the world and that's what we

:25:16. > :25:21.intend to achieve. It's a statement of economic fact that a large part

:25:22. > :25:27.of our economy is heavily dependent on unskilled hard-working migrants

:25:28. > :25:29.from the European Union. Does he accept there is likely to still be

:25:30. > :25:33.some unskilled migration in this country after we leave the EU and if

:25:34. > :25:36.so, will it still be the case if at present that legally unskilled

:25:37. > :25:42.migrants can only come to the EU or will our migration system be global

:25:43. > :25:46.too? He's right that the level of unskilled migration is likely to

:25:47. > :25:49.continue. Where from, how it's controlled, will all be a matter for

:25:50. > :25:55.the new immigration policy which will be under the control of this

:25:56. > :26:00.House. I keep returning to - my sgrob is to return the policy here

:26:01. > :26:03.-- my job. Then it's the job of this house to make the right decision in

:26:04. > :26:14.the British national interest and I'm sure we will. Thank you Mr

:26:15. > :26:19.Speaker. My constituency voted stronger than anywhere else to leave

:26:20. > :26:22.the European Union. I know that many people in Boston and Skegness will

:26:23. > :26:24.welcome the lardty and tone of the announcement today. Does the

:26:25. > :26:28.Secretary of State agree with me that when the people of Boston and

:26:29. > :26:32.Skegness voted for this country to be able to control our immigration

:26:33. > :26:35.policy and to be able to do our own trade deals, they were voting

:26:36. > :26:45.knowingly to leave the customs union and the leave the single market? I

:26:46. > :26:48.don't want to get into trying to interpret the inner thinkings of

:26:49. > :26:52.this. But the advocates on both sides of the argument during the

:26:53. > :26:55.campaign made it plain that they thought that leaving the European

:26:56. > :27:05.Union meant leaving the single market so I can't think it was a

:27:06. > :27:10.decision made in ignorance. The Secretary of State has said

:27:11. > :27:13.maintaining the common area in Northern Ireland is important. This

:27:14. > :27:16.time, for the first time ever, one partner will be a member of the

:27:17. > :27:22.European Union and one will not be. Can he give some clarity to people

:27:23. > :27:26.like myself who have a porous border with the Republic of Ireland whether

:27:27. > :27:31.the common travel area will mean the free movement of people or will it

:27:32. > :27:35.mean the freedom of movement, people, goods and capital. Because

:27:36. > :27:37.many people travel with goods and will Welsh ports be subject to

:27:38. > :27:53.customs? Firstly, he's right, and one of the

:27:54. > :27:57.things I've discussed is that. The point that came across very clearly

:27:58. > :28:00.was that the European Union is very proud of its position in the peace

:28:01. > :28:08.process and does not want to jeopardise that. So I think we've

:28:09. > :28:14.got a very - it will be treating, as indeed it was a 1949 Act, somebody

:28:15. > :28:22.will know it, treats Irish citizens the same as British and vice versa.

:28:23. > :28:25.Thank you Mr Speaker, I'm loathed to disagree with my Parliamentary

:28:26. > :28:30.neighbour, people trying to build a statue of him in my constituency at

:28:31. > :28:37.the moment. Stand that to one side, but I can't think of a single treaty

:28:38. > :28:43.between the EU and another country which uses the ECJ to organise its

:28:44. > :28:48.dispute issues. Every treaty the EU's ever signed, as far as I'm

:28:49. > :28:51.aware, either uses an international arbitration system or the World

:28:52. > :28:54.Trade Organisation. So there is absolutely no reason that the Right

:28:55. > :29:01.Honourable friend and the Government couldn't achieve that in our own

:29:02. > :29:09.negotiations. THE SPEAKER: I hope it were a

:29:10. > :29:12.speaking statue, otherwise it wouldn't fully capture it. My right

:29:13. > :29:16.honourable friend is right and indeed I cannot imagine most

:29:17. > :29:19.countries doing deals with the European Union agreeing for the

:29:20. > :29:28.European Union's own court to make the judgment. It would be an

:29:29. > :29:31.independent, of course, in general. The Secretary of State's confirmed

:29:32. > :29:36.that my constituents who're EU nationals will be used as bargaining

:29:37. > :29:40.chips to secure the rights of EU nationals living in the UK. This is

:29:41. > :29:43.already impacting our NHS, universities and the construction

:29:44. > :29:47.sector amongst other sectors of the economy. Why won't he retain the

:29:48. > :29:51.moral high ground on this issue and confirm the rights of EU nationals

:29:52. > :29:55.living this the UK and their status as values members of the community

:29:56. > :29:58.and important contributors to our economy and Public Services and then

:29:59. > :30:02.seek to hold EU countries to the same high stand ahhed of

:30:03. > :30:10.decision-making as regards the rights of UK nationals? The point

:30:11. > :30:14.about doing it as a block is that it makes nobody a bargaining chip. Once

:30:15. > :30:17.you start separating groups out, you turn the remainder into a bargaining

:30:18. > :30:23.chip and we mustn't do that. We have a legal responsibility to our own

:30:24. > :30:28.sit Zibs. -- citizens. Having said that, many times in every public

:30:29. > :30:34.forum I speak in on this subject, that we are determined to get a good

:30:35. > :30:39.guaranteed position for them. They should not worry. It needs us to get

:30:40. > :30:43.all the other countries lined up to agree with us to do it. We tried to

:30:44. > :30:49.do it, we wanted to do it earlier but we haven't been able to. We'll

:30:50. > :30:57.do it as soon as we can. Will the minister explain what will

:30:58. > :31:01.happen to fisheries? Well, with great respect to my right honourable

:31:02. > :31:06.friend, I'm not going to go into every single sedge for of the --

:31:07. > :31:10.sector of the negotiation, but it's pretty plain that we have a very

:31:11. > :31:20.strong hand on fisheries, I'll put it that way. Thank you, Mr Speaker.

:31:21. > :31:25.It's a pity the Secretary of State was unable to attend the statement

:31:26. > :31:29.by my right honourable friend, the Right Honourable Secretary of State

:31:30. > :31:33.for Northern Ireland, for if he did he'd recognise the White Paper is a

:31:34. > :31:37.catastrophe. That's what he called it in his statement. That is the

:31:38. > :31:41.White Paper. Therefore to assure members of this House that the

:31:42. > :31:48.Secretary of State - will the Secretary of State assure us that

:31:49. > :31:51.the amendment will not be revoked either before or after Brexit and

:31:52. > :31:59.that the United Kingdom Government will confirm that it will not impose

:32:00. > :32:07.a hard border with their closest European Union member, Ireland.

:32:08. > :32:12.I think I've said that many times. Thank you Mr Speaker. When

:32:13. > :32:15.Switzerland voted in 2014 to restrict immigration, their future

:32:16. > :32:20.participation in key EU research programmes was thrown into doubt.

:32:21. > :32:22.Just a few weeks from the deadline they've reached a compromise

:32:23. > :32:28.allowing them full participation. But this return for free movement

:32:29. > :32:32.with some tweaks. Our science and research and university sector

:32:33. > :32:35.demands no less. Today the Prime Minister offered no more than

:32:36. > :32:40.aspiration, no plan at all for the sector. Two years of uncertainty

:32:41. > :32:43.will do huge damage. Just how much damage is this Government prepared

:32:44. > :32:49.to countenance to one of our key sectors? Well, as nonsense questions

:32:50. > :32:54.go, that pretty much takes the biscuit. We've made it very plain

:32:55. > :33:01.indeed, very plain indeed what we intend here. We are a dominant

:33:02. > :33:07.scientific power in European Union, we have worked night and day to

:33:08. > :33:11.ensure we guarantee the position of students. We will continue to do

:33:12. > :33:19.that. If he just plays it down, he'll do harm to the very sector

:33:20. > :33:22.he's supposedly trying to protect. Given almost everything that's been

:33:23. > :33:26.said by the Prime Minister, and by the Brexit secretary today, is

:33:27. > :33:29.incompatible with the Scottish Government, Scotland in Europe

:33:30. > :33:33.compromise document, how does the UK Government plan to honour the

:33:34. > :33:37.promise to take seriously those proposals, unless the Government now

:33:38. > :33:43.plans to explore all options to support continuing Scottish

:33:44. > :33:47.membership of the single market? As I answered earlier, we've got

:33:48. > :33:53.that paper to appear before us in a few days' time. There is more than

:33:54. > :34:01.just one component to it, of course. He talks as if it's only about the

:34:02. > :34:05.so-called opt-out, they call it. But there's also questions in it about

:34:06. > :34:09.devolution and about the treatment of employment. There's a question

:34:10. > :34:12.about immigration. All of which we'll discuss at that time and we'll

:34:13. > :34:17.treat it seriously, as we always have.

