:00:10. > :00:17.Good morning and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage of the
:00:18. > :00:22.Commons. The SNP will be asking an urgent question on the current
:00:23. > :00:25.humanitarian situation in Yemen. After that, the Commons leader will
:00:26. > :00:31.be answering questions on the forthcoming parliamentary matters
:00:32. > :00:36.and the main business today are two backbenchers debates, on the pubs
:00:37. > :00:39.code adjudicator and secondly, on breast cancer drugs. Over in the
:00:40. > :00:44.committee rooms, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will be
:00:45. > :00:46.giving evidence to the Lords International relations committee on
:00:47. > :00:57.the Middle East. You can watch that live from 10am on the website. And
:00:58. > :01:03.around 5:30pm. Joined Christine for the best of the day in both Houses
:01:04. > :01:09.of Parliament at 11pm. First it questions to David Davis, the Brexit
:01:10. > :01:14.secretary. Minister Dave Jones. We fully recognise the importance of
:01:15. > :01:18.the farming sector also in leaving the EU, we have the opportunity to
:01:19. > :01:22.take the British farming sector forward and ensure it thrives. As
:01:23. > :01:26.highlighted recently by my honourable friend the Secretary of
:01:27. > :01:30.State for DEFRA, we be bound by rules and can consequently design
:01:31. > :01:36.and agricultural system which works for us. While Brexit may dread
:01:37. > :01:42.uncertainties in the short-term cut it opens up exciting new markets and
:01:43. > :01:47.opportunities for farmers and food manufacturers across the country.
:01:48. > :01:52.What steps are the Government taking to help the sector sees those
:01:53. > :01:57.opportunities going forward? My honourable friend is right. The food
:01:58. > :02:01.and drink sector is in fact the largest manufacturing sector in the
:02:02. > :02:05.country and there are huge opportunities to be seized. The
:02:06. > :02:10.Government is addressing this by the creation of the Department Boynton
:02:11. > :02:14.at a trade, which is working closely with DEFRA on a plan to boost our
:02:15. > :02:24.food Drink exports by ?3 billion over five years. UK farmers face a
:02:25. > :02:28.triple jeopardy with the loss of CAP subsidies, potential new tariffs on
:02:29. > :02:32.trade which is currently free with the EU, and the prospect of trade
:02:33. > :02:36.deals with bigger countries like the USA flooding the UK with cheap
:02:37. > :02:41.imports, lower food safety and standards. The Secretary of State
:02:42. > :02:45.said he would do everything necessary to protect London, so can
:02:46. > :02:54.you give the same assurances to UK farmers who make up 25% of UK
:02:55. > :02:57.businesses? Well, Mr Speaker, she is right, the farming sector is
:02:58. > :03:01.extremely important. The Government has already put in place measures to
:03:02. > :03:09.ensure that the level of EU funding is protected until 2020, the end of
:03:10. > :03:15.the financial framework period. Furthermore, I think she should have
:03:16. > :03:18.more confidence in the sector. Kurdish agriculture produces some of
:03:19. > :03:21.the finest products in the world and I have no doubt, whatever
:03:22. > :03:29.arrangements are put in place, they will continue to thrive in the
:03:30. > :03:35.international market. How will the Government approach the regulations
:03:36. > :03:41.and directives that have been created and implemented between now
:03:42. > :03:45.and the date we leave the EU when we probably have no intention of
:03:46. > :03:51.keeping those regulations or directives? Such as the ban on
:03:52. > :03:53.glyphosate. This will be very damaging to British agriculture, so
:03:54. > :03:59.will we have to implemented before we leave? Mr Speaker, the Government
:04:00. > :04:04.has made it absolutely clear that until the date of our departure, we
:04:05. > :04:07.will continue to play a full part in the European Union which means
:04:08. > :04:11.observing all the regulations that are implemented. The great repeal
:04:12. > :04:15.bill, of course, will absorb the body of EU law into British law full
:04:16. > :04:20.stop once we have left the European Union, we will be in a position to
:04:21. > :04:27.review that legislation and take the decisions which are best for British
:04:28. > :04:32.agriculture. At this moment, the UK Government is withholding nearly
:04:33. > :04:36.?200 million of convergence uplift which is meant to go to Scottish
:04:37. > :04:40.farmers. Does he agree the Government should pass that on to
:04:41. > :04:47.Scottish farmers to show they won't be left high and dry after a Tory
:04:48. > :04:52.Brexit? I don't recognise that description by the honourable
:04:53. > :04:56.gentleman. The British Government is engaging extremely closely, not only
:04:57. > :05:00.with a Scottish Government, but the Scottish farming unions and I can
:05:01. > :05:04.assure him that whatever deal we do will be in the interest of Scotland
:05:05. > :05:09.as much as the rest of the United Kingdom. Some studies looking at the
:05:10. > :05:13.future of agricultural policy rather downplay the importance of food
:05:14. > :05:17.security such as this one from the Central policy studies, so could he
:05:18. > :05:22.reassure the House that food security remains at the top of the
:05:23. > :05:25.Government agenda because a shock to the system could completely
:05:26. > :05:27.destroyed existing trading links and could leave the country and could
:05:28. > :05:34.leave the country in a vulnerable position. My honourable friend makes
:05:35. > :05:37.an extremely important point. British agriculture standards are
:05:38. > :05:39.amongst the highest in the world and I can assure him that this
:05:40. > :05:47.Government will do nothing that would jeopardise the reputation that
:05:48. > :05:50.British farming enjoys. Almost 40% of EU funds are spent on the common
:05:51. > :05:56.agricultural policy so it clear that supporting farming is a central aim
:05:57. > :06:00.of the EU. Will he comment on what schemes the Government are
:06:01. > :06:04.considering as replacements which will reflect the importance of
:06:05. > :06:09.farming to the UK? The honourable lady will know that the Government
:06:10. > :06:14.has already guaranteed the current level of CHP funding until 2020. I
:06:15. > :06:20.can assure her that the Government will make sure that the interests of
:06:21. > :06:22.agriculture are at the forefront of their calculations. British
:06:23. > :06:31.agriculture is a huge asset to this country and we intend to protect it.
:06:32. > :06:37.I ask the House to forgive my voice. It is where inter, not emotion.
:06:38. > :06:42.LAUGHTER -- wear and tear. We have a plan
:06:43. > :06:46.which includes all negotiating objectives. The primers to confirmed
:06:47. > :06:51.yesterday that we will be publishing this plan in a White Paper. In
:06:52. > :06:54.answer to our approach to the customs union, the trading
:06:55. > :06:58.relationships we are seeking, it had been widely welcomed as a series and
:06:59. > :07:01.ambition vision for a new positive and constructive partnership for
:07:02. > :07:07.Britain and the European Union. That would be good for Britain and the
:07:08. > :07:09.rest of Europe. I thank the Secretary of State for that answer
:07:10. > :07:12.but can he explain it to the aerospace industry the health
:07:13. > :07:16.service and other major employers in my constituency accounting for
:07:17. > :07:19.thousands of jobs, how they should have confidence in this country's
:07:20. > :07:24.ability to negotiate beneficial trade deals when we have barely any
:07:25. > :07:32.specialist trade negotiators and no experience of negotiating trade
:07:33. > :07:36.agreements for decades? Well I'm afraid, it doesn't help her own
:07:37. > :07:44.industries which are very important that you talk them down herself. Let
:07:45. > :07:53.me say to the opposition, this is not just as that think this is an
:07:54. > :07:56.eminently achievable deals a former EU trade commissioner said a trade
:07:57. > :08:05.deal between the UK and the EU can be done in a very reasonable period
:08:06. > :08:09.of time. Let me get to the point. He said, I am reading everywhere it
:08:10. > :08:13.takes five or six or seven years to do a trade negotiation. Yes, that's
:08:14. > :08:16.true but it's not for technical agreements because you can't get
:08:17. > :08:20.agreement. Technically you could make an agreement within a period of
:08:21. > :08:23.time because you know each other. It's not a technical constraint.
