Browse content similar to 09/03/2017. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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As the Prime Minister said in Glasgow last week, as we bring | :00:08. | :00:13. | |
powers and control back to the UK we must ensure they are the right | :00:14. | :00:17. | |
powers that the right level to ensure the UK can operate | :00:18. | :00:21. | |
effectively in the interests of all citizens including people in | :00:22. | :00:24. | |
Scotland. We are powers should best fit will be a matter for further | :00:25. | :00:28. | |
consultation and discussion across the UK. Seeking to group this | :00:29. | :00:39. | |
question with numbers ten and 15. Those who assist the Secretary of | :00:40. | :00:42. | |
State have to keep up with the development of events. When you get | :00:43. | :00:58. | |
to my age, it is so difficult! I would like to remind them about an | :00:59. | :01:05. | |
event in the Sunday Times on the 27th of November. The Secretary of | :01:06. | :01:06. | |
State for Scotland stated whatever the circumstances no powers will be | :01:07. | :01:08. | |
re-reserve to Westminster. In Scotland we know such voters are not | :01:09. | :01:13. | |
worth the paper they are printed on so well he guarantee this house that | :01:14. | :01:20. | |
powers currently exercised by the European Union will be devolved to | :01:21. | :01:26. | |
the Scottish Parliament? Those are two different questions. | :01:27. | :01:33. | |
Unfortunately the member for Gordon is not here because he would be able | :01:34. | :01:37. | |
to tell his colleagues in the FNP that for many years I have been a | :01:38. | :01:41. | |
strong advocate of devolution. I was one of the first person out of the | :01:42. | :01:48. | |
SNP to call for fiscal autonomy for Scotland. I take this very seriously | :01:49. | :01:56. | |
indeed. But there's a distinction between the exercise of powers over | :01:57. | :02:01. | |
agriculture, fisheries and environment by the Scottish | :02:02. | :02:04. | |
Parliament and those matters which are dealt with by the UK Government | :02:05. | :02:08. | |
at the EU on the half of the whole of the UK with heavy consultation. | :02:09. | :02:16. | |
Talking of the volt power as last month the Prime Minister ventured | :02:17. | :02:21. | |
north to tell Scotland hope for the Scottish NHS is despite evidence to | :02:22. | :02:27. | |
the contrary including A waiting times and public satisfaction. If it | :02:28. | :02:31. | |
is so bad can you tell us when we will receive their share of the ?350 | :02:32. | :02:37. | |
million a week to fix it? I genuinely have a self-denying | :02:38. | :02:39. | |
ordinance about not attacking the domestic policies of the Scottish | :02:40. | :02:43. | |
Government because that is a matter for them to worry about and their | :02:44. | :02:46. | |
day jobs should be their main interest. The aim here will be to | :02:47. | :02:50. | |
get the best outcome for the whole of the UK including Scotland and | :02:51. | :02:57. | |
Scotland should not lose in any way. Because we are so generous on these | :02:58. | :03:01. | |
benches I'm going to give him another chance to answer that. | :03:02. | :03:07. | |
Despite the key principal of the Scotland Act and what the secretary | :03:08. | :03:12. | |
said the Prime Minister stated at the Scottish Tory conference on the | :03:13. | :03:17. | |
3rd of March, will he today please categorically assure us that when | :03:18. | :03:22. | |
non-reserved powers are repatriated from Brussels that they come | :03:23. | :03:27. | |
directly to Scotland? I think what the ascent he needs is a bit more | :03:28. | :03:31. | |
evident a la the in its questions. -- BSN P. There will be no powers | :03:32. | :03:41. | |
currently exercised by the Scottish Government removed from the Scottish | :03:42. | :03:44. | |
Government. With respect to other powers we will look in conjunction | :03:45. | :03:48. | |
with representatives of the Scottish Government and the Welsh government | :03:49. | :03:51. | |
and the Northern Ireland executive, we will look at what is best for the | :03:52. | :03:58. | |
United Kingdom and for the constituent nations. It is very | :03:59. | :04:02. | |
important we get as much devolution as possible but important we do not | :04:03. | :04:07. | |
damage the UK single market, which is four times as valuable to Scots | :04:08. | :04:14. | |
as the EU single market. I wonder in the cause of these discussions and | :04:15. | :04:18. | |
negotiations whether he discusses the issue at this SNP places on the | :04:19. | :04:25. | |
table of a special arrangement with regards to being in the single | :04:26. | :04:29. | |
market. Given the nature of the fact that recently I wonder whether he | :04:30. | :04:34. | |
has translated this to the SNP, particularly their leader, that | :04:35. | :04:38. | |
recently in Spain it was made absolutely clear that their policy | :04:39. | :04:42. | |
and that of the other parties in Spain was that there will be no | :04:43. | :04:47. | |
special arrangements for the SNP, and should they seek to leave the UK | :04:48. | :04:53. | |
and rejoin the EU they would be vetoed by Spain on both counts. He | :04:54. | :05:03. | |
makes his point as well as ever. This is a matter that game up again | :05:04. | :05:11. | |
later as well. This is not simply a technical matter within the UK, it | :05:12. | :05:14. | |
is also an issue we have to deliver diplomatically. Is he is puzzled as | :05:15. | :05:23. | |
I am that the SNP appeared to oppose any devolution of powers from Europe | :05:24. | :05:29. | |
back to the UK and Scotland? They would rather be governed entirely | :05:30. | :05:33. | |
from Brussels and have some of those powers returned to this place where | :05:34. | :05:37. | |
they have a great influence and others returned to Holyrood where | :05:38. | :05:41. | |
temporarily they have a near majority? He points exactly at the | :05:42. | :05:50. | |
incredible inconsistency at the heart of the SNP. They believe it is | :05:51. | :05:54. | |
fine to be ruled from Brussels but not to be ruled from anywhere else. | :05:55. | :06:02. | |
Given the huge identity of mutual interests that Scotland shares with | :06:03. | :06:07. | |
the rest of the UK, while not a good deal for the UK's shower all sorts | :06:08. | :06:11. | |
of benefits that can be devolved on Scotland? | :06:12. | :06:21. | |
He goes to an important point that what matters in this negotiation is | :06:22. | :06:31. | |
the outcome, not the mechanism. The Scottish Government has laid a great | :06:32. | :06:35. | |
deal of emphasis on its own preferred policy of accepting | :06:36. | :06:40. | |
membership of the single market but the truth is what we want is a good | :06:41. | :06:46. | |
outcome in terms of access to the single market for everybody, | :06:47. | :06:48. | |
everybody in the UK, and that will achieve exactly the same aim. In | :06:49. | :06:57. | |
terms of powers for the Scottish parliament we were promised, the | :06:58. | :07:00. | |
people of Scotland were promised, week before the vote, that Scotland | :07:01. | :07:05. | |
would decide its own immigration policy in the event of Brexit. Next | :07:06. | :07:09. | |
week we have a crucial vote EU nationals. If this government will | :07:10. | :07:14. | |
not use its powers to give EU nationals the certainty they require | :07:15. | :07:20. | |
will he give those powers to the Scottish Parliament? Again we are at | :07:21. | :07:25. | |
games and ends and means. The simple truth is that the Scottish | :07:26. | :07:29. | |
Government has raised a very important issue on the joint | :07:30. | :07:33. | |
ministerial committee about the question of the immigration needs of | :07:34. | :07:39. | |
Scotland. I have reflected those questions to the Home Secretary and | :07:40. | :07:44. | |
I would expect when we come to a UK immigration policy at will reflect | :07:45. | :07:47. | |
the needs of every part of the UK. I look forward to having his support | :07:48. | :07:54. | |
for his leave campaigns promises on immigration power being given to | :07:55. | :07:59. | |
Scotland. As part of that, while he consider the European Court of | :08:00. | :08:08. | |
Justice in 2012 that gave EU nationals with primary caring | :08:09. | :08:10. | |
responsibilities the right to reside in the member state of which their | :08:11. | :08:14. | |
dependent child or adult is a national? Will he consider that? I | :08:15. | :08:20. | |
am not familiar with the individual case. I will look at it and come | :08:21. | :08:30. | |
back to him. The European Court of Justice will not rule over the UK | :08:31. | :08:36. | |
after the date of Brexit. That does not mean will not have a very humane | :08:37. | :08:41. | |
and sensible and straightforward policy with respect to things like | :08:42. | :08:44. | |