:34:18. > :34:24.At the weekend it was reported that Michelle Barney, the EU negotiator

:34:25. > :34:28.was prepared to contemplate a special deal for the city and the UK

:34:29. > :34:33.Government have indicated they might look at special sector of deals for

:34:34. > :34:37.the city and Nissan. Does the Secretary of State accept that there

:34:38. > :34:43.is scope for the differentiated deal which the Scottish Government seeks

:34:44. > :34:47.if he and his Prime Minister have the political will to support it?

:34:48. > :34:53.Very unusually for the honourable lady she's not quite got Michelle

:34:54. > :34:58.Barnier's statement right. What he is reported as saying I think he

:34:59. > :35:01.subsequently denied it, is that he saw there were risks to the

:35:02. > :35:05.financial stability of the European Union if they did not maintain open

:35:06. > :35:09.access for the City of London. But she's also wrong in saying that we

:35:10. > :35:17.have talked about special deals, for any sector, we haven't. The aim of

:35:18. > :35:20.the British Government is to ensure that the whole economy succeeds as a

:35:21. > :35:29.result of this policy, not just one part of it and that includes

:35:30. > :35:32.Scotland too. The Secretary of State says that no

:35:33. > :35:38.deal is better than a bad deal. But what he is not being clear about is

:35:39. > :35:42.that no deal is a bad deal. Given the Chancellor told the Treasury

:35:43. > :35:46.committee that the Prime Minister should enter the negotiations with

:35:47. > :35:49.the widest possible range of options available, why is the Government

:35:50. > :35:53.today chosen to rule out the best possible deal with the European

:35:54. > :35:56.Union, which is membership of the single market, membership of the

:35:57. > :36:00.customs union and as a result free flowing goods and trade with the

:36:01. > :36:03.largest single market in the world on our own doorstep and access for

:36:04. > :36:08.British businesses to half a billion customers?

:36:09. > :36:11.Well, I don't know where the honourable gentleman was on 23 June

:36:12. > :36:21.but the British people pretty much rejected that.

:36:22. > :36:26.Brexit is a bigger factor in the political discolouration in Northern

:36:27. > :36:30.Ireland at the minute, partly because the Good Friday Agreement

:36:31. > :36:33.had common membership of the EU absolutely Jermaine to it and its

:36:34. > :36:38.institutions. The Secretary of State would need to recognise that any

:36:39. > :36:41.negotiations which follow these elections are going to follow

:36:42. > :36:44.returning to and renewing fundamentals of the Good Friday

:36:45. > :36:47.Agreement, that means people are going to be looking in respect of

:36:48. > :36:51.Strand 2 about ensuring that the island of Ireland can work and be

:36:52. > :36:55.worked as part of the European economic area into the future. The

:36:56. > :37:01.question of when rights, when powers over rights are transferred or

:37:02. > :37:05.devolved after the great repale bill will be a political area because

:37:06. > :37:09.nobody in Northern Ireland is going to trust this House with diluting

:37:10. > :37:13.rights before powers are then devolved where any attempt to prove

:37:14. > :37:20.them with be vet I doed by the DUP as we have seen in the past. It

:37:21. > :37:24.would be like asking Attila the Hun to mind your horse. Not sure I get

:37:25. > :37:28.the reference. That's one of the reasons I wrote to the Northern

:37:29. > :37:31.Ireland executive to make sure that we had representation in a joint

:37:32. > :37:35.Ministerial committee during the course of this election process. I

:37:36. > :37:43.don't foresee removal of any rights. As I said to a member in the Labour

:37:44. > :37:46.Party earlier, my expectation is that this is one area where we

:37:47. > :37:49.expect a great deal of co-operation from the European Commission to get

:37:50. > :37:56.an outcome which is beneficial for everybody.

:37:57. > :38:01.Can the Secretary of State tell the House why the other 27 members of

:38:02. > :38:06.the European Union should give the UK the Ben fits of single market

:38:07. > :38:10.membership without the costs with a bespoke deal that gives barrier free

:38:11. > :38:14.and tariff free access to the single market when it sets a precedent and

:38:15. > :38:19.an incentive for other EU states to leave the European Union, how is

:38:20. > :38:24.that good for them? At the risk of repeating myself, to

:38:25. > :38:27.pick one industry, one country, German car industry sells 800,000

:38:28. > :38:36.cars a year to the United Kingdom. I think it has every interest in

:38:37. > :38:40.keeping that market open. The Prime Minister in her speech

:38:41. > :38:47.this morning ended on a very gracious note. She said that the

:38:48. > :38:53.victors in the Brexit debate in the UK should be magnanimous towards

:38:54. > :38:56.those who lost. I put it to the Minister that magnanimous accepting

:38:57. > :39:00.Scotland wants to stay in the single market and that discussions from now

:39:01. > :39:06.on should at least leave the door open to that ask from Scotland.

:39:07. > :39:09.As I said earlier that's - I said this to Mike Russell, that I have

:39:10. > :39:13.not commented publicly on the report, even though I have read it

:39:14. > :39:16.in detail, because I want to have an open discussion about it later. But

:39:17. > :39:23.it does not mean that we are going to agree on everything but we are

:39:24. > :39:28.going to treat it with respect. The EU is in the process of concluding

:39:29. > :39:32.international trade deals with, for example, Japan and Canada, which the

:39:33. > :39:35.UK Government has warmly supported believing they'll be good for the UK

:39:36. > :39:38.economy, for example in the case of the Japanese deal I understand that

:39:39. > :39:43.the UK Government estimate that is it could be worth 5 billion annually

:39:44. > :39:47.to the British economy. How quickly can those deals be replaced when we

:39:48. > :39:51.leave the European Union and what modelling has the Government done of

:39:52. > :39:55.the potential cost to our economy if they can't quickly be replaced with

:39:56. > :39:58.new deals? Little point modelling what's not

:39:59. > :40:03.going to happen. The expectation is for many of the deals, the most

:40:04. > :40:06.important ones for us, we will get, as it were, an immediate transfer

:40:07. > :40:10.and then we will start talking about improving the deals between us. Not

:40:11. > :40:13.all the European trade deals have actually been that beneficial for

:40:14. > :40:23.Britain and some of these we could certainly improve.

:40:24. > :40:27.I know the Secretary of State's assertion to control our own laws

:40:28. > :40:30.and end the authority of the European Court of justice in the

:40:31. > :40:34.United Kingdom, and I want to put on record I support that proposal. When

:40:35. > :40:38.that takes place what will be the authority or standing of any

:40:39. > :40:41.decision relative to the United Kingdom that has already been taken

:40:42. > :40:46.by the European Court for the United Kingdom?

:40:47. > :40:52.If he is talking about the standing of case law, which I assume is what

:40:53. > :40:56.he means really, that will be frozen at the point that we leave then it's

:40:57. > :41:05.up to us in this House whether we change that.