:08:24. > :08:33.There are quite enough negotiators in Whitehall to do the job are
:08:34. > :08:39.talking about. Will White Paper highlight the words of Article 50,
:08:40. > :08:42.which say that the union must negotiate and conclude an agreement
:08:43. > :08:49.taking account of the framework for its future relations between the
:08:50. > :08:55.union and the UK? It is therefore impossible to start negotiations
:08:56. > :08:59.unless one has an outline agreement on what that framework should be.
:09:00. > :09:05.There are only two frameworks that are possible, continuation of free
:09:06. > :09:08.trade and a move to favoured nation terms. Will we get that
:09:09. > :09:15.clarification right the beginning of the negotiations? We already have
:09:16. > :09:19.done. In my one meeting with Mr Barnier, when he was talking about
:09:20. > :09:27.this sequential quote which seems to be not practical, it isn't possible
:09:28. > :09:31.to come to an outcome on either negotiations without a clear idea of
:09:32. > :09:37.the trade aspect in the negotiation and his description is pretty
:09:38. > :09:42.accurate. I've said in terms, we intend all this to be concluded
:09:43. > :09:47.within two years. The Government says it wants nothing further to do
:09:48. > :09:51.with the European Court of Justice, but as the Secretary of State well
:09:52. > :09:56.knows, in any new free agreement with the 27 member states, there
:09:57. > :10:01.will have to be a legal arbitration mechanism whose rulings will be
:10:02. > :10:09.obliged to prevent. In the European Court of Justice is not acceptable,
:10:10. > :10:15.what court would be? It would not necessarily be a court. Most
:10:16. > :10:19.international... Listen to the answer. In most international trade
:10:20. > :10:22.agreements, there's an arbitration mechanism, normally preceded by a
:10:23. > :10:28.mediation mechanism which is used more often. In the case of Canada
:10:29. > :10:32.one for example, you've got one person from each side and one
:10:33. > :10:37.neutral appointed by agreement. That agreement cannot be reached, there
:10:38. > :10:41.is a fallback and there's all the different and will between the civil
:10:42. > :10:47.trade arbitration mechanism and accord which reaches into every look
:10:48. > :10:52.cranny of your society. Can I thank the Secretary of State very much for
:10:53. > :10:56.the party played in securing the White Paper? That has been welcomed
:10:57. > :11:02.across the House and is good news. Does he know when it might be
:11:03. > :11:07.published and how much time this place will have two debated? Of
:11:08. > :11:11.course, this is a decision based solely on the Prime Minister to
:11:12. > :11:15.publish the White Paper and it's nice to agree with myself from six
:11:16. > :11:22.months ago. LAUGHTER
:11:23. > :11:27.In terms of timing... Sorry, my voice on the microphone together, in
:11:28. > :11:31.terms of timing, the Prime Minister said in due course yesterday it will
:11:32. > :11:35.be as expeditious as we can be. She has been in Government and these
:11:36. > :11:43.things have a proceed and it takes time to do that we won't waste time
:11:44. > :11:46.producing it for the House. I wish the secular state would get his
:11:47. > :11:51.voice back because I know he will lead it in the next couple of weeks.
:11:52. > :11:56.To think we should be able to see the White Paper before we consider
:11:57. > :12:03.legislation? With respect, there will be lots of legislation, I
:12:04. > :12:08.assume, he's affirming to Article 50? Yes, here's. The Article 50
:12:09. > :12:12.legislation is about carrying out the will of the British people, the
:12:13. > :12:16.decision was taken to the 23rd. There will be much more legislation
:12:17. > :12:19.after that am which will relate to policy, the maintenance of European
:12:20. > :12:28.law, that's the great repeal bill, but also the other new rights from
:12:29. > :12:31.that, so it's certainly going to be before all that, and as I said, I
:12:32. > :12:33.will be as expeditious as is reasonable.
:12:34. > :12:40.You will be aware of how helpful the House of Commons website is, policy
:12:41. > :12:44.documents by the government set out their proposals for future
:12:45. > :12:48.legislation, given Article 50 is a significant piece of legislation and
:12:49. > :12:51.this house deserves to scrutinise it, will he commit to publishing the
:12:52. > :12:57.White Paper for the committee stage? I will give the next week, but
:12:58. > :13:03.before the committee stage? As I said, we will be as expeditious as
:13:04. > :13:09.we can be. I reiterate to him this point, the Article 50 legislation is
:13:10. > :13:12.about putting in place the beginning of the procedure, only the beginning
:13:13. > :13:20.of the procedure as decided by the British people last year that is not
:13:21. > :13:24.really conditional on the other policy experts of this. I will be as
:13:25. > :13:28.expeditious as I can. I'm welcoming this decision, can I ask my right
:13:29. > :13:31.honourable friend, which, if any select committee chairman has
:13:32. > :13:34.expressed an interest in having this White Paper published with an
:13:35. > :13:39.intention of scrutinising it. Well, I am pretty sure the "Brexit"
:13:40. > :13:45.committee, edging out the chairman, but he's not paying attention(!)
:13:46. > :13:48.LAUGHTER ... I'm pretty sure the "Brexit"
:13:49. > :13:55.committee have done. I cannot account for the others. I am
:13:56. > :13:58.concerned by some of the responses from the Secretary of State,
:13:59. > :14:03.seemingly bursting with enthusiasm about this White Paper, now it seems
:14:04. > :14:07.we may not get it as soon as we need it. Given the level of interest in
:14:08. > :14:11.the legislation and the amendments to be tabled, we need this White
:14:12. > :14:20.Paper before committee stage of this bill, will he make sure we get it?
:14:21. > :14:23.Powered EU deal with an opposition that will not take yes for an
:14:24. > :14:29.answer...? LAUGHTER I have said, I have said... We will
:14:30. > :14:32.deal with it, I will produce it as expeditiously as possible, as
:14:33. > :14:44.quickly as possible, what can you do faster than that?! Work as fast as
:14:45. > :14:51.he can, I suppose, but we need it before. Will it be a cut and paste
:14:52. > :14:57.of the Prime Minister 's speech, when we get it, or instead, will we
:14:58. > :14:58.have a sense of the financial impact on this country of different
:14:59. > :15:07.options? As I said at the beginning, the
:15:08. > :15:09.Prime Minister 's speech, one of the clearest acquisitions of
:15:10. > :15:15.international policy I have heard in many years, answered all of the
:15:16. > :15:21.questions that the opposition and the "Brexit" committee raised, other
:15:22. > :15:25.than those which would actively undermine our negotiating position,
:15:26. > :15:29.the opposition put up a motion which said that we will not undermine our
:15:30. > :15:35.negotiating position. It is quite right that they expect us to obey
:15:36. > :15:39.the rules of the house, but they should as well. A lot of questions
:15:40. > :15:43.on the paper, which I am keen to reach, but the exchanges at the
:15:44. > :15:51.moment are quite ponderous... We do need to speed up a bit! Sir Henry
:15:52. > :15:54.Bellingham. Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will answer questions
:15:55. > :15:59.four and a team together, unprecedented opportunity here to
:16:00. > :16:02.ensure agriculture industry is competitive, productive and
:16:03. > :16:06.profitable, and that our environment is protected for future generations.
