Debate on Wednesday, 14 March 2018, in the House of Commons, led by Greg Hands. The answering members were Robin Walker and Matthew Pennycook.

European Affairs

Motion that this House has considered European affairs. Debate adjourned, to be resumed tomorrow.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 637 cc906-964
Session: 2017-19
Department: Department for Exiting the European Union
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: General debate on European Affairs
Monday, 12 March 2018
Research briefings
Proceeding contributions: Baroness Winterton of Doncaster | 637 c907 (Link to this contribution)
We now come to the general debate on European affairs. The theme of today’s debate is internation...; Greg Hands | 637 c907 (Link to this contribution)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered European Affairs.
I welcome the fact th...; Emma Reynolds | 637 c907 (Link to this contribution)
I have listened very carefully to what the Minister has said. Will he acknowledge that there are ...; Greg Hands | 637 cc907-8 (Link to this contribution)
We have been absolutely clear that we will of course abide by the December agreement in full. Let...; Lord Clarke of Nottingham | 637 c908 (Link to this contribution)
To follow on from that point, my right hon. Friend has repeated two points from December, and at ...; Greg Hands | 637 c908 (Link to this contribution)
I reiterate that what the Prime Minister said at Mansion House and at Prime Minister’s questions ...; Karin Smyth | 637 c908 (Link to this contribution)
I asked the Prime Minister during her statement, and I have written to her, about paragraph 47 of...; Greg Hands | 637 c908 (Link to this contribution)
The Government are undertaking analyses of so many different factors involved in this particular ...; Chuka Umunna | 637 c908 (Link to this contribution)
The Minister is right to pay tribute to his Department’s staff. Has he noted the comments of the ...; Greg Hands | 637 cc908-9 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman knows full well that this is not an either/or situation: it is not a choice be...; Vicky Ford | 637 c909 (Link to this contribution)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that, given the incredible depth and complexity of the UK’s trade...; Greg Hands | 637 c909 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is right on both counts. There is no off-the-shelf agreement that would be suitabl...; Desmond Swayne | 637 c909 (Link to this contribution)
May I take the Minister back to the former permanent secretary? When Mr Donnelly was interviewed ...; Greg Hands | 637 c909 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend tempts me down a path which I think I ought to resist. I am not exactly sure...; Anna Soubry | 637 c909 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Minister give way?; Greg Hands | 637 c909 (Link to this contribution)
I am going to make a bit of progress.
We are not working purely on non-EU trade. A common m...; Anna Soubry | 637 c910 (Link to this contribution)
I am very grateful to my right hon. Friend for giving way. It is very good, kind and generous of ...; Greg Hands | 637 c910 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my right hon. Friend for her lengthy intervention. What I would say is that there is no s...; Antoinette Sandbach | 637 c910 (Link to this contribution)
Going back to the analysis published by the Government and the risk presented by non-tariff barri...; Greg Hands | 637 c910 (Link to this contribution)
I think I understand my hon. Friend’s intervention, but the Government have been clear for more t...; Christian Matheson | 637 c910 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Greg Hands | 637 cc910-1 (Link to this contribution)
I am going to make a bit of progress.
I am going to give a few examples of our work around ...; Stewart Hosie | 637 c911 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Minister give way?; Greg Hands | 637 c911 (Link to this contribution)
I will make a bit more progress. We are committed to ratifying the CETA agreement with Canada, wh...; Lord Wilson of Sedgefield | 637 c912 (Link to this contribution)
On frictionless trade, will the future be better than what we have now or worse?; Greg Hands | 637 c912 (Link to this contribution)
As I said, we are seeking a good, comprehensive, deep and wide trade partnership with the EU that...; Alistair Carmichael | 637 c912 (Link to this contribution)
In the pursuit of this future relationship, will the Minister update the House on what progress h...; Greg Hands | 637 c912 (Link to this contribution)
It is a bit rich for the right hon. Gentleman to vote against the European Union (Withdrawal) Bil...; Hilary Benn | 637 c912 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Minister give way?; Greg Hands | 637 cc912-3 (Link to this contribution)
No, I will make a little more progress.
We have heard questions about why we would want a b...; 637 c913 (Link to this contribution); Greg Hands | 637 c913 (Link to this contribution)
I want to make progress—it is very important that Members understand the point that I am making.<...; Anna Soubry | 637 c913 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend is being very kind and generous in giving way, especially as I am really not...; Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 637 c913 (Link to this contribution)
Order. It was quite in order for the Minister to give way to the right hon. Lady, but she knows t...; Greg Hands | 637 cc913-4 (Link to this contribution)
It was a long intervention, Madam Deputy Speaker.
With all due respect to my right hon. Fri...; Stewart Hosie | 637 c914 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Minister give way?; Greg Hands | 637 c914 (Link to this contribution)
No. I have already used up 25 minutes, and I am going to make a little more progress.
On se...; Vicky Ford | 637 c915 (Link to this contribution)
Will my right hon. Friend give way?; Greg Hands | 637 c915 (Link to this contribution)
No. I am about to finish.