:41:06. > :41:10.Free trade in goods is much easier to achieve than the free flow of

:41:11. > :41:14.services where non-tariff problems - barriers are the problem. How will

:41:15. > :41:18.the Government seek to ensure the continued success over time of the

:41:19. > :41:26.UK financial service exports to Europe when we will no longer get a

:41:27. > :41:31.say in the regulatory harp Monday ieation that's facilitated that

:41:32. > :41:38.success so far. City UK which an trr in the area he is talking about,

:41:39. > :41:42.talking about mutual recognition and an ex-terrible, rather than

:41:43. > :41:45.passporting. We haven't arrived at a conclusion on that yet. He is quite

:41:46. > :41:49.right, the goods side of it will be easier than that part lay because

:41:50. > :41:52.the single market is incomplete any way in services but that

:41:53. > :41:56.notwithstanding we have been successful in this area and he may

:41:57. > :42:03.take it as read that we will continue to facilitate that success.

:42:04. > :42:08.The Secretary of State will know that my constituency was the largest

:42:09. > :42:12.vote Leave constituency in Northern Ireland, one of the largest vote

:42:13. > :42:20.Leave constituencies in the United Kingdom. Can he confirm that it will

:42:21. > :42:22.not fall for some flawed, special status, half-in, half-out

:42:23. > :42:26.arrangement that's currently being sought by some people, that it will

:42:27. > :42:30.give my constituents absolute clarity and certainty that the

:42:31. > :42:32.Brexit deal will apply to all of Northern Ireland in this same way as

:42:33. > :42:37.apply to the people in his constituency?

:42:38. > :42:43.Yes, it will apply across the whole of the United Kingdom, as I said I

:42:44. > :42:49.am trying not to predate other discussions. I will say this is that

:42:50. > :42:51.in what we are doing in this negotiation, the interests of

:42:52. > :42:59.Northern Ireland, particularly the interests of his constituency, will

:43:00. > :43:02.be at the forefront of our thoughts. Three-quarters of my fellow citizens

:43:03. > :43:05.in the great City of Edinburgh voted not to turn their back on the

:43:06. > :43:10.European Union. Therefore, you will forgive me if I wholeheartedly do

:43:11. > :43:14.not welcome today's statements. However, I do welcome the Secretary

:43:15. > :43:16.of State's now repeated suggestion that he will take seriously the

:43:17. > :43:23.proposals of the Scottish Government. Let me press him on this

:43:24. > :43:28.matter. Some in his party have said that there can be no differentential

:43:29. > :43:31.arrangements in the nations post-Brexit on principle, even when

:43:32. > :43:35.it can be demonstrated they nr the benefit of the UK as a whole. Does

:43:36. > :43:40.he share that view or will he consider proposals on their merits?

:43:41. > :43:44.What I said already is that we will respect the view of the Scottish

:43:45. > :43:48.Government on this but what I have also said it doesn't mean we agree

:43:49. > :43:56.with all parts of it. Let me give one practical issue, which I have to

:43:57. > :44:02.deal with, if nobody else, and that is that the leading Norwegian

:44:03. > :44:06.members of FEDA have said that aspect he refers to will not work

:44:07. > :44:10.for them and the Spanish Minister said it would not work for them

:44:11. > :44:19.either, so we have hurdles to get over before that -- before that

:44:20. > :44:22.becomes a runner. The new Brit tappic isolation that

:44:23. > :44:26.the Government now seeks cannot be at the expense of EU nationals in

:44:27. > :44:30.this country or UK nationals in Europe. The Secretary of State has

:44:31. > :44:33.said he has tried to resolve this issue, they wanted to do so sometime

:44:34. > :44:37.ago, so can he tell us exactly what the problem s what's the barrier in

:44:38. > :44:42.his way from resolving that and how do we best get it lifted?

:44:43. > :44:50.It requires all the members of the European Union togethers to agree.

:44:51. > :44:54.The Prime Minister's fixation with leaving the jurisdiction of the

:44:55. > :44:58.European Court of justice clearly risks jeopardising the extent of our

:44:59. > :45:02.ongoing co-operation in EU justice in home affairs issue, which she

:45:03. > :45:05.says also she values. If those ambitions Clwyd surely the Secretary

:45:06. > :45:09.of State would agree that the issue of security must trump the issue of

:45:10. > :45:12.leaving the European courts jurisdiction. We have security

:45:13. > :45:16.arrangements with other allies which do not run into that problem.

:45:17. > :45:26.America, for a start. So I wouldn't think that's an issue.

:45:27. > :45:30.No deal is better than a bad deal. I am perplexed by this. How could a

:45:31. > :45:35.negotiated deal possibly be worse than something that the Secretary of

:45:36. > :45:39.State refers to as a cliff-edge? Is he really that bad at negotiation?

:45:40. > :45:43.The honourable gentleman over there referred to a deal in which we had

:45:44. > :45:48.to take all sorts of penalties from all sorts of European nations, that

:45:49. > :45:53.would be a bad deal. Of all the laws and regulation that

:45:54. > :45:56.is will be democratically repatriated to this parliament by

:45:57. > :46:00.the great Repeal bill, which is the first one that the Secretary of

:46:01. > :46:03.State himself would like to see reformed or repealed and when the

:46:04. > :46:06.bill goes through can he guarantee that the rights of this particlement

:46:07. > :46:12.to scrutinise legislation will be maintained and the bill will not be

:46:13. > :46:20.the great power grab? The first one to repeal, I don't

:46:21. > :46:26.have a favourite there. I will tell him the last one, and the last one

:46:27. > :46:30.is the protection of the employment rights of UK citizens both in

:46:31. > :46:34.Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom, because I made the promise

:46:35. > :46:41.from the first day in this job that that's one thing we are not going to

:46:42. > :46:44.change. I am most grateful to the Secretary

:46:45. > :46:51.of State for the experience of the last one hour and 46 minutes in

:46:52. > :46:56.which we could - and my understanding is that no fewer than

:46:57. > :46:58.84 back bench members had the opportunity to question the right

:46:59. > :47:03.honourable gentleman so I hope that there has been a decent exploration

:47:04. > :47:09.of the issues. I congratulate the right honourable gentleman on the

:47:10. > :47:16.strength of his knee muscles. Point of order. Thank you. MrSpeaker, last

:47:17. > :47:20.week during questions I asked the Minister for disabled people health

:47:21. > :47:24.and work how people with mental health issues could continue to

:47:25. > :47:29.receive appropriate support if the Glasgow Jobcentres were closed. The

:47:30. > :47:33.Minister responded by saying and I quote, my honourable friend the

:47:34. > :47:39.Minister for welfare reform has met Scottish ministers to discuss the

:47:40. > :47:44.issue. Firstly, there is currently no Minister for welfare reform and

:47:45. > :47:47.secondly, I have been informed by Scottish Ministerial colleagues no

:47:48. > :47:54.such meetings have taken place. Would it be in order for the

:47:55. > :48:03.Minister to come back to the chamber to clarify the situation? I was

:48:04. > :48:08.about to respond but I see that the Minister on the Treasury bench is

:48:09. > :48:13.very anxious to catch my eye and I don't want to disappoint her.

:48:14. > :48:17.Minister. Thank you. Further to that point of order, in my answer I said

:48:18. > :48:22.my honourable friend the Minister for employment has met with all the

:48:23. > :48:26.MPs concerned about those locations across Glasgow and my honourable

:48:27. > :48:31.friend the Minister for welfare reform has met Scottish ministers to

:48:32. > :48:36.discuss this issue, referring to the honourable member for Romsey. I

:48:37. > :48:39.should have said the Minister for welfare delivery. The Minister for

:48:40. > :48:45.welfare reform is in the House of Lords. For that, I profusely

:48:46. > :48:49.apologise. On these matters and others, not least devolution of

:48:50. > :48:54.welfare, our doors are always open to meet with Scottish ministers and

:48:55. > :48:59.good outcomes are contingent on good dialogue. I would not want this

:49:00. > :49:04.point of order to give an otherwise contrary impression.