:16:07. > :16:09.I regularly meet farmers representatives from all over the UK
:16:10. > :16:17.as well as my ministerial colleagues. Post "Brexit", two key
:16:18. > :16:22.priorities for agriculture, devise a system of support for the economy
:16:23. > :16:25.which does not contain the current levels of EU Beller n Chrissie that
:16:26. > :16:28.are so expensive, and if we're cheap that, we agree that we could
:16:29. > :16:35.maintain the current levels of support for our own economy? -- EU
:16:36. > :16:38.bureaucracy. My honourable friend makes extremely appalled in point,
:16:39. > :16:43.once we have left the European Union we will be able to redesign policy
:16:44. > :16:48.to suit the needs of British agriculture, which will lead to a
:16:49. > :16:53.significant reduction in red tape and as he says, in costs. When the
:16:54. > :16:57.Prime Minister spoke, she did not mention the agriculture sector, when
:16:58. > :17:03.they publish their White Paper Commonwealth the guarantee that the
:17:04. > :17:10.farming sector is a key element, because once we have left the, the
:17:11. > :17:13.sector needs a show of support. I can assure the honourable gentleman
:17:14. > :17:17.that the agriculture industry is at the forefront of calculations, as I
:17:18. > :17:21.said earlier we consult regularly with farming unions from all over
:17:22. > :17:26.the UK, including Wales, and we will be meeting the farm is union of
:17:27. > :17:30.Wales on Saturday of this week full of any suggestion we are not
:17:31. > :17:35.listening to farming industry is completely unfounded. Will the
:17:36. > :17:43.Minister ensure that the new system of farm support rewards the highest
:17:44. > :17:47.standards of animal welfare? Another extra important point, the United
:17:48. > :17:50.Kingdom is noted throughout the world for its high standards of
:17:51. > :17:56.animal welfare, and I have no doubt that the government will wish to
:17:57. > :18:01.maintain that reputation in the forthcoming legislation. Farmers are
:18:02. > :18:04.worried that crops will rot in the ground without a seasonal worker
:18:05. > :18:09.scheme, will this be included in the promised White Paper? The honourable
:18:10. > :18:13.gentleman makes another important point, farming industry is reliant,
:18:14. > :18:17.to a certain extent, on seasonal agricultural workers, there was a
:18:18. > :18:23.scheme which existed until fairly recently. That is one of the models
:18:24. > :18:32.that the government is giving consideration to. The department is
:18:33. > :18:36.working with officials across government continuing wide-ranging
:18:37. > :18:38.analysis, covering the entirety of the economy and trading
:18:39. > :18:43.relationships with the, looking at 50 sectors including cost-cutting.
:18:44. > :18:46.We want to ensure that British businesses have the maximum freedom
:18:47. > :18:49.to trade with and operate within European markets and let European
:18:50. > :18:52.businesses do the same in Britain, we believe that a good deal of
:18:53. > :18:56.market access and a strong relationship is in the interest of
:18:57. > :19:03.both parties. While bringing in more immigration controls, the ability of
:19:04. > :19:08.keys sectors like financial services and aerospace to bring in and
:19:09. > :19:11.relocate talent from different countries is important. What
:19:12. > :19:17.reassurances can my honourable friend give such businesses? My
:19:18. > :19:21.honourable friend is a champion for the aerospace businesses on the M5
:19:22. > :19:25.corridor and helps in his role as a global trade envoy, as she said, we
:19:26. > :19:30.want the UK to be a secure, prosperous and tolerant country, a
:19:31. > :19:33.home for pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead, we will
:19:34. > :19:38.continue to attract the brightest and best to work and study in
:19:39. > :19:45.Britain. Openness to international talent must remain one of this
:19:46. > :19:49.country's most distinctive talents. Can you ask the minister what he's
:19:50. > :19:55.doing to ensure that research leaders from the UConn trees can to
:19:56. > :20:02.receive positions at UK research institutions after we leave the EU?
:20:03. > :20:05.The honourable gentleman raises a very important question, I have had
:20:06. > :20:08.a number of valuable meetings with my honourable friend for pension and
:20:09. > :20:12.is higher education Council to address this issue, we recognise the
:20:13. > :20:15.concerns of the sector and we recognise we need to continue
:20:16. > :20:21.focusing on having an immigration sector which attract the brightest
:20:22. > :20:25.and the best. Can I urge my right honourable friend to address the
:20:26. > :20:29.issue about incoming individuals and the controls as soon as, one of the
:20:30. > :20:33.big issues which my honourable friend has already touched on is the
:20:34. > :20:38.concern about access to global, global talent, and the sooner that
:20:39. > :20:44.we can reassure the city and others that the high added value, low
:20:45. > :20:47.volume numbers that come in are very welcome, it is the low skill, using
:20:48. > :20:54.British benefits, which are not very welcome. My right honourable friend
:20:55. > :20:57.is right about the importance of attracting global talent for key
:20:58. > :21:02.industries such as the financial services and the Finn tech
:21:03. > :21:05.industries. Manufacturing companies in aerospace and automotive are
:21:06. > :21:09.worried about potential delays at the border when we leave the, and
:21:10. > :21:14.possible customs duties. It was suggested that associate membership
:21:15. > :21:19.of the customs union might be possible. Will the Minister confirm
:21:20. > :21:23.that unless that associate membership covers most sectors of
:21:24. > :21:28.the economy, it will fall foul of the WTO rules? The Prime Minister
:21:29. > :21:32.has talked about aiming for a frictionless system and one which we
:21:33. > :21:36.can agree to not have tariffs and not have barriers in place, that is
:21:37. > :21:42.what we should all be aiming for in a new partnership between the UK and
:21:43. > :21:46.the EU. In light of the very clear statement by the Prime Minister and
:21:47. > :21:52.the observations of the member for Chingford, doesn't Prime Minister
:21:53. > :21:58.think it might be useful to set out at an earlier date these rules for
:21:59. > :22:02.attracting talent into the UK? In light of the Prime Minister's beach
:22:03. > :22:08.and ability to create certainty from this process, the sooner we can come
:22:09. > :22:10.forward with that, the better. The Prime Minister's appeal for some
:22:11. > :22:15.form of hybrid customs arrangements with Europe, far from being a clear
:22:16. > :22:18.expedition of policy, raised more questions than it provided answers,
:22:19. > :22:22.will the forthcoming White Paper expand upon the Prime Minister's
:22:23. > :22:27.remarks and provide businesses across the country with the clarity
:22:28. > :22:30.they need about the range of positive alternative arrangements
:22:31. > :22:35.and how that may affect? The Prime Minister's statement has given very
:22:36. > :22:39.welcome clarity, welcomed by many business groups. We would expect the
:22:40. > :22:43.White Paper to set up more detail around that but we should also make
:22:44. > :22:47.sure that we are not doing what the house has repeatedly instructed us
:22:48. > :22:57.to do, protect interests through this process. Flexibility is
:22:58. > :23:01.important in a complex negotiation such as this, requiring imagination
:23:02. > :23:05.on both sides. Not everyone will be able to know everything at every
:23:06. > :23:08.stage. That is why we have the set out the strategic aim for new
:23:09. > :23:13.partnership in a bold and ambitious trading arrangement. That is also
:23:14. > :23:16.why we will not get drawn into setting out every bit of our
:23:17. > :23:20.negotiating strategy in detail and laying out red lines. Doing so would
:23:21. > :23:24.tie the hands of the government, and make it harder for us to achieve the
:23:25. > :23:29.right deal for the UK, I presume that is what every once. I thank the
:23:30. > :23:33.Secretary of State for the answer, the right honourable member for
:23:34. > :23:36.Hitchin and Harpenden reminded the house that Article 50 requires the
:23:37. > :23:40.European Union to take account of any future relationship that an
:23:41. > :23:43.independent Britain may have with it as we negotiate the declaration of
:23:44. > :23:48.arid independence. Would my right honourable friend agree with me that
:23:49. > :23:51.at the same time as we negotiate independence, we should show
:23:52. > :23:58.generosity to the 27 by continuing to offer them access to our market
:23:59. > :24:04.on a free-trade basis? Well, he's exactly right, and that is our
:24:05. > :24:08.intention, we made it clear, and it is, I believe, one of the reasons
:24:09. > :24:14.why the Prime Minister's beach has been received with such applause,
:24:15. > :24:21.frankly, around the rest of Europe. Actually, let me quote, if I can
:24:22. > :24:28.find it... In fact, in that case, I won't find... It is rather a long
:24:29. > :24:29.quote, I will leave it! LAUGHTER. I agree with my right honourable
:24:30. > :24:37.friend. The Secretary of State has
:24:38. > :24:43.repeatedly said that he can maintain flexibility and give the house a say
:24:44. > :24:47.through the great repeal Bill. That only covers things in legislation.