Nevertheless, the Department for International Trade is preparing...; 637 c915 (Link to this contribution); Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 637 c915 (Link to this contribution)
Order. Before I call the Opposition spokesman, let me say that while it is clear that a great man...; Matthew Pennycook | 637 cc915-6 (Link to this contribution)
It was a year ago yesterday that this House voted overwhelmingly to give the Prime Minister the a...; Anna Soubry | 637 c916 (Link to this contribution)
Does the hon. Gentleman agree with me, and I am going to be honest about all this: that there is ...; Matthew Pennycook | 637 c916 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the right hon. Lady for her intervention. We do need to be honest about this. An issue of...; Caroline Lucas | 637 c916 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Matthew Pennycook | 637 cc916-7 (Link to this contribution)
I just want to make a bit of progress, if that is okay.
The Prime Minister’s Mansion House ...; Emma Reynolds | 637 c917 (Link to this contribution)
One of the things that the Prime Minister said in her speech was that we will inevitably have les...; Matthew Pennycook | 637 cc917-8 (Link to this contribution)
I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. I could not have put it better myself.
The theme of...; Vicky Ford | 637 c918 (Link to this contribution)
When the hon. Gentleman says that he wants to stay in a customs union with the EU, will he confir...; Matthew Pennycook | 637 cc918-9 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Lady has great expertise in this area, but I think she has slightly misjudged the fact, ...; Mark Garnier | 637 c919 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Matthew Pennycook | 637 c919 (Link to this contribution)
I will make a bit of progress.
FTAs with the BRIC countries would be worth just over 2%. An...; Alex Sobel | 637 c919 (Link to this contribution)
On that point about regulation, the Government’s leaked cross-Whitehall EU exit analysis paper ou...; Matthew Pennycook | 637 c919 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend. That is certainly the fear. I read the same analysis that he did—I had to...; Mark Garnier | 637 cc919-920 (Link to this contribution)
I want to go back to the comments that the hon. Gentleman made about Sir Martin Donnelly, whom I ...; Matthew Pennycook | 637 c920 (Link to this contribution)
I simply do not think that that stacks up. I listened to Sir Martin’s comments very carefully, an...; Emma Reynolds | 637 c920 (Link to this contribution)
Will my hon. Friend give way?; Matthew Pennycook | 637 cc920-1 (Link to this contribution)
I am going to make progress, as lots of people want to speak.
A sensible, pragmatic Governm...; Caroline Lucas | 637 c921 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Matthew Pennycook | 637 c921 (Link to this contribution)
I am just coming to a close.
The draft withdrawal agreement merely needs to include a polit...; Vicky Ford | 637 c921 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Matthew Pennycook | 637 c921 (Link to this contribution)
I will not give way.
But the Irish border issue is an integral part of the withdrawal agree...; 637 c921 (Link to this contribution); Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 637 c921 (Link to this contribution)
Order. We now have a time limit of eight minutes.
4.24 pm; Paul Masterton | 637 cc921-3 (Link to this contribution)
I am pleased to speak in today’s general debate and talk a little about my views as we move towar...; 637 c923 (Link to this contribution); Baroness Laing of Elderslie | 637 c924 (Link to this contribution)
I am glad that the House is much better behaved today than it was yesterday, because we are being...; Stephen Gethins | 637 cc924-5 (Link to this contribution)
I add the Scottish National party’s welcome to our colleagues and friends from Afghanistan.; Caroline Lucas | 637 c925 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman is making a compelling speech. Does he agree that it is extraordinary to see a...; Stephen Gethins | 637 cc925-6 (Link to this contribution)
As usual, the hon. Lady makes an excellent and powerful point, and hon. Members opposite would do...; Ross Thomson | 637 c926 (Link to this contribution)
The whole premise of what the hon. Gentleman is saying is based on figures that do not take into ...; Stephen Gethins | 637 c926 (Link to this contribution)
I salute the hon. Gentleman’s courage in bringing that up, but I am actually using his own Govern...; Christian Matheson | 637 c926 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Antoinette Sandbach | 637 c926 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Stephen Gethins | 637 c926 (Link to this contribution)
I would like to make a little bit of progress, but I will come to the hon. Members in just a mome...; Christian Matheson | 637 c926 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman has obviously gone through a methodical process of working out the effect of B...; Stephen Gethins | 637 c926 (Link to this contribution)
Well, we have worked out the impact on the NHS and on education, and that will be devastating to ...; Stewart Hosie | 637 c926 (Link to this contribution)
Will my hon. Friend give way?; Stephen Gethins | 637 c926 (Link to this contribution)
I will just make a little bit of progress.
I say gently to the Government Benches that ther...; Antoinette Sandbach | 637 c926 (Link to this contribution)
I do not want the impression to be given to this House that the recent figures published by the E...; Stephen Gethins | 637 c927 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. I note the differences that I sometimes have with her...; David Duguid | 637 cc927-9 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I start by responding to the hon. Member for N...; Hilary Benn | 637 cc929-930 (Link to this contribution)
I apologise for not being able to be present for the conclusion of the debate tomorrow.