family relationships. I will look at the case in detail and come back to | :08:45. | :08:55. | |
him. We want to have reached agreement on | :08:56. | :09:00. | |
our future partnership with in two years of the article 15 process. | :09:01. | :09:06. | |
Article 50 is clear. It should take two years to negotiate withdrawal | :09:07. | :09:11. | |
and any day must take into account the new relationship. We recognise a | :09:12. | :09:15. | |
club said for business or threat to stability will be in the interests | :09:16. | :09:21. | |
of neither side. A phased process of implementation image Britain and EU | :09:22. | :09:24. | |
institutions prepare for the new relationship is likely to be in our | :09:25. | :09:28. | |
mutual interest and that will be to everyone's benefits. This intended | :09:29. | :09:36. | |
gripping as with number 17. The tech sector is clear that the UK needs a | :09:37. | :09:40. | |
watertight agreement on international data flows from the | :09:41. | :09:44. | |
day we leave the EU. Transitional arrangements will not do. The best | :09:45. | :09:51. | |
route will be an agreement. Since it took seven years to negotiate and | :09:52. | :09:54. | |
adequacy agreement with barmaid at what is he doing with colleagues to | :09:55. | :10:02. | |
ensure success on data flows? It is essential not just IT and to | :10:03. | :10:07. | |
database industries but every industry. It is a serious point. The | :10:08. | :10:13. | |
difference in Burnley do was they were not at the point of identity | :10:14. | :10:18. | |
when they started their negotiations. We will be at the | :10:19. | :10:22. | |
point of identity of data standards at the point of departure and we | :10:23. | :10:27. | |
will have to undoubtedly agree some regime whereby we maintain | :10:28. | :10:34. | |
equivalence, not identity, but equivalent thereafter. It is unlike | :10:35. | :10:37. | |
the we will need transitional arrangements. It is more likely we | :10:38. | :10:43. | |
will need an ongoing relationship. Gwent has relied on EU funding in | :10:44. | :10:50. | |
recent years. Although we may be leaving the EU the need for | :10:51. | :10:52. | |
infrastructure investment remains really high. Because the | :10:53. | :10:58. | |
infrastructure has a long lead-in, what transitional arrangements will | :10:59. | :11:02. | |
be in place to ensure that it gets the best deal to boost its economy | :11:03. | :11:11. | |
after 2020? First, the Treasury has made it clear very rapidly at the | :11:12. | :11:14. | |
beginning of the process that it would underwrite agreements that | :11:15. | :11:20. | |
were made with the European Union that carried on beyond the point of | :11:21. | :11:27. | |
Brexit. So long as they met value for money requirements. The | :11:28. | :11:29. | |
responsibility of making that judgment will be the Welsh | :11:30. | :11:33. | |
government in his case. I do not see there is a risk to that. Beyond 2020 | :11:34. | :11:38. | |
the EU would have its own arrangements anyway, new budget | :11:39. | :11:43. | |
arrangements, salt would be in the same position. | :11:44. | :11:48. | |
Which my right honourable friend guaranteed to the House that the | :11:49. | :11:56. | |
last thing he is going to do is accept interference from other parts | :11:57. | :12:03. | |
of the House and that he is going to concentrate on transitional | :12:04. | :12:09. | |
arrangements with Europe? This is not about extending the discussion, | :12:10. | :12:18. | |
but transitional arrangements may well be beneficial to both sides and | :12:19. | :12:22. | |
it is under those that we will continue. Would my right honourable | :12:23. | :12:28. | |
friend agree that during a transitional period for services, it | :12:29. | :12:35. | |
is important to encourage cooperation between factions so that | :12:36. | :12:43. | |
things are smooth between us and Europe. My title honourable friend | :12:44. | :12:52. | |
is right and we will be speaking to the regulators. Some of those | :12:53. | :12:56. | |
discussions have already happened. The governor of the Bank of England | :12:57. | :13:00. | |
has already made comments about the need to maintain stability after | :13:01. | :13:02. | |
Brexit and that will be a very important part of our negotiations. | :13:03. | :13:08. | |
Because of the governments decision to leave the single market, lots of | :13:09. | :13:14. | |
agreements cease to have effect the day after we have left. One of those | :13:15. | :13:19. | |
is the agreement that allows British Airways to fly to any airport in the | :13:20. | :13:25. | |
European Union. Given that airlines sell tickets up to 11 months in | :13:26. | :13:31. | |
advance, what assurance can the Secretary of State give passengers | :13:32. | :13:33. | |
that tickets they buy before we leave the European Union will still | :13:34. | :13:39. | |
be valid to fly to their destination after we leave the European Union? | :13:40. | :13:43. | |
The right honourable gentleman is partially right. Many of the | :13:44. | :13:46. | |
arrangements with the European routes are partially dependent on | :13:47. | :13:51. | |
the EU but also on bilateral arrangements and other arrangements. | :13:52. | :13:54. | |
He is exactly right. We will be setting out to ensure that those | :13:55. | :14:01. | |
forward contracts stand. Further to what the chair of the select | :14:02. | :14:07. | |
committee said, could I ask the Secretary of State whether | :14:08. | :14:09. | |
transitional arrangements are going to be discussed right from the | :14:10. | :14:13. | |
beginning of negotiations, because transitional arrangements cannot be | :14:14. | :14:18. | |
left until the last moment. They need to be hard-wired into | :14:19. | :14:19. | |
negotiations from the very beginning. They will be undoubtedly | :14:20. | :14:25. | |
part of the early discussions but I will say this to him as well. The | :14:26. | :14:31. | |
transitional arrangements, or the need to transitional arrangements, | :14:32. | :14:33. | |
depends upon what the final arrangement will be. If you don't | :14:34. | :14:37. | |
know where you're going to end up, you can't have a transitional | :14:38. | :14:41. | |
arrangement. Second airily, overarching offer, as it were, of | :14:42. | :14:51. | |
Earth -- of a comprehensive arrangement will remove the need to | :14:52. | :14:55. | |
transitional arrangements in some areas. Not everyone, but some of | :14:56. | :15:02. | |
them. The question on data, that is one where regulation will matter, | :15:03. | :15:05. | |
but in many cases, it will not be necessary at all. Can the Secretary | :15:06. | :15:11. | |
of State tell the House what he sees as the main differences between | :15:12. | :15:14. | |
agreed interim arrangements as part of a phased process of lamenting the | :15:15. | :15:18. | |
future relationship with the European Union, assault by the | :15:19. | :15:25. | |
Government and negotiating a deal? The reason we specialised -- | :15:26. | :15:27. | |
specified in detail was because there were lots of arrangements by | :15:28. | :15:34. | |
different people. Some of them thought it would be good to have a | :15:35. | :15:38. | |
departure deal and then spend years in a transitional arrangement | :15:39. | :15:43. | |
carrying on the negotiation. That is why we specifically differentiated | :15:44. | :15:46. | |
what we were talking about from that. We want the arrangement to be | :15:47. | :15:50. | |
concluded in terms of decisions within two years but it may take | :15:51. | :15:55. | |
longer for implementation matters such as customs, financial services | :15:56. | :15:59. | |
regulations, a whole series of things like that. I will take | :16:00. | :16:09. | |
questions three, six and a team together. One of the core principles | :16:10. | :16:14. | |
guiding our approach to exit negotiations is to maintain our | :16:15. | :16:17. | |
historic ties with Ireland. There is a strong commitment from our | :16:18. | :16:25. | |
Government, the Northern Ireland administration and the Irish | :16:26. | :16:30. | |
Government to maintain our links and we do not want hard borders between | :16:31. | :16:39. | |
the United Kingdom and Ireland. Does he recognise the very serious impact | :16:40. | :16:48. | |
that a hard border reinstated would have, both on people having to cross | :16:49. | :16:51. | |
the border but also on the peace process? My honourable friend is | :16:52. | :16:56. | |
absolutely right and we have seen some welcome comments on this. John | :16:57. | :17:03. | |
Claude Junker said that during the Brexit negotiations, the UK must | :17:04. | :17:10. | |
negotiate well with Ireland and we must uphold the Friday -- the Good | :17:11. | :17:15. | |
Friday agreement. We will continue to work hard on this issue. I | :17:16. | :17:22. | |
welcome these strong commitment to the CTA, the White Paper. Shrewsbury | :17:23. | :17:27. | |