:24:48. > :24:53.At what point is the house going to be able to look at the value of the
:24:54. > :24:59.agencies and the cost of setting up new UK ones? Well, that is precisely
:25:00. > :25:02.the sort of thing that I welcome up in legislation -- that might well
:25:03. > :25:06.come up in legislation. In dealing with these new agencies we will be
:25:07. > :25:12.seeking the best outcome in each case for the relevant sector. And
:25:13. > :25:15.when we are doing that, we will of course be talking to the house about
:25:16. > :25:20.the cost benefit of various options at the point it is appropriate, not
:25:21. > :25:23.whilst still in the middle of that details bit of negotiation but when
:25:24. > :25:32.it is appropriate for the house to know. In seeking a clean "Brexit",
:25:33. > :25:35.we would want to be as flexible as possible in negotiating our
:25:36. > :25:38.mentorship of a free-trade area, nevertheless, will the Minister
:25:39. > :25:42.agree that such an agreement is not forthcoming and therefore, we need
:25:43. > :25:47.to be prepared for a situation where we may have to have some form of
:25:48. > :25:50.duties, will he agree with me that it is perfectly possible that with
:25:51. > :25:59.digital technology, to have the border as part of the journey rather
:26:00. > :26:02.than a hard border of old. Given my honourable friend's constituency he
:26:03. > :26:06.will know this better than most people, I can see where you are
:26:07. > :26:09.going and he is right. There will be a ten station for the government to
:26:10. > :26:13.think this is just about government to government conversations,
:26:14. > :26:16.wouldn't it be really useful for the government to look at this as a
:26:17. > :26:23.parliament to Parliament negotiation as well, so that... So that we all
:26:24. > :26:24.start lobbying together, so that we all secure the best possible deal
:26:25. > :26:33.for this country? INAUDIBLE
:26:34. > :26:39.I'm not going to say definitely no to the honourable gentleman. On the
:26:40. > :26:44.contrary, he knows, my prejudices in this is probably the right word, but
:26:45. > :26:47.it is for Parliament to decide what Parliament wants to do. The
:26:48. > :26:50.essential responsibility of the negotiation is quite properly the
:26:51. > :26:55.government and the opposition will hold us and everybody to account but
:26:56. > :27:00.nevertheless, he is quite right, there is a role for Parliament to
:27:01. > :27:02.talk to other parliaments about the joint interests of their
:27:03. > :27:08.constituents. In that respect, he has my support.
:27:09. > :27:13.An important part of a partnership we seek with the EU will be the
:27:14. > :27:18.pursuit of the greatest possible market access to the single market
:27:19. > :27:22.on a fully reciprocal basis. This'll be a high priority in the
:27:23. > :27:28.negotiations and we believe that the benefit of both sides and the people
:27:29. > :27:33.of Scotland. We want to get the best deal for people including Scotland.
:27:34. > :27:39.Exports from Aberdeen to Norway, over ?750 million in 2015, and a
:27:40. > :27:46.vital part of anchoring the world class oil and gas trade. Can he
:27:47. > :27:50.ensure that in this process the oil and gas industry will be taken into
:27:51. > :27:55.account and access will not be lost as a result of a harder Tory Brexit?
:27:56. > :28:00.He's right to raise the importance of the oil and gas industry in his
:28:01. > :28:04.constituency and the entire UK. The Secretary of State held a roundtable
:28:05. > :28:07.with industry leaders which included oil and gas representatives and I'm
:28:08. > :28:14.looking forward to visiting them in Scotland in the coming weeks. Does
:28:15. > :28:18.he agree with me that selling into the single market is much preferable
:28:19. > :28:22.to being a member of it because it is in fact a highly regulatory
:28:23. > :28:29.bureaucratic mechanism and 87% of British businesses does not rely on
:28:30. > :28:33.it. He makes his case very strongly as ever. I believe the best market
:28:34. > :28:37.access to a single market for UK businesses and European businesses
:28:38. > :28:45.to the UK market will be in all our interests. I recently met with a
:28:46. > :28:49.very good manufacturing company who employs people in my constituency
:28:50. > :28:52.and they told me they hope the Government understands the concerns
:28:53. > :29:00.of industry in terms of Brexit and the customs union. Wires? THE
:29:01. > :29:06.industry across the country to make industry across the country to make
:29:07. > :29:09.sure we take on the concerns and they see the opportunities. Many
:29:10. > :29:12.businesses I have met are excited about the opportunities for the UK
:29:13. > :29:19.to go out and make trade deals and trade around the world. If he has
:29:20. > :29:26.liberating effect of escaping from liberating effect of escaping from
:29:27. > :29:31.the external tariffs, as a former economic speed, I'm happy to give
:29:32. > :29:37.him 45 minutes on the subject. I look forward to the lesson. What a
:29:38. > :29:45.fortunate fellow he is. Lord Bromfield. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
:29:46. > :29:48.The Secretary of State provided some clarity on his priorities for access
:29:49. > :29:55.to the single market in response to questions on Tuesday statement. He
:29:56. > :30:00.said he is seeking, "A comprehensive free-trade agreement, a
:30:01. > :30:09.comprehensive customs agreement that will deliver the exact same benefits
:30:10. > :30:14.as we have." Being inside the single market? Would he confirmed that is
:30:15. > :30:20.his negotiating position so we can measure the success against it? It
:30:21. > :30:24.is up to the opposition to get the best market access and as we've
:30:25. > :30:32.repeatedly said, for British businesses to trade in the single
:30:33. > :30:36.market. The Department for exiting the European Union has been
:30:37. > :30:39.undertaking a thorough analysis of over 50 business sectors. We have
:30:40. > :30:42.been speaking direct lead to manufacturer such as those in the
:30:43. > :30:47.automotive and chemical factors to understand what they need from us so
:30:48. > :30:57.we can continue to thrive after the European Union. Within that work,
:30:58. > :31:01.has established how many British manufacturing factories are actually
:31:02. > :31:05.in competition internally with other factories in France, Germany,
:31:06. > :31:09.forward that companies going to be manufacturing and does he therefore
:31:10. > :31:12.realise how catastrophic it would be for our manufacturing industry if
:31:13. > :31:20.there were tariffs on products made in the UK that France and Germany
:31:21. > :31:23.didn't have. He's entirely right. Manufacturing industry is highly
:31:24. > :31:27.integrated across the EU and that's why the Prime Minister has made it
:31:28. > :31:30.clear that watches G6 is customs arrangements which will cater for
:31:31. > :31:35.those arrangements, but I think we have to remember that when we have
:31:36. > :31:40.left the European Union, the UK will be the biggest export market for the
:31:41. > :31:45.European Union. It is therefore in our mutual interest we have proper
:31:46. > :31:50.arrangements relating to customs. Can he confirm that two
:31:51. > :31:54.manufacturers in Caterham, there export prospects are far brighter
:31:55. > :31:56.outside the EU because whilst we are a member, we are forbidden from
:31:57. > :32:02.entering international trade agreements of our own. He is right
:32:03. > :32:06.to point that out for the once we've left the EU, we will be in a
:32:07. > :32:10.position to strike free-trade agreements around the world and that
:32:11. > :32:18.is precisely what the Department for it and trade is doing right now.