:49:05. > :49:12.I think that's a very gracious acknowledgement of the situation by

:49:13. > :49:16.the Minister and I feel the nod of the head confirms she's content with

:49:17. > :49:19.that outcome. So I thank the Minister on the Treasury bench and

:49:20. > :49:23.we will leave it there. If there are no further points of

:49:24. > :49:26.order I think we come to the ten-minute rule motion for which the

:49:27. > :49:35.honourable gentleman has been so patiently waiting.

:49:36. > :49:42.I beg to move for leave to be give than I bring in a bill for people to

:49:43. > :49:45.give his or her instructions for burial matters legally binding on

:49:46. > :49:47.their personal representative or beneficiary to enable a person to

:49:48. > :49:52.make provision about the use of a burr ideal space he or she acquired

:49:53. > :49:56.while living after a person's burial and for connected purposes. It's

:49:57. > :50:01.been a surprising two months for me in Parliament. I've been talking a

:50:02. > :50:03.lot about death. We don't talk a lot about it inside or outside

:50:04. > :50:07.Parliament given we all die though it should be more of a surprise that

:50:08. > :50:12.we do not talk more about death. Apart from times when we are near to

:50:13. > :50:17.death or personally affected by it, or when some of us plan for it in a

:50:18. > :50:20.will, death is not usually on the agenda. There is an opportunity in

:50:21. > :50:24.the week of the 8th May, death awareness week, to talk more about

:50:25. > :50:28.death and I commend that to the honourable members.

:50:29. > :50:33.Let's hope, Mr Speaker, that week will not coincide with the final

:50:34. > :50:38.moments of our believed Arsenal's champions ambitions. Last month, I

:50:39. > :50:44.steered through a private Bill which the minister who is present will

:50:45. > :50:49.recall which gives our local new Southgate cemetery the power to use

:50:50. > :50:55.old graves which will need to be replicated in the UK to make more

:50:56. > :50:58.spaces available. There is a distressing case of one of my

:50:59. > :51:02.constituents watching in the gallery. After Marion's father died

:51:03. > :51:07.in 2009, her mother gave money to her sister to buy him a plot on her

:51:08. > :51:11.behalf. Unbeknown to the mother, her daughter registered the grave in her

:51:12. > :51:15.name and gained exclusive rights to decide who is buried and what

:51:16. > :51:19.monument is placed on the grave. When Marion's mother died in 2014,

:51:20. > :51:23.she assumed ownership of her late husband's grave and Marion also

:51:24. > :51:29.appointed next of kin. Her dying wish was to have her ashes scattered

:51:30. > :51:32.on her late husband's grave. It was only when Marion contacted the

:51:33. > :51:35.cemetery to make the necessary arrangements that it came to light

:51:36. > :51:39.that her sister, now estranged from the rest of the family, was the

:51:40. > :51:45.grave owner. She's refused to allow her mother's ashes to be scattered

:51:46. > :51:49.on her father's grave. Or even allow a stone to be erected. Marion's

:51:50. > :51:57.asked me, along with her family, to change the law so that wishes of

:51:58. > :52:04.mothers and fathers can be honoured and not thwarted. The most high

:52:05. > :52:10.profile case stemmed from the remains of Richard III. Descendants

:52:11. > :52:12.of the King pitted against the less notorious the then Lord Chancellor

:52:13. > :52:18.my right honourable friend the member for Epsom and York. They

:52:19. > :52:25.attempted to have their ancestor laid to rest in York Minster to have

:52:26. > :52:49.plans to have him buried there some 115 years ago. His body remained in

:52:50. > :52:54.Leicester, in spite of his wishes. When relatives are unable to fulfil

:52:55. > :52:58.the wishes of a departed loved one. A nan died leaving four daughters

:52:59. > :53:02.behind, a decision was made to put the deeds of the grave in the name

:53:03. > :53:05.of the youngest daughter. She became unwell and uncontactable. When the

:53:06. > :53:09.late nan's sister died and wished to be interned in the family grave,

:53:10. > :53:15.there were problems. It took six years to sort out and eventually get

:53:16. > :53:19.an updated headstone on the grave. Grave owners shouldn't be able to

:53:20. > :53:23.block out other family members from their family grave. I read on

:53:24. > :53:27.various forums of family disputes arriving from remarriage where say

:53:28. > :53:30.the father dies and step mother arranges the funeral, pays for the

:53:31. > :53:36.grave and registers ownership in her name. She gains exclusive rights to

:53:37. > :53:39.erect a memorial and pass on future use of the grave to her family at

:53:40. > :53:44.the exclusion of the late husband's family. Or there is the example of

:53:45. > :53:48.the grave plot being put in the name of the older son on the insistence

:53:49. > :53:56.of the directors. The aggrieved young sister is now concerned that

:53:57. > :54:04.if her mother dies is and is buried to a family plot, she the sister

:54:05. > :54:13.says, I don't know where I'll be buried, I don't have any other

:54:14. > :54:20.family. There is an issue raised to me in

:54:21. > :54:25.Sussex where there's refusal to allow internment of ashes to a grave

:54:26. > :54:29.because a relative moved out of the parish to retirement and lived 0.3

:54:30. > :54:33.miles from the boundary despite being resident in the former village

:54:34. > :54:40.for some 50 years. Finally there is the connected issue

:54:41. > :54:45.of funeral arrangements. They're cases when the deceased, such as for

:54:46. > :54:47.a religious funeral, may be at odds with the arrangements of the

:54:48. > :54:51.surviving family. All the cases, as has been mentioned in the House now

:54:52. > :54:57.on many occasions when funerals cost too much and lead to funeral

:54:58. > :55:02.property so were highlighted by the experience and campaigning of the

:55:03. > :55:07.honourable member for Swansea East. Madam Deputy Speaker, arrangements

:55:08. > :55:10.for burials and funerals have become bureaucratic and expensive and in

:55:11. > :55:14.some cases contrary to the wishes of the person who's died. We can and

:55:15. > :55:20.must do Bert. We cannot say we have been warned in this House. Since

:55:21. > :55:24.2004, the then Home Secretary Deb said, our burial law is out-of-date

:55:25. > :55:27.and needs reform -- we can do better.

:55:28. > :55:32.There was a conclusion in 2007, there was public support for reform

:55:33. > :55:35.but it's not a priority. My burial rights reform Bill today

:55:36. > :55:40.provides an opportunity to give collar the I to relatives who're

:55:41. > :55:45.confused and aggrieved by the opaque laws in relation to funeral and

:55:46. > :55:49.burial arrangements. The law is clear to the extent that dead bodies

:55:50. > :55:58.have no rights. In common law there is no property in body. The

:55:59. > :56:02.overriding legal maximum is that the only lawful possession of a corpse

:56:03. > :56:06.is the earth. Perhaps more surprising, there are no laws

:56:07. > :56:11.governing funerals but only the disposal of bodies, even a will

:56:12. > :56:14.setting out our funeral wishes is not legally binding because wills

:56:15. > :56:19.are about property and not about a dead body. Recent court cases have

:56:20. > :56:22.tried to apply the Human Rights Act to apply rights on a dead body but

:56:23. > :56:28.the law is unclear. To follow a theme that we have heard about

:56:29. > :56:36.today, it's about time Parliament takes control on burial issue rights

:56:37. > :56:43.or the wishes of a person who's died and their wishes.

:56:44. > :56:47.Normally these actions take place without concern and is normally done

:56:48. > :56:50.by the next of kin of the deceased. The problem is this exclusive right

:56:51. > :56:53.of burial is determined by whoever buys the lease for the grave plot.