has benefited for many generations from Irish citizens coming to work | :17:28. | :17:33. | |
in our community. Will he give them an assurance that their rights will | :17:34. | :17:40. | |
be protected under UK law, much of which predates our membership of the | :17:41. | :17:44. | |
European Union. I can assure my right honourable friend that Irish | :17:45. | :17:49. | |
citizens special status within the UK, since long before the EU, will | :17:50. | :17:56. | |
remain in place. They have additional rights beyond phase | :17:57. | :18:06. | |
associated with the ties between the two nations. The Crown dependence of | :18:07. | :18:13. | |
the Isle of Man has very strong links with both the Republic, | :18:14. | :18:17. | |
Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. The number one ask | :18:18. | :18:22. | |
of that Government was to ask that they remain part of the Common | :18:23. | :18:25. | |
travel area between the three as well. Can you reassure us Arr two? | :18:26. | :18:32. | |
Absolutely and we greatly value the work my boyfriend and his committee | :18:33. | :18:40. | |
has done on -- their work my honourable friend and his committee | :18:41. | :18:43. | |
has done on this. We are committed to preserving the arrangement they | :18:44. | :18:49. | |
currently have. We have set that out in the White Paper and will work | :18:50. | :18:52. | |
with the Crown dependencies as well as Ireland on improving the travel | :18:53. | :18:57. | |
area. Does the Government appreciate that the Good Friday agreement was | :18:58. | :19:02. | |
not a single event signed and sealed and put on an event -- put on a | :19:03. | :19:11. | |
shelf years ago, but rather a normalisation and free movement of | :19:12. | :19:14. | |
people, goods and so on? If the Government does realise that, would | :19:15. | :19:20. | |
they respond to the very real fears and Ireland that Brexit represents a | :19:21. | :19:24. | |
turning back of the clock on the precious new normality that have | :19:25. | :19:30. | |
developed? The honourable gentleman is right about the presence of these | :19:31. | :19:34. | |
issues and he is right that the Good Friday agreement is not just a | :19:35. | :19:38. | |
moment in time. We talk about the Belfast agreement and its successes. | :19:39. | :19:43. | |
We recognise the need to continue working on this with our friends and | :19:44. | :19:46. | |
allies in the Republic as well as in the Northern Ireland Executive. If | :19:47. | :19:52. | |
the Common travel area can continue to operate between the UK and the | :19:53. | :19:56. | |
Republic of Ireland, a country that is a member of the European Union, | :19:57. | :20:01. | |
then why couldn't it operate between Scotland and the rest of the UK? | :20:02. | :20:06. | |
That is if Scotland stayed in the single market when the rest of the | :20:07. | :20:12. | |
UK leaves. The Common travel area is of benefit to the whole of the UK. | :20:13. | :20:16. | |
The people of Scotland voted less than two years ago to remain part of | :20:17. | :20:20. | |
the United Kingdom and I think we should all work together to make | :20:21. | :20:23. | |
this process a success for the United Kingdom. It is reassuring to | :20:24. | :20:28. | |
hear the words of the Minister on this issue and he will know the | :20:29. | :20:32. | |
level of concern about this across this House and out there in the | :20:33. | :20:36. | |
country. But if he reads, and I can recommend to him the House of Lords | :20:37. | :20:40. | |
recent report onto this and particularly page 62 where the | :20:41. | :20:43. | |
report says, we can't assume that this will become part of the article | :20:44. | :20:48. | |
15 negotiation, and if that doesn't happen, he must act quickly to | :20:49. | :20:52. | |
reassure the people of Ireland and the UK to make sure that this is | :20:53. | :21:00. | |
done either as part of the Article 15 negotiation or, if not, in a way | :21:01. | :21:03. | |
that will happen in time, because certainty isn't needed more than | :21:04. | :21:07. | |
anything in Northern Ireland. She is right that we must be accountable | :21:08. | :21:12. | |
for certainty and we will take on board the suggestions of the House | :21:13. | :21:15. | |
of Lords report. I welcome the statements we have had from the | :21:16. | :21:17. | |
commission that they are taking a strong interest in the subject. When | :21:18. | :21:23. | |
the Brexit select committee visited Dublin recently, it was described to | :21:24. | :21:28. | |
us that a default to WTO by the United Kingdom would be catastrophic | :21:29. | :21:35. | |
for the island of Ireland with the reinstatement of the border. Pity | :21:36. | :21:40. | |
reassure me that he will not be moving towards WTO if for no other | :21:41. | :21:44. | |
reason than the reasons affecting Ireland itself? -- could he reassure | :21:45. | :21:48. | |
me? The Government has set out a clear strategy about establishing a | :21:49. | :21:52. | |
partnership with the European Union and that partnership includes the | :21:53. | :21:58. | |
concept of notion of movement across the border in Ireland. The Minister | :21:59. | :22:05. | |
further outline how the election of the Northern Ireland Assembly has | :22:06. | :22:11. | |
affected the travel area and further what role the Minister and other | :22:12. | :22:18. | |
areas of this and we will have in this process? We are fully committed | :22:19. | :22:23. | |
to ensuring as we established our negotiating that we have... The | :22:24. | :22:33. | |
Northern Ireland Secretary is doing all he can to establish a positive | :22:34. | :22:44. | |
outcome as quickly as possible. We are not contemplating anything other | :22:45. | :22:47. | |
than the continuation of devolved Government. It would help enormously | :22:48. | :22:51. | |
if the UK Government made it clear that it wants to make both the | :22:52. | :22:55. | |
Common travel area and the Good Friday agreement in all its strands | :22:56. | :23:00. | |
explicitly named features in future negotiations between the UK and the | :23:01. | :23:05. | |
EU. Yes, and I believe that we have and will continue to do so. With | :23:06. | :23:13. | |
your permission, I will take questions four and five together. We | :23:14. | :23:17. | |
are listening and speaking to as many farming organisations and | :23:18. | :23:22. | |
institutions as possible as we develop our negotiating position. | :23:23. | :23:26. | |
I've met a range of representatives from the agricultural sector | :23:27. | :23:29. | |
including, I believe, all the UK farming unions and have attended | :23:30. | :23:35. | |
Defra's roundtable is one of which focused on farming and horticulture. | :23:36. | :23:43. | |
Louth and Horncastle boasts farms which the ghost -- which produce | :23:44. | :23:53. | |
excellent food. Can I ask that maintaining food production which | :23:54. | :23:55. | |
maintains fantastic standards will be uppermost in his mind was | :23:56. | :24:01. | |
negotiating? Certainly the British farming industry is noted throughout | :24:02. | :24:05. | |
the world for the quality of its produce and outside of the European | :24:06. | :24:08. | |
Union, we have an unprecedented opportunity to redesign our policies | :24:09. | :24:13. | |
to make them work for us, ensuring that our agriculture industry is | :24:14. | :24:17. | |
productive and profitable and also that our environment continues to | :24:18. | :24:22. | |
improve. Farmers in to spray apply higher standards of -- the highest | :24:23. | :24:39. | |
standards of produce to that animals. What will be put into place | :24:40. | :24:45. | |
to ensure that animal welfare and traceability are important to those | :24:46. | :24:52. | |
outside of our production? We are committed to higher animal welfare | :24:53. | :24:56. | |
standards and will continue to push in international trade arrangements | :24:57. | :24:58. | |
for those standards to be maintained. British farmers face a | :24:59. | :25:07. | |
triple threat from the vote to leave the European Union. The loss of the | :25:08. | :25:11. | |
cat subsidy, the threat of cheap imports from countries with low | :25:12. | :25:16. | |
animal welfare and tariffs on exports... We could see tariffs of | :25:17. | :25:29. | |
up to 40% on lamb. Mr Speaker, the honourable lady makes very important | :25:30. | :25:32. | |
points but I think this lady has -- this Government has already made a | :25:33. | :25:39. | |
commitment by supporting cab one until 2020 and also giving support | :25:40. | :25:44. | |
for cap two. In terms of the issue on terrorists, as she will know, it | :25:45. | :25:48. | |
is the aim of this Government to achieve the best possible free-trade | :25:49. | :25:51. | |
agreement with the continuing European Union -- in terms of the of | :25:52. | :25:58. | |
tariffs, we want to benefit Britain and the EU. Could the minister | :25:59. | :26:03. | |