:32:19. > :32:27.70,000 jobs are created in the food sector in Northern Ireland. 1.1
:32:28. > :32:30.billion basic prices. What will he provide for this massive employer
:32:31. > :32:37.and what support and advice has been offered? He is right to point out
:32:38. > :32:41.the importance of the agri- food sector not only in Northern Ireland
:32:42. > :32:46.but throughout the UK. We having gauged closely with the food Drink
:32:47. > :32:48.Federation. In Northern Ireland there are specific circumstances,
:32:49. > :32:53.and he will know that the Government is committed to ensuring that there
:32:54. > :32:59.is as little impact as possible on the sector in Northern Ireland. Is
:33:00. > :33:05.he aware that both Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover are currently planning
:33:06. > :33:10.for how the export market may well change if we have free-trade
:33:11. > :33:14.agreements with India, China and the United States? Does he agree with me
:33:15. > :33:20.that they are right to say this is an opportunity for manufacturing,
:33:21. > :33:25.not a disadvantage? He is entirely right and I really think that we
:33:26. > :33:28.have a duty, rather than talking down British manufacturing industry,
:33:29. > :33:31.to point out the benefits which will flow from Brexit. There is a world
:33:32. > :33:37.out there and we should seize the opportunity. My Livingston
:33:38. > :33:41.constituency was built on manufacturing and many other
:33:42. > :33:44.companies in Livingston rely on EU workers. What can he do to assure
:33:45. > :33:49.me, those workers and companies in my constituency that they will stay
:33:50. > :33:57.and work in Livingston in Scotland? The issue of EU residence in the UK
:33:58. > :34:01.is one that we believe should be settled very early in the
:34:02. > :34:05.negotiation, similarly the issue of British residents in the continuing
:34:06. > :34:08.European Union. I can tell the honourable lady I have already
:34:09. > :34:11.discussed this issue with ministerial counterparts and they
:34:12. > :34:22.are agreed that this is a matter of priority. My department is working
:34:23. > :34:25.closely with the Department for Education to understand their
:34:26. > :34:30.interests. A global button must look to the future and it means being one
:34:31. > :34:33.of the best places in the world for science and innovation. The UK laws
:34:34. > :34:39.like those with the skills and expertise to make our nation greater
:34:40. > :34:42.still. The university sector is one of the largest contributors to our
:34:43. > :34:47.economy so it does need to think carefully about its position post
:34:48. > :34:50.Brexit, so is there an appropriate point of contact, start and a
:34:51. > :34:56.significant way, so that sector can feel confident its issues will be
:34:57. > :35:01.dealt with? The ministers for universities and science, who I
:35:02. > :35:06.joined this week with the university sector to engage on precisely this
:35:07. > :35:08.issue, we were both delighted to the prominence universities and science
:35:09. > :35:15.played in the prime ministers speech. I taught in the university
:35:16. > :35:19.sector for many years and saw first-hand the benefits that
:35:20. > :35:23.overseas students bring to the universities both financially,
:35:24. > :35:26.culturally and socially. What assurances can he give that overseas
:35:27. > :35:30.students will continue to come in the same numbers and more post
:35:31. > :35:34.Brexit? I have been clear we should continue to welcome the brightest
:35:35. > :35:39.and the best of the UK. The UK continues to be a great place to
:35:40. > :35:42.study. We have world-class teaching and innovative research carrying out
:35:43. > :35:46.some of the most culturally and intellectually diverse academic
:35:47. > :35:52.environment in the world. 18 universities in the top 100 and I
:35:53. > :35:56.will visit the highest ranked in the world tomorrow. Given the migration
:35:57. > :36:01.of these issues will be close to the negotiations for any future trade
:36:02. > :36:04.deals with India, America, New Zealand, Australia and the EU, can
:36:05. > :36:08.he give an assurance that a new British immigration policy will be
:36:09. > :36:11.sufficiently well-developed and can demand public support in time for
:36:12. > :36:17.those negotiations to begin in a meaningful way? I absolutely agree.
:36:18. > :36:21.I think this is a challenge for the whole of Government. We need to work
:36:22. > :36:24.across Whitehall and other departments, the Treasury, Home
:36:25. > :36:32.Office, to come up with a best system for a global Britain. Has he
:36:33. > :36:36.any plans to seek an accommodation of the Republic of Ireland to
:36:37. > :36:38.achieve reciprocal processes for staff and students that move
:36:39. > :36:47.backwards and forwards across the border? We have been very clear in
:36:48. > :36:50.the Prime Minister speech about our commitment to the Common travel area
:36:51. > :36:54.with Ireland and continuing to engage on cross-border issues of the
:36:55. > :37:01.Republic of Ireland as regards to universities is absolutely vital and
:37:02. > :37:12.apply Mr will meet with their leader next week. -- the Prime Minister. UK
:37:13. > :37:15.nationals in EU and vice versa are a priority for negotiations. This is a
:37:16. > :37:18.right and fair thing to do. The Prime Minister has already set out
:37:19. > :37:23.that we try to achieve an early agreement on this issue with our EU
:37:24. > :37:27.partners. We will continue to do so. We also want to ensure our future
:37:28. > :37:31.immigration framework operates in the best interests of all part of
:37:32. > :37:36.the UK and we are working closely with devolved administrations to
:37:37. > :37:40.achieve this. The committee I'd share carefully considered the
:37:41. > :37:44.Scottish Government paper last week. We were clear it is our intention to
:37:45. > :37:49.it detect the existing rights enjoyed by Irish and UK nationals
:37:50. > :37:52.when in the other state and to maintain existing border arrangement
:37:53. > :37:57.of the Common travel area. Immigration is a reserved matter
:37:58. > :38:02.nonetheless. If the Government is not going to guarantee residence
:38:03. > :38:06.rights for EU nationals, what assessment have made on public
:38:07. > :38:14.services and the economy and the return of thousands of retired
:38:15. > :38:19.British immigrants? We don't intend to pursue a policy which will lead
:38:20. > :38:23.to that. I think there is a real issue at the heart of this but it's
:38:24. > :38:30.not helped I holier than thou stance of the SNP. I think the House should
:38:31. > :38:38.be reminded of the words of Nicola Sturgeon during the independence
:38:39. > :38:43.referendum in 2014. She said, "We have set down a robust and
:38:44. > :38:45.common-sense position for that there are 160,000 EU nationals from other
:38:46. > :38:49.states living in Scotland, including some in the Commonwealth city of
:38:50. > :38:56.Glasgow. Of Scotland's outside Europe, they would lose the right to
:38:57. > :39:07.stay here." I will deal with the issue properly. Can he explain why
:39:08. > :39:18.so many EU nationals who start off in Scotland end up in England? No.