:56:54. > :56:58.If your name is not on the deed, you've got no right to be buried

:56:59. > :57:03.there or have a memorial or enscription put on that grave. My

:57:04. > :57:07.Bill will ensure that the wishes of the person are properly carried out

:57:08. > :57:11.by surviving relatives and that the ownership of graves shouldn't mean

:57:12. > :57:15.exclusive rights for one family member to use against another. The

:57:16. > :57:19.only answer when there is a family dispute about grave ownership

:57:20. > :57:24.currently is to consult a solicitor and conduct expensive litigation.

:57:25. > :57:30.The issue of respecting the wishes of the deceased commands a less

:57:31. > :57:33.contentious approach. There should be a requirement for parties to take

:57:34. > :57:36.greater responsibility for their consideration for the deceased

:57:37. > :57:42.wishes for burial arrangements and to give greater significance to any

:57:43. > :57:46.existing will or public register. A proposed Bill is a public burial

:57:47. > :57:49.register similar to the organs donation register allowing wishes to

:57:50. > :57:55.be clearly identified without necessarily having a will and

:57:56. > :57:59.avoiding subsequent family disputes. A clearly expressed binding electric

:58:00. > :58:11.laration of our final wishes will seek to remove the pressures of

:58:12. > :58:14.burial issues at such a testing time -- binding declaration. Perhaps

:58:15. > :58:21.there can be no better way to honour the dead than to give life to the

:58:22. > :58:25.their final wishes. THE SPEAKER: The question is that

:58:26. > :58:31.the honourable member have leave to bring in his Bill. Chris Bryant.

:58:32. > :58:34.Madam Deputy Speaker. I pay tribute to the honourable member for

:58:35. > :58:38.advancing this cause today but I can't agree with him and I'll

:58:39. > :58:43.explain why. I've probably conducted more funerals than anybody else in

:58:44. > :58:46.this chamber when I was a curate in All Saints High Wycombe. The first

:58:47. > :58:51.funeral I did, the undertaker put his glasses in his top pocket, as he

:58:52. > :58:54.lent over to let the coffin down into the grave, and the glasses fell

:58:55. > :59:00.on top of the coffin and he then had to clamber in on top. The second

:59:01. > :59:02.funeral I conducted was at the crematorium and unfortunately the

:59:03. > :59:08.organist at the end of the service played, smoke gets in your eyes,

:59:09. > :59:14.which was everybody else realised was somewhat inappropriate. The last

:59:15. > :59:19.funeral I conducted, the family was very, very divided and the

:59:20. > :59:22.ex-husband was not instraighted to the funeral but suddenly appeared in

:59:23. > :59:25.the middle of the service and started shouting and screaming at me

:59:26. > :59:30.and the family all shouted "how on earth did you get here, we locked

:59:31. > :59:34.you in the bathroom" and he said "you didn't lock the bathroom window

:59:35. > :59:38.so I climbed out and climbed down the ivy".

:59:39. > :59:43.So I've seen a lot of funerals and I know the pain and difficulty of

:59:44. > :59:48.which the honourable member speaks. But my beef is not particularly with

:59:49. > :59:53.the remedy that he's seeking, though I think to be honest burial reform

:59:54. > :59:58.and funeral reform in general needs to be conducted on the basis of a

:59:59. > :00:05.Law Commission proposal so that it binds the whole of the legal

:00:06. > :00:07.profession and takes it out of party political discussion, du it's more

:00:08. > :00:12.to do with the fact that, as he started, of course, as we start with

:00:13. > :00:15.every ten-minute rule Bill, he begs leave to introduce his Bill and I

:00:16. > :00:20.don't think we should give him leave to introduce his Bill. I say so for

:00:21. > :00:24.a very simple point which is that we have only five more Fridays when

:00:25. > :00:27.we'll be sitting this session before the end of this session when any

:00:28. > :00:31.Bill will have to become law. It will have to have gone through all

:00:32. > :00:38.three stages in this House and in the House of Lords, or will simply

:00:39. > :00:43.fall. There are 73 Bills private members Bills all ready seeking

:00:44. > :00:48.second reading on the order paper of future order papers to be considered

:00:49. > :00:51.on the five days. Plus, there are bills that have been given second

:00:52. > :00:55.reading, quite a lot of them in fact, one of them is in committee,

:00:56. > :01:00.that's the homelessness bill honoured by the member for harrow

:01:01. > :01:08.East and will be coming out of the committee tomorrow. Then in the

:01:09. > :01:13.normal process, it should be the awards of Valuev ourself Private

:01:14. > :01:16.Members Bill honoured by the member for Dartford that goes into

:01:17. > :01:19.committee followed one would have thought by the one for my right

:01:20. > :01:23.honourable friend for North West Durham which is the Parliamentary

:01:24. > :01:27.constituency's amendment bill. But so far, the Government has not yet

:01:28. > :01:31.brought forward a money resolution and is not saying whether it's going

:01:32. > :01:35.to let that happen at all. In addition to that, the Government

:01:36. > :01:39.only this week has said it's turned its back on the reforms to the

:01:40. > :01:44.Private Members Bills process that the procedure committee have called

:01:45. > :01:48.for in successive years and successive Members of Parliament. So

:01:49. > :01:50.even if every single element of what the honourable member is proposing

:01:51. > :01:57.were right, the truth of the matter is, it's an act of deception for the

:01:58. > :02:01.House to send it into its next process, to allow him to present its

:02:02. > :02:06.Bill because the truth of the matter is, it has absolutely no chance of

:02:07. > :02:10.getting anywhere. So I make the speech, madam deputy spiker, for the

:02:11. > :02:14.simple reason that I think we could use our Friday mornings better. We

:02:15. > :02:18.should not have a system of private members Bills which mines that we

:02:19. > :02:21.completely and utterly waste our time and deceive the public about

:02:22. > :02:26.the true process of what is happening in this House.

:02:27. > :02:30.Consequently I say, I disagree with the honourable gentleman, though I

:02:31. > :02:34.applaud his motives. THE SPEAKER: Hm! The question is

:02:35. > :02:39.that the honourable member have leave to bring in the Bill while the

:02:40. > :02:48.House has a big decision to make. As many are of that opinion say aye. As

:02:49. > :02:55.many of the contrary say no. I think the ayes have it. The ayes have it.

:02:56. > :03:05.Who will prepare and bring in the Bill?

:03:06. > :03:35.(Reads out the list of those who'll bring in the Bill)

:03:36. > :03:50.THE SPEAKER: Burial Rights Reform Bill. Second reading what day? 24th

:03:51. > :04:00.March. 24th March. 24th March. Order. We now come to the opposition

:04:01. > :04:05.day. Motion in the name of the leader of the Scottish National

:04:06. > :04:13.Party on the effect of the UK leaving the EU, on the rural

:04:14. > :04:22.economy. The amendment in the name of the Prime Minister.

:04:23. > :04:32.Thank you very much. I beg to move that this House is concerned at the

:04:33. > :04:37.impact on the rural economy of the United Kingdom leaving the European

:04:38. > :04:43.Union. We want to use this debate today to consider the significant

:04:44. > :04:47.and tangible benefits the EU membership has afforded the Scottish

:04:48. > :04:52.rural community through funding, trade and freedom of movement. These

:04:53. > :04:56.benefits must be acknowledged and the Government must offer a clear

:04:57. > :05:01.statement prior to triggering Article 50 on how they intend to

:05:02. > :05:07.mitigate the impact of leaving the EU when it comes to rural areas.