perhaps tell us what discussions he has had with the Government of | :26:04. | :26:09. | |
Ireland with regards to the movement of goods, as the movement every gets | :26:10. | :26:13. | |
-- the free movement of goods from the exit the EU will be critical as | :26:14. | :26:21. | |
many farms straddle the border and they also transit the border many | :26:22. | :26:26. | |
times, like milk and transit it five times. | :26:27. | :26:31. | |
He raises an extremely important point at the forefront of the mind | :26:32. | :26:35. | |
of the government and the Prime Minister has discussed this with all | :26:36. | :26:43. | |
the ministers having similar discussions and I have had recent | :26:44. | :26:46. | |
discussions with representatives of the Irish government. Number seven. | :26:47. | :26:57. | |
With your permission I will answer questions seven, nine and 13. The UK | :26:58. | :27:02. | |
manufacturing sector is worth reading and we are determined to | :27:03. | :27:08. | |
ensure the best deal for that sector. We are aiming to agree a | :27:09. | :27:11. | |
bald and ambitious free-trade agreement with the EU including zero | :27:12. | :27:17. | |
tariffs that is more ambitious than to date. In North Tyneside a Belgian | :27:18. | :27:25. | |
company has filled the void in the manufacturing market left when this | :27:26. | :27:29. | |
government failed to back or GM. They hope to create up to 400 new | :27:30. | :27:35. | |
jobs and expand even further. What guarantees can he give that will | :27:36. | :27:40. | |
allow them the same benefits they currently get with access to the | :27:41. | :27:43. | |
single market and Customs union after Brexit? I had discussion in | :27:44. | :27:52. | |
earlier this week with the Flanders Chamber of Commerce which recognise | :27:53. | :27:55. | |
the important issue of bilateral trade between Belgium and the UK. I | :27:56. | :27:59. | |
am pleased to say they fully realise that there is a need for | :28:00. | :28:02. | |
frictionless agreements once we leave the EU and this is something | :28:03. | :28:05. | |
this government is also committed to. The Prime Minister has said | :28:06. | :28:12. | |
Britain will not remain a full member of the customs union but this | :28:13. | :28:15. | |
morning the Chancellor said it is clear we cannot stay in the customs | :28:16. | :28:20. | |
union. Which one should we believe? It is clear if we are to seek | :28:21. | :28:23. | |
free-trade agreements around the world we will not be able to remain | :28:24. | :28:29. | |
in the customs union as it stands. Having said that what we seek our | :28:30. | :28:34. | |
arrangements with our EU partners that will be able to construct | :28:35. | :28:39. | |
customs arrangements that are as frictionless as possible for the | :28:40. | :28:45. | |
benefit of the EU and the UK. The post Brexit fall in the pound has | :28:46. | :28:49. | |
led to a boost in the manufacturing of the north-east. A fall in the | :28:50. | :28:55. | |
pound has also led to an increase in import costs which will only | :28:56. | :29:02. | |
increase. What is he planning to do for north-east manufacturers to make | :29:03. | :29:07. | |
sure they are not increasing extra costs for products they are making? | :29:08. | :29:11. | |
No these manufacturing is that the forefront of the mind of this | :29:12. | :29:15. | |
government and he will know that we arranged with Nissan a state of | :29:16. | :29:21. | |
affairs that will allow it to continue to manufacture in the | :29:22. | :29:25. | |
north-east. As far as customs arrangements are concerned he is | :29:26. | :29:28. | |
right, we do not want to see customs arrangements that impede trade with | :29:29. | :29:30. | |
the UK and we are looking to agree the UK and we are looking to agree | :29:31. | :29:35. | |
arrangements for our mutual benefit that are as frictionless as | :29:36. | :29:40. | |
possible. Is it not the case that the end of the day that when the UK | :29:41. | :29:48. | |
leave the EU we will be their largest export market? Does he not | :29:49. | :29:51. | |
agree with my favourite politician at the moment, the finance minister | :29:52. | :29:58. | |
of Germany, who says that if we, the Germans, or the European Union or to | :29:59. | :30:04. | |
cause any damage to the UK it would be increased ten fold for the EU? I | :30:05. | :30:11. | |
am sure the finance minister will be uncontrollably excited to discover | :30:12. | :30:14. | |
he is such a fan. He makes an extremely good point. | :30:15. | :30:24. | |
That is that this UK market will be the biggest export market for the | :30:25. | :30:29. | |
continuing EU after we leave. I am glad to say that is recognised not | :30:30. | :30:32. | |
only by the finance minister but by the Belgian Chamber of Commerce with | :30:33. | :30:39. | |
whom I spoke earlier this week. Would he agree that it is much more | :30:40. | :30:44. | |
in the EU's interest to do a deal with others than us with them | :30:45. | :30:49. | |
because they have a ?60 billion trade surplus with us? It is very | :30:50. | :30:57. | |
much in our mutual interest and I am sure that once the negotiations | :30:58. | :31:01. | |
begin we will move towards a very sensible and satisfactory mutual | :31:02. | :31:05. | |
conclusion. Does he agree and hope for the best but the chaotic | :31:06. | :31:10. | |
patchwork of EU institutions may mean a deal is not done into my ears | :31:11. | :31:14. | |
and in that case will he consider the case to invest in the Channel | :31:15. | :31:20. | |
ports and frictionless borders to ensure we have a seamless law in the | :31:21. | :31:26. | |
future? I agree on the issue of frictionless agreements. We have a | :31:27. | :31:33. | |
huge advantage in that at the moment Britain is a member of the EU. Our | :31:34. | :31:39. | |
standards and regulations are incomplete alignment. I was | :31:40. | :31:40. | |
heartened to see the chief heartened to see the chief | :31:41. | :31:45. | |
negotiator for the EU recognise that it was doable within two years. The | :31:46. | :31:52. | |
food and drinks industry is growing in west Aberdeenshire. What plans | :31:53. | :31:55. | |
does he have to retain the benefits of membership of the single market | :31:56. | :31:59. | |
and Customs union for the food and drink sector after we have left the | :32:00. | :32:05. | |
EU? Why we will not continue to be a member of the single market, we are | :32:06. | :32:11. | |
looking to achieve a very good free-trade agreement with the | :32:12. | :32:15. | |
continuing European Union which is very much in the mutual benefit of | :32:16. | :32:23. | |
the UK and the EU. As he considers the customs union can I urge him to | :32:24. | :32:27. | |
look at the experience of close trading partners around the world | :32:28. | :32:33. | |
must unite the US and Canada trade annually, Norway does 70% of trade | :32:34. | :32:38. | |
with the EU. None of them have seen fit to form customs unions with each | :32:39. | :32:47. | |
other. He makes an excellent point. It is not necessary to be part of a | :32:48. | :32:53. | |
customs union but we seek frictionless customs arrangements | :32:54. | :32:55. | |
for the benefit of the EU and the UK. In a leaked document to the | :32:56. | :33:04. | |
Thames the oil and gas industry was listed as not a big priority. Can he | :33:05. | :33:11. | |
confirm he has no plans to retain membership of the customs union and | :33:12. | :33:14. | |
single market for the oil and gas industry? The fact that the oil and | :33:15. | :33:20. | |
gas industry is of a high priority to this government is shown by | :33:21. | :33:24. | |
yesterday's announcement by the Chancellor. Rather than talking | :33:25. | :33:30. | |
bleakly about the future of the industry he should urge his | :33:31. | :33:34. | |
colleagues in the Scottish Government to work strongly with the | :33:35. | :33:39. | |
UK Government to ensure arrangements can be made that are satisfactorily | :33:40. | :33:48. | |
for the Industry. One of the advantages of leaving as we will be | :33:49. | :33:52. | |
in a position to design our own package of trade defence | :33:53. | :33:56. | |
instruments, something I would think members opposite would welcome. Can | :33:57. | :34:00. | |
he update on the cross government work on this point? Any arrangement | :34:01. | :34:08. | |
that we strike will have to be WTO compliant but he is right. There | :34:09. | :34:15. | |
have been many difficulties recently experienced by British industry, not | :34:16. | :34:18. | |
least the steel industry, and he will know the support this | :34:19. | :34:21. | |
government has given to that industry. A report from the US | :34:22. | :34:28. | |
Chamber of Commerce concluded that America's significant commercial and | :34:29. | :34:32. | |
financial presence in the UK has been premised on large parts on UK | :34:33. | :34:37. | |
membership of the EU. The largest wealthiest and most important | :34:38. | :34:40. | |