:39:19. > :39:23.The Prime Minister will today meet an American president who champions
:39:24. > :39:27.torture and who is proud to discriminate against Muslims. Will
:39:28. > :39:33.he therefore agree with me that it's even more important as Government
:39:34. > :39:39.sends a strong moral message, bargaining chips are not human
:39:40. > :39:43.beings. Will he confirmed the residency rights of EU nationals?
:39:44. > :39:49.The honourable lady knows my stance on torture down the years. Better
:39:50. > :39:53.than most, I suspect. The British Government's stance on torture is
:39:54. > :39:59.very painful that we don't agree with it under any circumstances
:40:00. > :40:04.whatsoever. At the conference in Berlin on Brexit at the weekend, the
:40:05. > :40:07.uncertainty facing EU nationals residence to the UK was made very
:40:08. > :40:12.clear. The Prime Minister's comments were immensely welcomed, and would
:40:13. > :40:16.be possible for this issue to be resolved as rapidly as possible in
:40:17. > :40:21.negotiations? The primers and made it plain she is trying to get
:40:22. > :40:25.agreement amongst the member states -- the Prime Minister for the most
:40:26. > :40:30.of them agree that one or two don't. We have two keep pressing to resolve
:40:31. > :40:33.this as quickly as possible but I hope EU nationals currently here
:40:34. > :40:37.will take heart from what we are saying, what our intention is, to
:40:38. > :40:38.give them the guarantees that will also apply to British citizens
:40:39. > :40:50.abroad. The Prime Minister speech said at
:40:51. > :40:53.the negotiating priority to ensure the UK is one of the best places in
:40:54. > :40:56.the world for science and innovation. As part of the
:40:57. > :41:00.negotiations, the Government will discuss EU member state to continue
:41:01. > :41:06.co-operation in the field of clinical trials. With a spectre
:41:07. > :41:10.directly to his question, the UK's successfully brought to reform the
:41:11. > :41:15.current directive and is in the best interests of business. We will
:41:16. > :41:19.follow the UK, EU rules and to the point of exit and those new rules
:41:20. > :41:24.come into effect shortly. The great repeal bill will convert the law on
:41:25. > :41:29.Brexit including EU regulations and if need be we can reform them after
:41:30. > :41:33.that. Given the harmful effect of EU directives on clinical trials and
:41:34. > :41:36.science in the UK, when the time comes to write our own rules, can he
:41:37. > :41:42.give an undertaking to listen to some of the chemical scientists, not
:41:43. > :41:50.just the big corporate vested interests from Brussels? The short
:41:51. > :41:55.answer is absolutely. Here's right. The original clinical trials
:41:56. > :41:58.directive was a very poorly drafted piece of EU regulation and certainly
:41:59. > :42:03.has increased the of undertaking such trials and if I remember
:42:04. > :42:07.correctly from my own constituency background, particularly small
:42:08. > :42:11.trials. Those are exactly that other people I think he's talking about.
:42:12. > :42:17.Those views will be taken very seriously indeed in a new regime
:42:18. > :42:21.after Brexit. Boat the US biotech company and GlaxoSmithKline have
:42:22. > :42:26.announced they are making very substantial investment into the UK.
:42:27. > :42:31.Does he agree that this demonstrates that, even after we leave the
:42:32. > :42:37.European Union, we will still be a very competitive place for biotech
:42:38. > :42:43.companies to do business? Yes, he's exactly right. I went to see some of
:42:44. > :42:48.those companies in Cambridge recently. One of the problems for
:42:49. > :42:53.people who do talk the country down if I underestimate the extent to
:42:54. > :42:59.which pharmaceuticals, life sciences, finance, software, are
:43:00. > :43:02.fantastically powerful industries in which we already have a huge
:43:03. > :43:11.critical mass of talent which will continue into the future.
:43:12. > :43:16.This is the trouble with being Taylor and Charlie. The Prime
:43:17. > :43:23.Minister was clear that she wants to guarantee the status of EU citizens
:43:24. > :43:28.already in Britain. -- tail end Charlie. She has tried already to
:43:29. > :43:32.reach an agreement and we will continue to try to get her to reach
:43:33. > :43:35.an agreement. Will my right honourable friend accept that that
:43:36. > :43:38.answer will be extremely welcome because there is genuine and
:43:39. > :43:44.widespread concern on this issue. Could he tell the house what are the
:43:45. > :43:50.problems that he is encountering with a few member states that is
:43:51. > :43:58.stopping a reciprocal agreement from being arrived at now? Well, truth be
:43:59. > :44:04.told, I'm not 100% sure, on what the actual problems are, in the running
:44:05. > :44:08.to these negotiations of course the commission and some member states
:44:09. > :44:12.have taken a very stern stance on no negotiation before notification and
:44:13. > :44:18.may think it is trying to pre-empt that, that is not the intention. The
:44:19. > :44:25.intention is to act in the interest of principal citizens. Those
:44:26. > :44:27.problems notwithstanding, there are many talented people from the
:44:28. > :44:31.European Union in this country making enormous contributions to the
:44:32. > :44:35.economy and the cultural life of the country, and surely he agrees that
:44:36. > :44:39.it is not need agreement with other EU member states, there is going to
:44:40. > :44:43.be won, and he would get a lot of goodwill from the public and
:44:44. > :44:47.partners across European Union if he unilaterally made that commitment
:44:48. > :44:51.today. I thank the honourable member for the tone in which he put the
:44:52. > :44:54.question but we have a dual responsibility, responsibility
:44:55. > :44:58.within our own country to maintain a moral stand in what we did and that
:44:59. > :45:03.is what I see this as, immoral question, and on the other hand, a
:45:04. > :45:08.responsibility to citizens abroad. Legal as well as moral. We will get
:45:09. > :45:20.this resolved, and we will resolve it as fast as we can. Question 15,
:45:21. > :45:27.Mr Speaker. Recognise the large majority of trade agreements
:45:28. > :45:43.involving 40 mechanism or trades dispute resolution. -- involve
:45:44. > :45:48.the Prime Minister has said that she wants a conference free-trade
:45:49. > :45:51.agreement with the UN and that in future, our laws will be interpreted
:45:52. > :45:58.by British judges in British courts, but every comprehensive free-trade
:45:59. > :46:02.agreement has some sort of intended trade dispute resolution mechanism,
:46:03. > :46:09.does the Minister agree that this sort of inconsistency needs to be
:46:10. > :46:14.ironed out by rigorous Parliamentary scrutiny of the Prime Minister's
:46:15. > :46:18.plan. It is not an inconsistency, it is a lack of understanding on the
:46:19. > :46:21.part of the opposition, as I said in response to an earlier question,
:46:22. > :46:24.there is a range of models but a large number of international trade
:46:25. > :46:29.agreements with arbitration mechanisms but they are that, agreed
:46:30. > :46:33.arbitration mechanisms, they are not mechanisms that bring the influence
:46:34. > :46:37.of the European court into all parts of British society and that is what
:46:38. > :46:43.will be resolved by leaving the European Union. Mr Speaker, Britain
:46:44. > :46:47.has played a key role in protecting Europe's security and Prime Minister
:46:48. > :46:51.is clear that we will continue to with European partners on Warren
:46:52. > :46:54.defence policy as we leave the European Union. Does my right
:46:55. > :47:00.honourable friend agree that as a global player in areas such as
:47:01. > :47:02.counterterrorism, we have much to benefit both EU partners and
:47:03. > :47:08.ourselves as a cooperation agreement in our interest? I agree entirely
:47:09. > :47:11.with my honourable friend, indeed, this was an issue I discussed with
:47:12. > :47:17.several of my European counterparts earlier this week, they fully
:47:18. > :47:22.understand the strength that Britain brings to the table, in terms of
:47:23. > :47:25.intelligence, for example, and they understand the value that they bring
:47:26. > :47:29.to the table after they leave the EU. Surely the Minister understand
:47:30. > :47:33.that across Europe as we talk to other parliamentarians, they are
:47:34. > :47:37.deeply worried that the knock on effect of us leaving the European
:47:38. > :47:40.Union on stability and future of Nato. That is the truth. They get
:47:41. > :47:45.what is happening in the United States with the new president, can