:05:08. > :05:12.They must do so now because the combined threat of the loss of

:05:13. > :05:18.direct funding, end to tariff free trading and the abolition of free

:05:19. > :05:21.movement of people could have devastating consequences for rural

:05:22. > :05:29.communities across Scotland and indeed the rest of the UK. The Prime

:05:30. > :05:35.Minister puts forward 12 points today but people in my constituency

:05:36. > :05:43.are not reassured because it lacks detail and certainty. We are told

:05:44. > :05:47.that Brexit is about a more global Britain and that this process will

:05:48. > :05:51.represent a clean break. Well let me be absolutely clear in stating how

:05:52. > :05:57.far removed from reality that rhetoric is. Under the Government's

:05:58. > :06:02.current direction of travel Brexit will not be a clear break for the

:06:03. > :06:06.sheep farmers in my constituency whose produce could face prohibitive

:06:07. > :06:11.tariffs and whose direct support payments could be wiped out. It will

:06:12. > :06:15.not and clean break for the fish processors in Shetland where more

:06:16. > :06:20.fish was landed than in the entirety of England and Wales in 2015 but

:06:21. > :06:24.whose access to the largest seafood market in the world is now under

:06:25. > :06:29.question. Nor will there be a clean break for the soft fruit farmer in

:06:30. > :06:34.Angus when the plug is pulled on seasonal labour, his business needs

:06:35. > :06:38.to function. It will not be a clean break for the most remote highland

:06:39. > :06:43.communities that are now contemplating the loss of hundreds

:06:44. > :06:47.of millions of pounds in European regional development funding. We

:06:48. > :06:55.find ourselves facing a combination once again of Tory indifference to

:06:56. > :07:00.the needs of the Scottish economy and a dramatic democratic deficit. I

:07:01. > :07:03.will give way. I am very grateful to the honourable gentleman for giving

:07:04. > :07:06.way and he and his party are optimistic people and rays of

:07:07. > :07:11.sunshine in this House, I wonder if he can't see any possible benefit to

:07:12. > :07:14.the Scottish rural economy, particularly fisheries, the European

:07:15. > :07:21.policy on which decimated the Scottish fishing industry. I thank

:07:22. > :07:28.the honourable member. You will find that we are optimists at heart. But

:07:29. > :07:32.what this debate is about is the reality, it's about the implications

:07:33. > :07:36.for the rural economy and I will with great delight return to the

:07:37. > :07:41.matter of fishing. I would like to make more progress and I promise I

:07:42. > :07:50.will give way in a little bit more time. Nowhere - I apologise. As with

:07:51. > :07:57.many complex challenges of Brexit pile-up, we knead to remember that

:07:58. > :08:01.real political leadership is about finding solutions, not soundbites.

:08:02. > :08:08.Our debate is necessary - one moment. Our debate is necessary to

:08:09. > :08:11.ensure that the Government does not overlook or downplay all the

:08:12. > :08:15.possible outcomes of Brexit, they must not walk away from the policy

:08:16. > :08:22.vacuum that is opening up before our eyes. I will give way. I am

:08:23. > :08:26.grateful. If we devolve more agricultural policy powers to the

:08:27. > :08:32.Scottish nationalists, they cannot think of a single way on which they

:08:33. > :08:37.could improve policy to help their farmers. The right honourable

:08:38. > :08:44.gentleman usually makes excellent contributions, I am afraid that was

:08:45. > :08:48.a poor one, because actually there are many ways in which we will be

:08:49. > :08:52.delighted to improve agricultural policy, so long as his Government

:08:53. > :08:56.don't do a power grab as powers return from Brussels. I would be

:08:57. > :09:03.delighted. I will happenive give way. Would my honourable friend also

:09:04. > :09:07.agree that 70% of farmers' incomes comes through CAP which is not

:09:08. > :09:12.subject to Barnet, but if it comes back to the UK it may be subject to

:09:13. > :09:16.Barnet which would leave to a significant reduction in funds

:09:17. > :09:19.available to roar Scotland? I thank my honourable friend for that

:09:20. > :09:24.excellent contribution. It brings me on to one of the first areas I want

:09:25. > :09:29.to look at, nowhere is the policy vacuum more apparent than on the

:09:30. > :09:34.issue of farm payments. Whatever the flaws, and there are flaws - I will

:09:35. > :09:39.give way. Could I thank my honourable friend for giving way and

:09:40. > :09:45.congratulate him on making some very compelling points. In the Northern

:09:46. > :09:51.Ireland context, we have a similar situation where 80% of farm incomes

:09:52. > :09:58.are dependent on European resources. There is a fear and would he agree

:09:59. > :10:03.with me that sort of funding is not likely to come from the Treasury,

:10:04. > :10:07.thus undermining our local rural economy and our agricultural

:10:08. > :10:10.enterprises? I thank the honourable lady for that contribution. I

:10:11. > :10:14.wholeheartedly agree and it's something I would like us to focus

:10:15. > :10:19.on in this debate, the importance of these support payments to the

:10:20. > :10:23.prosperity, not just of fafrming but of the whole rural community. We

:10:24. > :10:31.have two debates squeezed in time today. So, as I say, nowhere is the

:10:32. > :10:35.policy vacuum more apparent, because wherever its flaws, money invested

:10:36. > :10:39.in Scotland and throughout the UK and rural communities through the

:10:40. > :10:43.common agricultural policy are absolutely vital in underpinning the

:10:44. > :10:50.rural economy. As my honourable friend mentioned farm payments

:10:51. > :10:55.account for two-thirds of total net farm income in Scotland. And as has

:10:56. > :11:06.mentioned, we have 8. 4% of the population, but 32. 5% of the land

:11:07. > :11:13.mass and Scotland received 16. 5% of UKCAP funds. I will give way. I

:11:14. > :11:17.thank the honourable gentleman. Many farmers in Scotland like Lancashire

:11:18. > :11:20.will be involved in upland sheep farming which I am sure all sides of

:11:21. > :11:25.the House would acknowledge is often a difficult business for farmers.

:11:26. > :11:29.Does he not think if we leave the European Union this is an

:11:30. > :11:32.opportunity for the Government to refocus support on those most

:11:33. > :11:37.marginal of farms he is talking about, specifically the uphill farms

:11:38. > :11:42.in Lancashire and Scotland, because farmers in Lancashire are hoping for

:11:43. > :11:47.more from Brexit just as farmers in Scotland will be hoping for more. I

:11:48. > :11:52.thank him for that intervention. Sheep farm something one of our most

:11:53. > :11:55.fragile industries and I have deep concerns about the support going

:11:56. > :12:00.forward. What we must do and the point I want to make here is about

:12:01. > :12:05.the level of funding because we need the Government to step up and I

:12:06. > :12:11.would like to also come back to lamb when we look at trade because it is

:12:12. > :12:16.one of the most threatened trade areas. I will give way. I thank my

:12:17. > :12:20.honourable friend. He is being most generous in giving way. Addressing

:12:21. > :12:25.the point he made earlier in the lack of detail in the Prime

:12:26. > :12:33.Minister's statement would my honourable friend agree that the

:12:34. > :12:38.Government should have taken the report as summarised in a letter

:12:39. > :12:42.which I have here to the Secretary of State for environment, by the

:12:43. > :12:46.British ecological society, the chartered institute of ecology and

:12:47. > :12:49.environment, the institution of environmental science, these are the

:12:50. > :12:52.people we should be listening to and these are details the Government

:12:53. > :12:58.should be including in their letters. I thank my honourable

:12:59. > :13:05.friend for his intervention and it's a point well made. Agriculture is

:13:06. > :13:09.already devolved area, so as powers are repatriated from Brussels it's

:13:10. > :13:14.essential that they go directly to the Scottish Government. Any power

:13:15. > :13:18.grab from a Westminster Government would be totally unacceptable. We

:13:19. > :13:22.absolutely understand the need for levels of commonality but that is

:13:23. > :13:28.not a justification for a power grab by Westminster. We need a commitment

:13:29. > :13:32.from this Government that the existing allocation of funds will

:13:33. > :13:36.not be tampered with once the convergence is added to the 16. 5%,