foreign market in the world to US companies. Does he recognise the | :34:41. | :34:46. | |
importance of our relationship with the single market to those non-EU | :34:47. | :34:51. | |
countries on which the government are keen to build trade and | :34:52. | :34:59. | |
investment? The importance of the UK to the US was reflected very | :35:00. | :35:02. | |
strongly in the Prime Minister's recent meeting with the new | :35:03. | :35:06. | |
president. When he showed great enthusiasm for a free trade | :35:07. | :35:09. | |
arrangement between the US and the UK. The significance of that in the | :35:10. | :35:16. | |
America first policy is yet to be demonstrated but on the 24th of | :35:17. | :35:21. | |
January the Secretary of State told the house he is seeking, a | :35:22. | :35:27. | |
comprehensive free-trade agreement and comprehensive customs agreement | :35:28. | :35:30. | |
that will deliver the exact same benefits as we have. The exact same | :35:31. | :35:34. | |
benefits that we have inside the single market. Will he confirm that | :35:35. | :35:42. | |
is still the government's aim? The government's aim is to seek a bold | :35:43. | :35:46. | |
and ambitious free-trade agreement with the continuing European Union | :35:47. | :35:50. | |
which will be to the benefit of both the UK and the EU. Thanks to the new | :35:51. | :35:58. | |
opportunities that will open up for the UK after we leave the EU the | :35:59. | :36:02. | |
accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has said that | :36:03. | :36:09. | |
the UK will have the fastest-growing economy in the G7 over the next 30 | :36:10. | :36:14. | |
years. Does he not agree that this demonstrates that manufacturing has | :36:15. | :36:18. | |
nothing to fear from other leaving the EU? He is right to point out | :36:19. | :36:28. | |
that the doom mongers who said that the British economy would clash | :36:29. | :36:31. | |
after we decided to leave the EU have been proven wrong. Number | :36:32. | :36:41. | |
eight. The UK has a long-standing tradition of ensuring our rights and | :36:42. | :36:46. | |
liberties are protected domestic league and fulfilling our | :36:47. | :36:48. | |
international human rights obligations. The decision to leave | :36:49. | :36:51. | |
the EU does not change any of this. That is the approach we will take | :36:52. | :36:56. | |
Indigo she agents. The government has no plans to withdraw from the | :36:57. | :37:00. | |
European convention on human rights. Will he set out a full and detailed | :37:01. | :37:07. | |
list of all fundamental rights currently guaranteed under EU law | :37:08. | :37:11. | |
and what approach it intends to take towards them? We will be putting in | :37:12. | :37:22. | |
front of the house the great repeal bill at some point in the future | :37:23. | :37:25. | |
which will carry into British law the existing law of the European | :37:26. | :37:31. | |
Union and case law that goes with it. The British human rights have | :37:32. | :37:39. | |
not depended on the European Union. They have been intrinsic to our | :37:40. | :37:43. | |
history and tradition and we will continue to defend them. I most of | :37:44. | :37:54. | |
all. I welcome what he said about the council of Europe and the | :37:55. | :37:57. | |
European Court of Human Rights. With that in mind, will he consider | :37:58. | :38:02. | |
giving his support to a fourth summit of the council of Europe to | :38:03. | :38:07. | |
look at the way forward for the council and how human rights could | :38:08. | :38:10. | |
be strengthened through the European Court of Human Rights? She knows my | :38:11. | :38:15. | |
ongoing passion for human rights. This is the first I have heard of | :38:16. | :38:20. | |
the summit proposal. I will look at it and she can guess what my | :38:21. | :38:26. | |
sentiments will be. Isn't it a human right to have some certainty about | :38:27. | :38:31. | |
your future? Is he not aware of how many people have come to this | :38:32. | :38:37. | |
country, talented, hard-working, entrepreneurial, you have no idea | :38:38. | :38:40. | |
whether they can stay in this country and who are demanding they | :38:41. | :38:44. | |
have sole health insurance for life to be able to stay here? I am not | :38:45. | :38:51. | |
sure whether certainty about your own future is a human rights. Order. | :38:52. | :39:02. | |
I am not sure we should have some of these remarks. Rather unseemly. The | :39:03. | :39:09. | |
gentleman is a distinguished statesman. I am not sure whether | :39:10. | :39:15. | |
certainty about your future is a human rights. I am not sure the | :39:16. | :39:19. | |
house would extend it to the gentleman. We have a large group of | :39:20. | :39:24. | |
people, some of them European citizens, some of them British | :39:25. | :39:28. | |
citizens abroad, to whom we want to give certainty across the board | :39:29. | :39:33. | |
about their rights to remain, writes in health care, welfare and so on. | :39:34. | :39:38. | |
One of the things that has been apparent to me, about half of the | :39:39. | :39:44. | |
member states, who I have seen, it is plain to me that all of them | :39:45. | :39:47. | |
treat this seriously want to see a dealt with it early in the | :39:48. | :39:52. | |
negotiation and that is what the government policy is, to ensure | :39:53. | :40:02. | |
certainty for everybody. 14. I am going to get the hang of this. I | :40:03. | :40:08. | |
asked to group 11 and 14 together. In a few years I will get used to | :40:09. | :40:17. | |
this place! Then I will retire. I said retire, not resign! We are | :40:18. | :40:23. | |
working closely with the Scottish Government to ensure the best deal | :40:24. | :40:28. | |
for Scotland and the rest of the UK as we leave the EU. We share many | :40:29. | :40:33. | |
objectives and open and odd or looking country ensuring access to | :40:34. | :40:38. | |
labour, collaboration on science and research, protecting workers' rates, | :40:39. | :40:43. | |
a smooth and orderly exit process and guaranteeing the rights of EU | :40:44. | :40:49. | |
nationals in the UK and UK nationals in the EU. Who knows what the | :40:50. | :41:00. | |
Scottish people will think of such an imprecise answer? Let me try | :41:01. | :41:06. | |
something else which may help them. In terms of the very specific and | :41:07. | :41:11. | |
unique needs of some sectors of the Scottish economy how many trade ago | :41:12. | :41:14. | |
she tours have been recruited to deal with such matters? | :41:15. | :41:18. | |
Many have been negotiated and I think when he asks this question, he | :41:19. | :41:28. | |
will know that they have been very busy in recent months. The simple | :41:29. | :41:33. | |
truth in this is that the British Government shares, I think, his aims | :41:34. | :41:37. | |
for his own constituents and they are aims for the people of Scotland. | :41:38. | :41:41. | |
Namely, we want the best possible deal which will be the best for the | :41:42. | :41:45. | |
Scottish economy, best for Scottish business but, most of all, best for | :41:46. | :41:51. | |
Scottish people. Following on from my honourable friend's question, I | :41:52. | :41:56. | |
am glad to inform him that support for independence has gone up to | :41:57. | :42:04. | |
5050. Given his intransigence of his Government 's determination for a | :42:05. | :42:11. | |
hard, right-wing, Tory Brexit, in what way does he think that Powell | :42:12. | :42:18. | |
is going to tip as he continues in his intransigence? I don't recognise | :42:19. | :42:25. | |
the phrase hard Brexit or right-wing Tory Brexit either. I am not a | :42:26. | :42:29. | |
believer in polls when it comes to referendums. They don't exactly work | :42:30. | :42:33. | |
very well. But if you wanted to go with pulse, perhaps he would go with | :42:34. | :42:36. | |
the one that says the Scottish people do not want to have another | :42:37. | :42:42. | |
referendum. I respect the Scottish Government's process to want to | :42:43. | :42:48. | |
contribute to the Brexit process as with all other areas. May I ask the | :42:49. | :42:53. | |
Government to seek a policy that works for the whole United Kingdom. | :42:54. | :42:58. | |
That is the intention of the Government. That is why we are going | :42:59. | :43:02. | |
for a copperheads, overarching free-trade agreement which will | :43:03. | :43:08. | |
deliver -- a comprehensive, overarching free-trade agreement | :43:09. | :43:12. | |
which will deliver the best possible deal for Great Britain and the | :43:13. | :43:17. | |
European Union. The Prime Minister, supported by my Government, will | :43:18. | :43:22. | |
agree the format of negotiations with our counterparts once they have | :43:23. | :43:26. | |
begun. I shall be informed by the joint per minute -- joint | :43:27. | :43:32. | |
Parliamentary committee on this and we will represent all constituent | :43:33. | :43:37. | |