:47:46. > :47:50.you assure the house that the Nato commitment of this country will be
:47:51. > :47:54.redoubled rather than diminished? Mr Speaker, we are absolutely committed
:47:55. > :47:55.to Nato and I can assure the house that commitment will continue after
:47:56. > :48:09."Brexit". As the Prime Minister said, we will
:48:10. > :48:12.put the final deal to a vote, we have always said that we will
:48:13. > :48:16.observe the constitutional legal obligations that apply to the final
:48:17. > :48:20.deal and as I have said many times, we will keep the house informed
:48:21. > :48:22.through the process. Will my right honourable friend confirmed that
:48:23. > :48:26.both Houses of Parliament will have a number of opportunities to vote on
:48:27. > :48:31.a wide range of legislation determining substantial policy
:48:32. > :48:34.decisions as we exit the EU? My right honourable friend is
:48:35. > :48:38.absolutely right, we will have the Article 50 Bill, introduced
:48:39. > :48:41.imminently, a great repeal Bill, to be introduced in the next session,
:48:42. > :48:47.that is an important piece of legislation which will ensure that
:48:48. > :48:50.all EU laws can be voted into UK law, including workers' rights and
:48:51. > :48:54.environmental regulation, which I would think would be of interest to
:48:55. > :48:59.the opposition. There will be the deflation on those and other issues,
:49:00. > :49:00.those are just the beginning, exiting the European Union
:49:01. > :49:04.this Parliament back control over this Parliament back control over
:49:05. > :49:09.its own laws. Decisions on policy will be taken here, not the European
:49:10. > :49:18.Union, and we will go back to being a free country again. Extraordinary
:49:19. > :49:26.fellow... Mr Speaker, during the prime and is the's beach... I'm
:49:27. > :49:33.sorry, I'll do... -- during the Prime Minister's speech, and... I'm
:49:34. > :49:37.sorry, I will do... Yes... The question is not whether we should
:49:38. > :49:40.leave, that decision was taken on June 23 last year, it was a question
:49:41. > :49:45.of respect in the referendum result and doing the majority of -- doing
:49:46. > :49:49.the job that the majority want, making a success of our new position
:49:50. > :49:54.in the world. The Prime Minister has set out a old ambitious plan to
:49:55. > :49:59.build a global Britain and one which everybody can get behind. In her
:50:00. > :50:03.speech at Lancaster house on the 17th of this month, she has promised
:50:04. > :50:07.to put the preservation of our press is union at the heart of everything
:50:08. > :50:11.we do, given that we are told this is a union of equals, what form of
:50:12. > :50:16.role will be given to the devolved administrations when the UK
:50:17. > :50:21.renegotiate its new relationship with the EU. Formal role is already
:50:22. > :50:24.in place, we have a joint ministerial committee of which a
:50:25. > :50:29.Scottish Government represented, along with representatives of the
:50:30. > :50:32.Northern Ireland executive and Welsh government, three meeting so far,
:50:33. > :50:38.another meeting on Monday in Cardiff, and another in early
:50:39. > :50:40.February, we are taking formerly the paper submitted by the Scottish
:50:41. > :50:44.Government and the Welsh government, and we will take them on board. The
:50:45. > :50:48.point we have made throughout all of this is that this is a sophisticated
:50:49. > :50:52.and complex negotiation, difficult to do, it has to be done under a
:50:53. > :50:57.single banner, but it will be done in a way that reflects the interests
:50:58. > :51:03.and reflect the interests of all parties in the United Kingdom. With
:51:04. > :51:11.the UK being a net importer of agricultural goods from the EU and
:51:12. > :51:14.the EU being the agriculture Mark's biggest market, what assurances can
:51:15. > :51:18.be given that a key part of negotiations will be to remove
:51:19. > :51:24.agricultural tariffs on both the UK and EU sides as it is in both our
:51:25. > :51:26.interests? My honourable friend is entirely right, there is a
:51:27. > :51:30.significant two-way trade in agricultural products, food and
:51:31. > :51:35.drink products, and I would imagine that it is just as much in the
:51:36. > :51:40.interests of the EU and the UK that sensible arrangements continue.
:51:41. > :51:44.Thank you, we have a commitment now to a White Paper, the role of
:51:45. > :51:49.Parliament in the Article 50 process is to be determined. That is why
:51:50. > :51:54.Labour will seek to table an amendment to the proposed Article 50
:51:55. > :51:59.Bill to require Secretary of State to lay periodic reports at intervals
:52:00. > :52:03.of no less than two months -- every two months. Will the Secretary of
:52:04. > :52:14.State now to the principle of who are big report? Well, from behind me
:52:15. > :52:22.I hear, like he's not going to do that...! Every two months?... Since
:52:23. > :52:25.September, in five months I have done five statements in front of
:52:26. > :52:29.this house, ten debates, appeared in front of a number of select
:52:30. > :52:33.committees, and that process will continue, I suspect two months will
:52:34. > :52:41.be rather an unambitious aim. Thank you. The role at the end of the
:52:42. > :52:44.exercise for parliament will also be important, the Prime Minister has
:52:45. > :52:50.said that MPs will have a vote on the final agreement. Can the
:52:51. > :52:54.Secretary of State today state categorically that MPs in this house
:52:55. > :53:01.will have no less involvement in the process and no less a say over the
:53:02. > :53:08.final Article 50 agreement then MEPs in the European Parliament? I
:53:09. > :53:14.cannot... I have to say... The role of the MEPs will be somewhat limited
:53:15. > :53:18.and peripheral in many respects, use of offset will be allowed at treaty
:53:19. > :53:30.negotiations, but I don't think you will be making a decision. European
:53:31. > :53:35.citizens in this country and British citizens in the EU make valuable
:53:36. > :53:38.contributions to their countries. Pension, health and the rights of
:53:39. > :53:42.children have been mentioned, I wonder if he and his colleagues have
:53:43. > :53:45.been working on this with counterparts across the European
:53:46. > :53:49.Union? My honourable friend again makes an important point, the
:53:50. > :53:54.interest of British residents in the continuing European Union are at the
:53:55. > :53:58.top of their agenda, in fact, I had a discussion early on Monday with
:53:59. > :54:02.representatives of the British residents in Malta, he can be
:54:03. > :54:04.assured that we will continue to reflect the interests of British
:54:05. > :54:14.residents as negotiations commence. Will the government publish an
:54:15. > :54:18.impact assessment of the effect that leaving the single market will have
:54:19. > :54:24.on jobs and conversely the impact of the resulting skills shortage on key
:54:25. > :54:28.industries and the NHS? These are certainly important matters, and
:54:29. > :54:31.certainly matters that we are addressing, but she will understand
:54:32. > :54:35.that we will not be publishing impact assessments, that might be
:54:36. > :54:43.useful to those with whom we would be negotiating. The seafood
:54:44. > :54:46.processing sector is of vital importance to the local economy in
:54:47. > :54:53.the Cleethorpes constituency, can the Minister assure me that their
:54:54. > :54:55.interest will be at the forefront of consideration during Brexit
:54:56. > :55:01.negotiations and will he meet with business leaders from that sector to
:55:02. > :55:05.pass on their assurances? Yes, my honourable friend is entirely right,
:55:06. > :55:08.this is an important sector of the economy, and it may well be that we
:55:09. > :55:13.have already met with those representatives since we have been
:55:14. > :55:19.having extensive engagement with the agricultural food industry. The
:55:20. > :55:21.Health Secretary told us this week that "Brexit" would mean Britain
:55:22. > :55:26.leaving the European medicines agency 's, this move is likely to
:55:27. > :55:31.send Britain to the back of the queue for innovative new drugs, make
:55:32. > :55:34.regulation more complex, and threaten jobs in the thriving
:55:35. > :55:38.pharmaceutical sector, will the Secretary of State tell us why his
:55:39. > :55:41.government have so readily given up membership of this vital body and
:55:42. > :55:44.will he explain the measures he will introduce to ensure that people
:55:45. > :55:49.across Britain will have the same access to medicines as European
:55:50. > :55:54.neighbours? Is already well that the complete premise of -- it's all very
:55:55. > :56:01.well, but the complete premise is wrong. That has been misinterpreted.