:13:37. > :13:43.that is the starting point in terms of funds that should be delivered to

:13:44. > :13:46.Scotland. Now throughout last year's referendum campaign both the

:13:47. > :13:52.Secretary of State and the farming Minister who I understand is in

:13:53. > :13:57.Scotland argued for Brexit and it's now incumbent upon them to take

:13:58. > :14:01.responsibility for the commitments made during that campaign. In March

:14:02. > :14:08.last year, the farming Minister said, and I wrote, the UK Government

:14:09. > :14:14.will continue to give farmers and the environment as much support or

:14:15. > :14:17.perhaps even more as they - yet this commitment appears already to have

:14:18. > :14:22.been abandoned. Earlier this month the Secretary of State, the farming

:14:23. > :14:27.Minister and I were at the Oxford conference and both the Secretary of

:14:28. > :14:33.State and the farming Minister refused to confirm that funding

:14:34. > :14:37.would at least match levels current levels beyond 2020. Now will the

:14:38. > :14:41.Secretary of State take this opportunity today to make a clear

:14:42. > :14:46.commitment that Brexit as the farming Minister promised, will not

:14:47. > :14:50.result in a reduction in the level of funding available for farmers or

:14:51. > :14:56.is this another Brexit broken promise? Now we acknowledge that CAP

:14:57. > :15:02.is far from perfect and we recognise that there is now an opportunity to

:15:03. > :15:08.design a new and better system. We also accept that there must be a

:15:09. > :15:13.route to sustainable farming without direct income support but this must

:15:14. > :15:18.be an evolution that takes great care over the fragility of the rural

:15:19. > :15:24.economy. CAP is about much more than just farming. In Scotland, EU

:15:25. > :15:28.funding has helped to support the rollout of superfast broadband,

:15:29. > :15:34.business development, housing investment and measures to address

:15:35. > :15:37.rural fuel poverty, in addition to improvements in infrastructure and

:15:38. > :15:40.transport through regional development funds. We need the

:15:41. > :15:47.Government to explain whether it will match this kind of programme,

:15:48. > :15:52.the funding and, if so, more detail the better, please, Secretary of

:15:53. > :15:56.State. Another area where the rural economy has benefitted massively

:15:57. > :16:01.from EU membership is freedom of movement. For significant portions

:16:02. > :16:07.of the Scottish rural economy access to seasonal workforce is a vital

:16:08. > :16:18.factor in keeping their operations sustainable. At any one time between

:16:19. > :16:22.five and 15,000 non-UKEU workers are employed in Scottish agriculture

:16:23. > :16:26.alone. So we support continued freedom of movement because it's a

:16:27. > :16:32.system that works, not just for farming, and food production, but a

:16:33. > :16:39.range of sectors in rural Scotland, especially in these fragile and

:16:40. > :16:46.often ageing populations. I happily give way. I represent Angus which

:16:47. > :16:50.along with my honourable friends in Perthshire, has the most of the

:16:51. > :16:55.numbers of economic migrants into Scotland because they work in the

:16:56. > :17:01.horticultural industry. Many of these industries could not survive

:17:02. > :17:04.without that labour. Members talk about the unemployed taking the

:17:05. > :17:09.jobs, there are more migrant workers working in that industry alone than

:17:10. > :17:13.there are unemployed in our areas. Even if all those unemployed people

:17:14. > :17:19.could take up these jobs, so we do need these people and the Government

:17:20. > :17:22.need to take that into account. I notice the Secretary of State at the

:17:23. > :17:28.recent Oxford conference hinted there might be some relaxation of

:17:29. > :17:40.this and could she give more details when she comes to speak. I thank my

:17:41. > :17:47.honourable friend for -- it emphasises the point I was making.

:17:48. > :17:50.We must have powers over imI gos devolved in order to pursue our own

:17:51. > :17:56.distinct policy. Members opposite may laugh. Can I respectfully

:17:57. > :18:00.suggest that they read Scotland's place in Europe, because this is

:18:01. > :18:06.what a plan for Brexit actually looks like. Now in the meantime,

:18:07. > :18:10.though, I know the Secretary of State understands the importance of

:18:11. > :18:16.seasonal workers in particular in the rural economy, so I would like

:18:17. > :18:20.to hear today what steps DEFRA is taking to ensure the rural economy

:18:21. > :18:25.doesn't grind to a halt because seasonal workers are already

:18:26. > :18:29.beginning to look elsewhere. Now one area where members opposite get very

:18:30. > :18:36.animated and excited of course because there is an opportunity, is

:18:37. > :18:44.fishing. We welcome the chance to move beyond the common fisheries

:18:45. > :18:49.policy but we will not forget, we on these benches will not forget the

:18:50. > :18:58.circumstances in which this was all... Ted Heath, a Conservative

:18:59. > :19:03.Prime Minister, sacrificed the expendable Scottish fishing industry

:19:04. > :19:07.to gain entry to the European Economic Community. They may not

:19:08. > :19:12.like that, but that's why we are in the position we are in. We won't

:19:13. > :19:18.take lectures from any members opposite. The legacy of that deal

:19:19. > :19:26.means today that over half of the fish in our waters are caught by

:19:27. > :19:32.foreign vessels. Brexit clearly will mean the re-establishment of our

:19:33. > :19:39.exclusive economic zones but the process here is key. I hope he

:19:40. > :19:43.enjoyed his visit to Scotland. Hopefully ofs learning about the

:19:44. > :19:44.importance of honouring the level of payments that is currently received

:19:45. > :20:00.in Scottish communities. Access to the EEZ should be

:20:01. > :20:05.negotiated on an annual basis and led by Scottish ministers. These

:20:06. > :20:11.negotiations must not form part of Brexit talks. Scottish fishermen

:20:12. > :20:15.want to hear a clear commitment from the Secretary of State to the

:20:16. > :20:21.Scottish fishing industry, indeed the UK fishing industry, that it

:20:22. > :20:30.will not just be another pawn in a Brexit negotiation. Finally I would

:20:31. > :20:41.like to turn to the issue of trade. In particular the important question

:20:42. > :20:53.of access to the single market. The numbers speak for themselves. Worth

:20:54. > :20:57.?724 million in 2015. I'll give way. Just on the issue of trade and

:20:58. > :21:05.figures, in circumstances where two thirds of Scottish exports go to the

:21:06. > :21:16.UK and only 15 go to other country, why is the SNP suggesting we stay in

:21:17. > :21:20.Europe but we come out of the UK? I don't understand why members of zit

:21:21. > :21:24.don't get this. It was as though if we were to go independent we'd be

:21:25. > :21:36.cut off and float off into the Atlantic. It's not what happens. Are

:21:37. > :21:40.you seeing the Ireland Brexit minister said it would be able to

:21:41. > :21:49.trade freely with the UK but Scotland wouldn't. We buy more from

:21:50. > :21:53.you than you buy from us. THE SPEAKER: I can't let the

:21:54. > :21:57.honourable gentleman away with it. I know what he meant but maybe he

:21:58. > :22:05.could just say it the right way just to keep me happy? Apologies, Madam

:22:06. > :22:08.Deputy Speaker, I get a bit excited. I'll always be passionate defending

:22:09. > :22:14.my constituency in rural Scotland against those that want to do it

:22:15. > :22:20.harm based on hard right Tory Brexit. Thank you to my right

:22:21. > :22:23.honourable friend for giving way, he's very generous. On the subject

:22:24. > :22:27.of trade, will my right honourable friend agree with me that the EU is

:22:28. > :22:35.Scotland's growth market area where we have seen an increase in exports

:22:36. > :22:42.of 20% since 2007 in relation to goods. I thank the honourable lady,

:22:43. > :22:50.she makes an excellent point. If you look at the numbers, in terms of