parts of the United Kingdom. On the 24th of January, the Supreme Court | :43:38. | :43:43. | |
president said it was a political decision as to whether or not to | :43:44. | :43:48. | |
formally involve devolved administrations in the process of | :43:49. | :43:52. | |
leaving the EU. Can the Secretary of State tell us today what role the | :43:53. | :43:55. | |
devolved parliaments will have in the passing of a great repeal Bill? | :43:56. | :44:05. | |
Of course we have formally involved the devolved administrations in our | :44:06. | :44:08. | |
preparations through the JNC process and we continue to engage in that | :44:09. | :44:13. | |
process. With regards to the great repeal Bill, of course there will be | :44:14. | :44:17. | |
a white paper published and the devolved administrations will have | :44:18. | :44:20. | |
the chance is to respond to that of all members across this House. When | :44:21. | :44:26. | |
the Government devolved powers which have been repatriated, will it | :44:27. | :44:29. | |
consider allocating extra resources to ensure those policies are | :44:30. | :44:34. | |
implemented property -- properly? As we have said, we haven't made the | :44:35. | :44:39. | |
final decisions about repatriation. That is something we will want to | :44:40. | :44:44. | |
discuss, as I think the worst of men have suggested we do, with devolved | :44:45. | :44:50. | |
administrations. It was a guaranteed have already been made covering | :44:51. | :44:56. | |
devolved administrations. Ministers will have drawn on the advice of a | :44:57. | :45:00. | |
large number of UK and foreign consultancy firms like accent jab, | :45:01. | :45:05. | |
and the press Association and others want to know how much this has cost. | :45:06. | :45:11. | |
Can you confirm the cost to date on the likes of PWC and others on | :45:12. | :45:16. | |
supporting the Government on Brexit? I'm sure that type of information | :45:17. | :45:19. | |
will be disclosed in the normal way when the Department reports its | :45:20. | :45:26. | |
accounts. Mr Speaker, neither the United Kingdom or the European Union | :45:27. | :45:31. | |
publishes an aggregated audited figure representing the total net | :45:32. | :45:37. | |
contribution since the UK joined the EEC but details of annual | :45:38. | :45:44. | |
contributions are published each year, with the latest one published | :45:45. | :45:50. | |
in February 20 16. A one word answer with the figure would have been more | :45:51. | :45:54. | |
useful than the answer the Minister has given me. I suspect the answer | :45:55. | :45:58. | |
is that it is a massive amount of money that has been handed over from | :45:59. | :46:03. | |
British tax payers to the European Union and like in any good divorce, | :46:04. | :46:09. | |
will entitle us to a huge share of assets or massive financial | :46:10. | :46:13. | |
compensation if we don't get them? Mr Speaker, my right honourable | :46:14. | :46:21. | |
friend is right. It is rather a lot. But really the issue is to what | :46:22. | :46:26. | |
extent is the United Kingdom liable for payment of anything and, if so, | :46:27. | :46:33. | |
how much is it? The point is this. The United Kingdom has always | :46:34. | :46:37. | |
adhered to its international treaty obligations and it will continue to | :46:38. | :46:42. | |
do so. It will adhere to those obligations but similarly it will | :46:43. | :46:46. | |
also pursue its rights according to those treaties and that is how they | :46:47. | :46:53. | |
will pursue these negotiations. Thank you, Mr Speaker, very kind of | :46:54. | :46:59. | |
you. Number 20. As we have repeatedly made clear, we want to | :47:00. | :47:03. | |
secure the status of UK nationals living in the EU and EU nationals | :47:04. | :47:09. | |
living in the UK as early as possible. I know that many member | :47:10. | :47:13. | |
states agree with us on this but we can only protect the status of EU -- | :47:14. | :47:20. | |
UK nationals in the EU under former negotiations. I have had | :47:21. | :47:24. | |
constituents coming to me in tears because of the uncertainty of their | :47:25. | :47:29. | |
future. They can't apply for new jobs, they don't know if they can | :47:30. | :47:35. | |
apply for university courses, they don't know what to do. They need | :47:36. | :47:39. | |
assurances now from the Government. These are not itinerant migrant | :47:40. | :47:42. | |
workers. They have made their lives in Bristol and they need those | :47:43. | :47:46. | |
assurances. We all want to provide those assurances but as was said by | :47:47. | :47:49. | |
many in the debate in the Other Place, the best way is to get on | :47:50. | :47:54. | |
with negotiations so that we can assure them -- guaranteed. I | :47:55. | :48:03. | |
congratulate my honourable friend who always is a champion for | :48:04. | :48:07. | |
universities and the students in his patch. The UK is already a leading | :48:08. | :48:11. | |
destination for science and innovation with some of the worlds | :48:12. | :48:14. | |
best universities, three of which are in the top ten. We ensure -- we | :48:15. | :48:23. | |
intend to secure the best possible situation for science and research. | :48:24. | :48:30. | |
The European Union's funding for science and research and | :48:31. | :48:37. | |
collaboration has been so important and will he commit that it will be a | :48:38. | :48:48. | |
focus in negotiation? The Prime Minister has made it clear that we | :48:49. | :48:51. | |
want to be truly global and we recognise the importance of... | :48:52. | :49:03. | |
Order. Topical questions need to be extremely brief if I'm to maximise | :49:04. | :49:09. | |
the of contributors. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister is today | :49:10. | :49:15. | |
meeting other leaders in Brussels discussing migration, jobs and | :49:16. | :49:18. | |
competitiveness. The Prime Minister will be telling them that we did | :49:19. | :49:22. | |
remain strong advocates of free trade and I expect are also to | :49:23. | :49:26. | |
underline our desire to see a strong and stable European Union even after | :49:27. | :49:30. | |
we leave. This has been a central part of my message on recent trips | :49:31. | :49:35. | |
to meet -- meet counterparts. Rather than aiming to divide and conquer, | :49:36. | :49:39. | |
we want the EU to be strong and successful which is why we are | :49:40. | :49:43. | |
aiming for a combined Sydney partnership between the UK and the | :49:44. | :49:46. | |
EU that we are clear will benefit everyone. Could the Secretary of | :49:47. | :49:50. | |
State update the House on the response he has had from across | :49:51. | :49:52. | |
Europe to the Government's white paper? Yes, I can. I went to nine in | :49:53. | :49:59. | |
three weeks of our fellow member states and others have come to see | :50:00. | :50:03. | |
me. The overarching response has been a positive one. It's been one | :50:04. | :50:09. | |
of support for the general approach. It's been one which seeks a | :50:10. | :50:13. | |
constructive outcome, not the penalty outcome talked about some | :50:14. | :50:17. | |
earlier run. It's certainly true that they also think of it as a very | :50:18. | :50:21. | |
logical approach, so I think it gives us great cause for optimism in | :50:22. | :50:27. | |
the negotiations. Clearly the Government wants to trigger article | :50:28. | :50:31. | |
15 next Wednesday or next Thursday. It will then have to set out its | :50:32. | :50:35. | |
proposal in detail so that the EU can respond. For months, it's hidden | :50:36. | :50:41. | |
behind the bland phrases frictionless borders, frictionless | :50:42. | :50:44. | |
trade. This is the last opportunity before triggering for the Secretary | :50:45. | :50:48. | |
of State to spell out, what does that actually mean? I thought the | :50:49. | :50:54. | |
honourable gentleman is a very erudite chap and I would have | :50:55. | :50:58. | |
thought he would have known what frictionless mentor. It means trade | :50:59. | :51:04. | |
with a minimum possible barriers and a minimum possible impediment. That | :51:05. | :51:08. | |
is what we will seek to achieve. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The pie | :51:09. | :51:13. | |
minister said the approval of Parliament will be required for the | :51:14. | :51:18. | |
final terms of our withdrawal from the European Union. The House of | :51:19. | :51:24. | |
Lords has now voted by a large majority to amend the article 50 | :51:25. | :51:29. | |
built to reflect these commitments. All very straightforward. If the | :51:30. | :51:32. | |
Prime Minister intends to keep her commitments, why would the | :51:33. | :51:35. | |
Government not support this amendment when it returns to this | :51:36. | :51:40. | |
House on Monday? Because they are unnecessary. Businesses and | :51:41. | :51:48. | |