:56:02. > :56:04.What I will say to her is this, what we will be doing with this is first
:56:05. > :56:07.putting the clinical safety of the British people at the front of the
:56:08. > :56:11.queue, the front of the priority list, and then the interest of
:56:12. > :56:15.British industry, particularly Biosystems, and life sciences, in
:56:16. > :56:24.which of course we are a world leader and we will remain one after
:56:25. > :56:28.we leave. As the all-party Parliamentary group, the clinical
:56:29. > :56:30.trials issue is a big one for patients, they are concerned that
:56:31. > :56:34.exiting the EU means that nothing will replace them, and my right
:56:35. > :56:39.honourable friend assure the house and those patients that that will be
:56:40. > :56:43.replicated as soon as we end up leaving the EU? I can assure my
:56:44. > :56:48.honourable friend that we are in extensive discussions with the bio
:56:49. > :56:49.Pharma industry, on this particular issue, and those discussions will
:56:50. > :57:04.continue. This week the kingdom of Fife is
:57:05. > :57:09.placed to welcome many students from around the world. When will the
:57:10. > :57:13.university be given guarantees that nothing about Brexit will jeopardise
:57:14. > :57:21.its reputation as the most international of universities? We
:57:22. > :57:29.need to engage with the university sector about what makes Britain such
:57:30. > :57:34.an appealing place to come. I believe that leaving the European
:57:35. > :57:39.Union will be a good thing for the steel industry. This week the steel
:57:40. > :57:44.APPG published its 2020 vision report. Would you like me to send a
:57:45. > :57:48.copy to you so you can have a look at its recommendations as part of
:57:49. > :57:53.the ongoing debate? We would be delighted to receive that. The
:57:54. > :57:57.society of Moti motor manufacturers reported today that car production
:57:58. > :58:01.is at a high but investment in manufacturing is falling because of
:58:02. > :58:04.uncertainty over Brexit. How long does he think the current
:58:05. > :58:08.uncertainty is going to be undermining investment in British
:58:09. > :58:13.economy? We should absolutely welcome the fact that we've seen the
:58:14. > :58:17.highest level this century of car production and car exports from the
:58:18. > :58:21.UK. We continue to see key investments by the automotive
:58:22. > :58:24.industry, such as Land Rover expansion in Coventry. We want to
:58:25. > :58:27.work with the industry to make sure they have the best access to
:58:28. > :58:34.European markets and indeed global markets as we move ahead. About 9
:58:35. > :58:39.million written is will visit France this year and 15 million will visit
:58:40. > :58:44.Spain. About foreign half million French and about two and a half
:58:45. > :58:50.million Spaniards will visit the UK. We be seeking Visa free travel for
:58:51. > :58:53.Europe post Brexit and we were making it clear that it is now you
:58:54. > :59:00.are praying friends's interest to do so? He is hot right to highlight the
:59:01. > :59:12.importance of the two-way tourist industry in Europe. We are
:59:13. > :59:16.considering this but I'll aim is... Via protocol three, when we exit the
:59:17. > :59:23.European Union does it mean the Crown dependencies will also exit
:59:24. > :59:25.the customs union? I met with Chief ministers of Crown dependencies
:59:26. > :59:29.yesterday as part of the formal process of ongoing meetings we're
:59:30. > :59:33.using stakes have use into account and following the Prime Minister's
:59:34. > :59:39.speech I spoke to them and they are pleased with the direction of travel
:59:40. > :59:43.it is at. Higher education is one of the UK's greatest exports. As we
:59:44. > :59:47.seek to grow our export markets post Brexit does the Minister agree we
:59:48. > :59:53.needed an approach that plays to our strengths and builds on them?
:59:54. > :59:59.Wholeheartedly. In response to an earlier question, the secretary of
:00:00. > :00:04.states said we needed both flexibility and imagination in
:00:05. > :00:07.tackling these context negotiations. My manufacturing sector, my
:00:08. > :00:11.university, want competence. That is what they are worried about, the
:00:12. > :00:15.competence of the team sitting on the front bench during negotiations
:00:16. > :00:23.thoroughly. I'd better deal with this one. The interesting thing is,
:00:24. > :00:30.if you look at the response around Europe to the Prime Minister's
:00:31. > :00:33.speech talking about confidence, the Spanish secretary of state for
:00:34. > :00:39.foreign affairs who I saw only a couple of weeks ago welcomed it
:00:40. > :00:44.widely and said it was an eminently achievable aim, in everybody's
:00:45. > :00:50.interests. In my constituency we are lucky to see the excellent L bus 400
:00:51. > :00:54.M as it flies from Brize Norton. Does my honourable friend agree that
:00:55. > :01:00.it is an excellent example of defence cooperation and such
:01:01. > :01:08.cooperation will continue when it leaves the European Union? I visited
:01:09. > :01:13.the hour bus factory just before Christmas and saw the wonderful work
:01:14. > :01:16.they are doing. He is right to say that into grated manufacturing
:01:17. > :01:19.across Europe is important and I have no doubt we will be putting in
:01:20. > :01:28.place arrangements to ensure it continues. An RAF Typhoon flown from
:01:29. > :01:34.my constituency have more marked a rusting Russian aircraft carrier as
:01:35. > :01:38.it made its journey back from raids on Aleppo. Does this demonstrates
:01:39. > :01:42.the important role in the United Kingdom must play after our exit in
:01:43. > :01:49.ensuring the defence and security of Europe as a whole? As my honourable
:01:50. > :01:52.friend is right. Britain is a leading power in Nato and will
:01:53. > :01:57.continue to be after we leave the EU. Will my honourable friend come
:01:58. > :02:01.to Dorset to speak to our businesses and hear their concerns, and discuss
:02:02. > :02:06.the great opportunities Brexit provides? Delighted to. We are
:02:07. > :02:11.talking to businesses all across the country and I look forward to
:02:12. > :02:31.visiting those in your constituency. Urgent question. We make a statement
:02:32. > :02:36.please on Yemen? Thank you. UK supports the Saudi Arabian lead
:02:37. > :02:39.military intervention which came at the request of the legitimate
:02:40. > :02:40.president and we are clear