:22:51. > :22:55.different industries, for fishing, 68% of Scottish seafood exports that

:22:56. > :23:02.leave the UK go to EU countries. 80% of beef and lamb exports from

:23:03. > :23:05.Scotland are destined for the EU. Now, I'm with the EU as we hear the

:23:06. > :23:11.Government try to carve out a policy. These will be at risk of

:23:12. > :23:18.tariffs. I want to just look at the risk this poses. If we take one

:23:19. > :23:21.example, red meat. Quality meat Scotland has conducted analysis that

:23:22. > :23:26.shows if we were subject to the current tariffs that apply to non-EU

:23:27. > :23:32.countries, there would be an on average 50% increase in cost for

:23:33. > :23:37.importers to buy our products. At the Oxford farming conference, the

:23:38. > :23:41.Secretary of State spoke of fields of opportunity that in the press

:23:42. > :23:49.conference afterwards admitted that the UK exports would decline if they

:23:50. > :23:53.were erected. There is the prospect that exporters in Scotland and

:23:54. > :23:59.indeed the whole UK are facing. We call upon the Secretary of State to

:24:00. > :24:03.outline what products the department thinks should be prioritised in

:24:04. > :24:08.upcoming negotiations. At the end of the day, there is no

:24:09. > :24:15.easy way to withdraw from the world's largest trading block and

:24:16. > :24:23.the search for alternative markets and compromises too. Let me give you

:24:24. > :24:30.an example. The current standing of beef, it currently stands at 26.5%.

:24:31. > :24:34.South Africa's currently 40%. Does the Government really think that

:24:35. > :24:39.alternative markets, many with lower costs of production than our own,

:24:40. > :24:50.can compensate for restricted access to the EU? The recent success of

:24:51. > :24:55.Scotland's 14 billion - I was slightly taken by that figure - ?14

:24:56. > :25:04.billion food and drink sector shows that we are already an exporting

:25:05. > :25:10.global country. New tablings cannot mitigate the economic vandalism of

:25:11. > :25:26.cutting off access to a market of 500 million people on your doorstep.

:25:27. > :25:32.Madam Deputy Speaker, if all the tangible benefits of single market

:25:33. > :25:37.membership end up being frittered away in a pursuit of red, white and

:25:38. > :25:43.blue Brexit, global Brexit, the Scottish people who've shown that

:25:44. > :25:50.they want to build, not sever their links with Europe, will recognise a

:25:51. > :25:54.familiar pattern. They'll recall the sacrifice of the Scottish fisheries

:25:55. > :25:58.when we joined the EU, that the Thatcher Government decimated the

:25:59. > :26:02.industry in the '80s, and they'll conclude this Tory Government with

:26:03. > :26:10.no mandate for the damage it may cause will wreck Scotland's rural

:26:11. > :26:14.economy and ignore our overwhelming wish to the trade links with Europe.

:26:15. > :26:21.If this Government's already made a calculation that rural Scotland is

:26:22. > :26:26.expendable in order to engineer a clean break with Europe, they can

:26:27. > :26:32.never again turn to us, turn to the people of Scotland and claim the

:26:33. > :26:37.union is a partnership of equals. Will the Government take this

:26:38. > :26:41.opportunity to recognise the potentially devastating impact that

:26:42. > :26:46.a hard Brexit could have on the Scottish rural economy? Or will they

:26:47. > :26:55.be content to make a desert or rural Scotland in the name of Brexit?

:26:56. > :26:59.THE SPEAKER: The question is as on the order paper to move the

:27:00. > :27:04.amendment in the name of the Prime Minister, Secretary of State Andrea

:27:05. > :27:07.Leadsom. Thank you. It won't surprise the honourable gentleman to

:27:08. > :27:11.know that I don't quite see it the same way he does, so I beg to move

:27:12. > :27:15.the amendment in my name and those of my right honourable friends on

:27:16. > :27:20.the order paper. I would like to start by thanking the honourable

:27:21. > :27:25.member for giving us the opportunity to debate the rural economy, a vital

:27:26. > :27:30.part of our national economy. While members on all sides of the House

:27:31. > :27:34.will know how diverse the rural economy is, much of it is

:27:35. > :27:39.underpinned by our food, farming and fisheries sectors. These industries

:27:40. > :27:45.have shaped all four parts of the UK and continue to do so. They're

:27:46. > :27:50.central to our heritage, landscapes and economic well-being. They

:27:51. > :27:54.generate ?110 billion for the economy each year and they employ

:27:55. > :28:00.one in eight of us in all parts of the UK. So we should all be proud of

:28:01. > :28:07.the world class food and drink these industries produce and the role they

:28:08. > :28:12.play in our national life. The rural economy matters enormously. So

:28:13. > :28:17.whilst leaving the EU offers huge opportunities to the farming and

:28:18. > :28:21.fisheries sector, it's vital that we provide the industry with as much

:28:22. > :28:25.continuity and certainty as we can. That's why we've already provided

:28:26. > :28:31.reassurance to all farmers across the UK that they'll receive the same

:28:32. > :28:37.level of financial support under pillar 1 until 2020 and for Rural

:28:38. > :28:40.Development Programmes, agry environment schemes and the maritime

:28:41. > :28:45.and fisheries fund, we'll guarantee projects signed before the EU for

:28:46. > :28:48.their lifetime, even when this stretch is beyond our departure from

:28:49. > :28:52.the EU. The Government will also ensure the

:28:53. > :28:57.devolved administrations are funded to meet the commitments they've made

:28:58. > :29:02.under current EU budget allocations. Given that the administration of EU

:29:03. > :29:09.funding is devolved, it will be for those administrations to decide the

:29:10. > :29:13.criteria used to assess projects. I'll give way. I thank the

:29:14. > :29:18.honourable lady for giving way. I would like to believe the promises

:29:19. > :29:24.this Government is making but of course the Government's - if we go

:29:25. > :29:27.back to the convergence uplifting criteria - Scotland wouldth was

:29:28. > :29:32.supposed to be rewarded by the funds coming from the EU, yet we are only

:29:33. > :29:35.getting 16%. We were promised a review would take place in 2016, it

:29:36. > :29:39.hasn't happened. When will that happen and when will crofters and

:29:40. > :29:42.farmers get what is due to them? The real question about devolution of

:29:43. > :29:44.agriculture to the Scottish Government and Parliament is to make

:29:45. > :29:51.sure that we get the correct funding. It's not about up to 2020,

:29:52. > :29:54.it's about what happens after that. Well, I do recognise the honourable

:29:55. > :29:57.gentleman's point and it is something that I continue to look

:29:58. > :30:01.closely at in my department and I will keep him up-to-date with

:30:02. > :30:05.progress on it. But Madam Deputy Speaker, I believe that leaving the

:30:06. > :30:08.EU will give us the chance to develop policies for the rural

:30:09. > :30:13.economy that are bespoke to the needs of this country, rather than

:30:14. > :30:17.the different approaches and circumstances of 278 different

:30:18. > :30:23.member states. As Secretary of State for DEFRA, I've made very clear my

:30:24. > :30:28.two long-term ambitions. Firstly, to make a resounding success of our

:30:29. > :30:32.world leading food and farming and fisheries industry, producing more,

:30:33. > :30:36.selling more and exporting more of our Great British food. And

:30:37. > :30:41.secondly, to become the first generation to leave the environment

:30:42. > :30:45.in a better state than we found it. These ambitions look far beyond

:30:46. > :30:50.tomorrow. They're about long-lasting change and real reform. They form

:30:51. > :30:54.the bedrock of a balanced approach to policy and the success of one is

:30:55. > :31:03.integral to the success of the other. I thank manufacture for

:31:04. > :31:07.giving way. She'll be aware that one of the difficulties under the

:31:08. > :31:13.current legislation which the sector faces is honest food labelling -- I