individuals in my constituency are eager to see the greatest degree of | :51:49. | :51:52. | |
certainty about the Brexit process possible. Does my right honourable | :51:53. | :51:57. | |
friend share my concern that actually amendment three, passed in | :51:58. | :52:02. | |
the Other Place, the EU notification of withdrawal bill, risks adding | :52:03. | :52:05. | |
further uncertainty and further complexity, the exact opposite of | :52:06. | :52:09. | |
what my constituents want? My right honourable friend is -- my | :52:10. | :52:12. | |
honourable friend is right and I would go further. This house had an | :52:13. | :52:19. | |
undertaking without opposition at all on an Opposition Day to do | :52:20. | :52:23. | |
nothing at all to under nine the negotiating position of the UK and | :52:24. | :52:31. | |
that is what that policy would do. In response to the question just now | :52:32. | :52:39. | |
from my honourable friend for Holborn and St Pancras, the | :52:40. | :52:44. | |
Secretary of State implied there was some difference between frictionless | :52:45. | :52:48. | |
trade arrangements and tariff and barrier free arrangements. What | :52:49. | :52:53. | |
exactly are these differences? That is pretty straightforward. If we | :52:54. | :52:57. | |
have a comprehensive free trade agreement, then there will be no | :52:58. | :53:03. | |
tariffs, one hopes, very few nontariff barriers, certainly no new | :53:04. | :53:09. | |
ones, and that makes it easy for the customs arrangements to be simple. | :53:10. | :53:15. | |
I'm sure my right honourable friend will agree that reform of the sea | :53:16. | :53:19. | |
APR represents a positive opportunity for the farming industry | :53:20. | :53:28. | |
and would he agree that rewarding farmers for storage, for example | :53:29. | :53:32. | |
storing water as a flood resilience measure, would be very helpful? My | :53:33. | :53:38. | |
honourable friend have highlighted how important it would be and how | :53:39. | :53:42. | |
much of an advantage it would be for us to write our own agricultural | :53:43. | :53:47. | |
policies. The Secretary of State would be aware that the secretary -- | :53:48. | :53:52. | |
the principle of consent was the cornerstone of the Good Friday | :53:53. | :53:56. | |
agreement. What has he made a bid Taoiseach's comments recently on | :53:57. | :53:59. | |
that principle when he said it would have to be embedded in any future | :54:00. | :54:06. | |
agreement between the UK and the EU? As I said, and can I thank the | :54:07. | :54:11. | |
honourable gentleman for inviting me to speak alongside a Republic of | :54:12. | :54:17. | |
Ireland minister and show the commitment from both sides to both | :54:18. | :54:19. | |
the Belfast agreement and the Common travel area. Responding, I would say | :54:20. | :54:26. | |
we remain totally committed to the Belfast agreement, including the | :54:27. | :54:33. | |
principle of consent. The new owners of Vauxhall have suggested that the | :54:34. | :54:40. | |
takeover will be good news for the supply chain post Brexit. Is it not | :54:41. | :54:44. | |
the case that apart from multinationals using the UK as a | :54:45. | :54:52. | |
springboard into the EU, European companies will be using it as a | :54:53. | :54:55. | |
springboard into the rest of the world? He is absolutely right. I | :54:56. | :54:59. | |
thought the comments from Peugeot and the head of Peugeot were | :55:00. | :55:02. | |
fascinating in what they showed, what we could do as a business | :55:03. | :55:10. | |
nation. We are seeking the best possible opportunities for our own | :55:11. | :55:13. | |
country and for businesses that want to come in? --. Last week, the | :55:14. | :55:20. | |
all-party Parliamentary group for Africa published its reported to | :55:21. | :55:25. | |
relations with Africa post Brexit. We highlighted both the | :55:26. | :55:28. | |
opportunities Brexit but also uncertainty over the relationship | :55:29. | :55:34. | |
with the UK and with the European Union. Can I urge the Minister to | :55:35. | :55:38. | |
read the report as well as a Secretary of State and ensure that | :55:39. | :55:42. | |
our exiting of the European Union supports positive relations with | :55:43. | :55:46. | |
Africa? I certainly will do that. I certainly will if she will send it | :55:47. | :55:54. | |
to me as I have not done so yet. This opens up opportunities for | :55:55. | :55:57. | |
stronger relationships with Africa, both economic and otherwise. The EU | :55:58. | :56:05. | |
Commissioner for security and the head of Europol have made it clear | :56:06. | :56:08. | |
in evidence to the home affairs select committee how important | :56:09. | :56:12. | |
maintaining our current policing and security operation with Europe is. I | :56:13. | :56:17. | |
know they are committed to continuing that. Are his European | :56:18. | :56:19. | |
counterpoints as committed as he is? After the migrants of the citizens | :56:20. | :56:31. | |
of the UK, this came up between the Nordics, the Baltics, and the | :56:32. | :56:34. | |
Eastern Europeans so it seems to me that we have a great deal to | :56:35. | :56:36. | |
continue to offer the European Union and we absolutely intend to do so | :56:37. | :56:41. | |
because we intend to meet our responsibilities as a global citizen | :56:42. | :56:46. | |
country. Give than yesterday was international women's day, can the | :56:47. | :56:49. | |
Secretary of State tell us whether his discussions in Europe have | :56:50. | :56:54. | |
brought us any closer to finally seeing an end to the tampon tax? | :56:55. | :57:03. | |
Actually, I think we haven't seen anything of that yet but I'm sure | :57:04. | :57:09. | |
it's one of the first things on the agenda talking to the Chancellor. | :57:10. | :57:14. | |
The funding of the Tampon tax are used for all sorts of incredibly | :57:15. | :57:22. | |
important matters. She'll know more than me. Will my right honourable | :57:23. | :57:28. | |
friend make sure the Government tread warily on the resurrection | :57:29. | :57:32. | |
between the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche while we are in complex | :57:33. | :57:37. | |
negotiations in financial services. Yes. The manufacturers organisation | :57:38. | :57:45. | |
EEF last week highlighted the difficulties that manufacturers are | :57:46. | :57:49. | |
currently having in filling skilled engineering posts. They warn if this | :57:50. | :57:54. | |
is not going to get worse post-Brexit they'll need the | :57:55. | :57:57. | |
flexibility to employ and deploy people across Europe. What | :57:58. | :58:00. | |
consideration has the Secretary of State given to the representations | :58:01. | :58:04. | |
from EEF and what reassurance can he give them? Indeed we have had such | :58:05. | :58:10. | |
discusses and he's right, we do need to ensure that we have an adequate | :58:11. | :58:14. | |
supply of skilled labour in this country. The Home Office is current | :58:15. | :58:17. | |
hi working on policies that will achieve just that. | :58:18. | :58:22. | |
The UK legal services sector is worth some ?21 billion to our | :58:23. | :58:26. | |
economy. A good percentage coming from legal services provided into | :58:27. | :58:29. | |
the European Union. Will my right honourable friend meet with | :58:30. | :58:31. | |
counsel and the Law Society to counsel and the Law Society to | :58:32. | :58:33. | |
discuss what they need to remain to discuss what they need to remain to | :58:34. | :58:38. | |
have access into that key market? Well, the short answer is, the | :58:39. | :58:42. | |
Parliamentarian's already met them but we'll met them again. It's a | :58:43. | :58:47. | |
very, very important sector, people underestimate the general services | :58:48. | :58:50. | |
sector is as big as the City so we have to make sure we do. | :58:51. | :58:54. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. The success of our economy is riding on a | :58:55. | :58:58. | |
successful negotiation of our exit from the European Union but the | :58:59. | :59:00. | |
former Chancellor, the Right Honourable member for Tatton, told | :59:01. | :59:02. | |
the House the Government's chosen not to make the economy the | :59:03. | :59:08. | |
priority. He was right, wasn't he? Not at all. I mean, I can't see how | :59:09. | :59:13. | |
one can make it more of a priority to make it the centrepiece of | :59:14. | :59:17. | |
negotiation. We are seek ago comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. | :59:18. | :59:20. | |
The purpose of that is nothing but economic. Of course out of it will | :59:21. | :59:23. | |
flow other things but it's economic first and centre. | :59:24. | :59:28. | |
Following on from that question, isn't the fact that the British | :59:29. | :59:33. | |
economy, or the office of budget responsibility has increased the | :59:34. | :59:36. | |
nearly 50%. Surely that's a vote in nearly 50%. Surely that's a vote in | :59:37. | :59:41. | |
favour of coming out of the EU, not what the honourable member said. | :59:42. | :59:46. | |
Well, I think frankly the whole economics profession is beginning to | :59:47. | :59:50. | |
take a lesson in predictions about the effects of Brexit. He's right, | :59:51. | :59:55. | |
there's been a dramatic uptake in the current year's growth and in | :59:56. | :00:02. | |
1920-21 as it tushes out. The simple point is, many companies are coming | :00:03. | :00:09. | |
here now, McDonald's, WhatsApp, Google. The simple truth is, they | :00:10. | :00:16. | |
are moving or showing with their feet what they believe. | :00:17. | :00:20. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. In the north-east, the voluntary sector | :00:21. | :00:25. | |
relies heavily on the ESF in order to carry out its fantastic work. As | :00:26. | :00:28. | |
the region receives the highest per head funding from the ESF, how will | :00:29. | :00:34. | |
the minister address the sector's concerns about funding post-Brexit? | :00:35. | :00:41. | |
Well, these concerns, having met pre-Brexit by the Treasury | :00:42. | :00:45. | |
underwriting the commitments up to and through Brexit, of course which | :00:46. | :00:48. | |
she has to remember that the European Union itself will have a | :00:49. | :00:52. | |
complete budgetary review in 2020, we will be giving absolutely clear | :00:53. | :00:57. | |
attention to priorities like this when we come to write our own | :00:58. | :01:01. | |
budgets after 2019. EU regulation will be all | :01:02. | :01:05. | |
transferred into UK law at the beginning, there'll then begin to be | :01:06. | :01:09. | |
divergence over the years. What is my right honourable friend doing to | :01:10. | :01:13. | |
prepare British business so that they're aware of all the changes | :01:14. | :01:17. | |
that will be made so that they can continue to export and trade with | :01:18. | :01:21. | |
the European Union? My right honourable friend is | :01:22. | :01:24. | |
absolutely right about the approach of the great Repeal Bill which will | :01:25. | :01:26. | |
be about stability and continuity. We are engaging with British | :01:27. | :01:29. | |
business and will continue to engage with British business throughout the | :01:30. | :01:33. | |
process across the country and in every sector. | :01:34. | :01:36. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Last Thursday, the leader of his | :01:37. | :01:40. | |
party in Scotland described the transfer of control over farm | :01:41. | :01:42. | |
subsidies as a power grab and I subsidies as a power grab and I | :01:43. | :01:45. | |
don't think she meant that in a good way. Could I ask the Secretary of | :01:46. | :01:49. | |
State, will he put her mind at rest and simply confirm that Scottish | :01:50. | :01:53. | |
fishing and Scottish agriculture will be governed in Scotland after | :01:54. | :01:57. | |
Brexit? I would repeat to the Right | :01:58. | :02:00. | |
Honourable gentleman what I said earlier - no powers exercised by the | :02:01. | :02:03. | |
Scottish Parliament or the Scottish Government will be taken away. We'll | :02:04. | :02:08. | |
debate with all of the devolved administrations, not simply | :02:09. | :02:13. | |
Scotland, what is the appropriate level of exercising these powers | :02:14. | :02:15. | |
after exit. Thank you, Mr Speaker. What | :02:16. | :02:19. | |
discussions has the department had with representatives of the tourism | :02:20. | :02:22. | |
sector on the implications of the UK leaving the EU? | :02:23. | :02:26. | |
Well, Mr Speaker, we regularly engage with the tourist industry and | :02:27. | :02:30. | |
we will continue to do so. Tourism is an important part of the British | :02:31. | :02:34. | |
economy and we fully recognise its particular concerns. The Government | :02:35. | :02:38. | |
has said it wants to secure the rights of British nationals living | :02:39. | :02:42. | |
in Europe. What about British nationals living here who're married | :02:43. | :02:45. | |
to European nationals whose futures have been thrown into doubt because | :02:46. | :02:49. | |
of the repugnant position that the Government has adopted? Isn't it | :02:50. | :02:52. | |
time to end this doubt for these people? | :02:53. | :02:59. | |
Of course we do not want to see any doubt on the part of any citizen in | :03:00. | :03:03. | |
Europe, British or otherwise in Britain or on the continent. The | :03:04. | :03:08. | |
simple truth is this - most of the people I've seen in the | :03:09. | :03:12. | |
decision-making tier as it were, of the European Government, agree with | :03:13. | :03:16. | |
us, this is an issue that has to be dealt with together, British | :03:17. | :03:18. | |
citizens and European citizens. It will be dealt with as a matter of | :03:19. | :03:22. | |
priority. Does my right honourable friend | :03:23. | :03:26. | |
agree that the huge investment by Dyson in research the and | :03:27. | :03:29. | |
development facilities in the UK is a sign of confidence in the UK | :03:30. | :03:35. | |
economy outside the EU? Yes, it certainly is, Mr Speaker, and it's | :03:36. | :03:38. | |
only one of the latest of a long line of new investments in the | :03:39. | :03:43. | |
British economy showing this huge confidence the international | :03:44. | :03:44. | |
business community has in our country. | :03:45. | :03:47. | |
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I push the Secretary of State further on in | :03:48. | :03:51. | |
the answer he gave to my right honourable friend regarding | :03:52. | :03:55. | |
fictionless trade. Is he saying that trade tariffs remain on the | :03:56. | :03:57. | |
negotiating table? Hear, hear. No, what I was saying to | :03:58. | :04:03. | |
my right honourable friend, is that there are plenty of countries around | :04:04. | :04:08. | |
the world who have very, very light touch customs arrangements and that | :04:09. | :04:13. | |
would be consistent with a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. | :04:14. | :04:15. | |
THE SPEAKER: The two colleagues who haven't spoken to date, if they're | :04:16. | :04:20. | |
extremely brief, I will take you. From recent discussions I've been in | :04:21. | :04:23. | |
with senior members of the German Parliament, it's very clear we are | :04:24. | :04:27. | |
not going to get barrier free access if we no longer operate free | :04:28. | :04:31. | |
movement. Do ministers recognise that reality? That's not the | :04:32. | :04:37. | |
response I'm getting from the ministers I've spoken to around | :04:38. | :04:41. | |
Europe. What they have come back with is that they want to see a | :04:42. | :04:45. | |
constructive outcome. The only way to a constructive outcome is a | :04:46. | :04:48. | |
comprehensive free trade arrangement. Under the common ago | :04:49. | :04:53. | |
cultural policy, some of the richest people in this country get millions | :04:54. | :04:56. | |
of pounds in handouts from the packs payer. That must surely be wrong. | :04:57. | :05:02. | |
Would it not be a good idea when in charge of our own agriculture policy | :05:03. | :05:05. | |
to put a cap on how much people get, just like we have a benefits cap? Of | :05:06. | :05:16. | |
course, I welcome this, after 2019, he'll have a say in that. | :05:17. | :05:19. | |
THE SPEAKER: Before we take the business question, I do want to | :05:20. | :05:27. | |
mention that today is the birthday of the honourable gentleman, the | :05:28. | :05:32. | |
member for Perth and North Perthshire. . I'm sure there will be | :05:33. | :05:38. | |
veritable rejoicing in the streets on this happy occasion at any rate | :05:39. | :05:44. | |
at least in Perth and North Perthshire, happy birthday to the | :05:45. | :05:47. | |
honourable gentleman of business yes, Valerie Vaz? | :05:48. | :05:54. | |
Could the leader of the House give us the forthcoming business. | :05:55. | :06:00. | |
Mr Speaker, Sir, the business for next week will be as follows, Monday | :06:01. | :06:05. | |
13th March, consideration of Lord's amenments to the European Union | :06:06. | :06:09. | |
notification of withdrawal Bill. Followed by continuation of the | :06:10. | :06:15. | |
budget debate. Tuesday 14th March, if necessary, consideration of | :06:16. | :06:19. | |
Lord's amendments. Followed by concollusion of the budget debate. | :06:20. | :06:26. | |
Wednesday, 15th March, if necessary, consideration of Lord's amendments, | :06:27. | :06:29. | |
followed by consideration of Lord's amendments to the Health Service | :06:30. | :06:33. | |
medical supplies costs bill, followed by remaining stages of the | :06:34. | :06:36. | |
national citizens service Bill Lords. Followed by a motion relating | :06:37. | :06:43. | |
to the appointment of lay members to the committee of stonards, followed | :06:44. | :06:47. | |
by if necessary consideration of Lord's | :06:48. | :06:48. |