We ...; Jim Cunningham | 637 c930 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend has touched on the issue of businesses. Companies such as Jaguar Land Rover ...; Hilary Benn | 637 cc930-1 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and that is one of a whole host of examples that Members on b...; Caroline Lucas | 637 c931 (Link to this contribution)
On the gulf between what was promised and what is now being delivered, both economically and on t...; Hilary Benn | 637 cc931-2 (Link to this contribution)
Although I am tempted by the hon. Lady’s intervention to get into my views, which I think are wel...; Antoinette Sandbach | 637 c932 (Link to this contribution)
It is always a pleasure to follow the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn), who, as ...; Mark Garnier | 637 c933 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is right to raise the issue of non-tariff barriers. The World Trade Organisation i...; Antoinette Sandbach | 637 cc933-4 (Link to this contribution)
Of course there is nothing to prevent us from doing that at the moment. In fact, the number of no...; Mark Hendrick | 637 cc934-6 (Link to this contribution)
It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Antoinette Sandbach), whose thinking in...; John Lamont | 637 c936 (Link to this contribution)
I would like to focus on the ongoing negotiations between Scotland’s two Governments on the power...; Stewart Hosie | 637 c936 (Link to this contribution)
I hope that the hon. Gentleman will be very clear in his words. The continuity Bill has not been ...; John Lamont | 637 c937 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman’s point, although I suggest he read very carefully what the ...; Paul Masterton | 637 c937 (Link to this contribution)
Does my hon. Friend share my concern that the narrative appears to be being perpetuated that the ...; John Lamont | 637 c937 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. The Presiding Officer has done this not in a vacuum but ...; Anna McMorrin | 637 c937 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman referred to the lawfulness of the continuity Bill. Does he agree that in Wales...; John Lamont | 637 c937 (Link to this contribution)
The legislation that created the Scottish Parliament is very different from that which created th...; David Linden | 637 c938 (Link to this contribution)
I have a huge amount of respect for the hon. Gentleman, but I hope he will put on the record that...; John Lamont | 637 cc938-9 (Link to this contribution)
I also understand the huge inadequacies of the Committee system in the Scottish Parliament. The o...; Pete Wishart | 637 c939 (Link to this contribution)
If we were playing a little game here that for every time the hon. Gentleman mentioned the SNP we...; John Lamont | 637 c939 (Link to this contribution)
We accept that the consent of the Scottish Parliament is required, but the hon. Gentleman’s party...; Karin Smyth | 637 c939 (Link to this contribution)
It is always fascinating for the rest of us to listen to the debate going on among Scottish colle...; John Lamont | 637 c939 (Link to this contribution)
I totally reject that suggestion. The Prime Minister has been clear that her objective through Br...; Lindsay Hoyle | 637 c939 (Link to this contribution)
Order. Time is up.
5.27 pm; Chuka Umunna | 637 cc939-940 (Link to this contribution)
I welcome this debate, but I do not welcome the fact that the Government continually duck having ...; Ian Murray | 637 c940 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is right. Our European partners have said clearly that the red lines that this Gov...; Chuka Umunna | 637 c940 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It is the Prime Minister who is dictating the kind of agreeme...; Jim Cunningham | 637 c940 (Link to this contribution)
The Government’s strategy on these negotiations is a shambles, as my hon. Friend has indicated. M...; Chuka Umunna | 637 cc941-2 (Link to this contribution)
I completely agree with my hon. Friend, and I will say more about that shortly.
One of the ...; Ross Thomson | 637 cc942-3 (Link to this contribution)
As someone who actually represents, I hope, the young people of the next generation, I do not sha...; Drew Hendry | 637 c943 (Link to this contribution)
During the EU referendum campaign, the hon. Gentleman was pictured outside the Scottish Parliamen...; Ross Thomson | 637 c943 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising that. As is so clear, we are leaving the European...; Stephen Gethins | 637 c943 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Ross Thomson | 637 c943 (Link to this contribution)
I would like to make some progress, given that I have only three minutes left.
Companies in...; Stephen Gethins | 637 c944 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman is talking about the economy. Does he believe the figures that the UK Governme...; Ross Thomson | 637 c944 (Link to this contribution)
No. The figures that have been produced are not based on what the Prime Minister has said herself...; Anna McMorrin | 637 c944 (Link to this contribution)
I want to start by talking about the approaching constitutional crisis that this Government are t...; Paul Masterton | 637 c944 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Lady tell us how much influence the Welsh Government currently have in the setting ...; Anna McMorrin | 637 c944 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question, but he is completely missing the point. We are looki...; David Linden | 637 c945 (Link to this contribution)
I am sure the hon. Lady will agree that the devolution settlement is clear that, if something is ...; Anna McMorrin | 637 cc945-6 (Link to this contribution)
I agree that this constitutes an absolute power grab by this UK Government. Until we see substant...; Vicky Ford | 637 cc946-7 (Link to this contribution)
This is an extremely important debate. The 27 other countries in the EU make up our largest tradi...; Christian Matheson | 637 cc947-9 (Link to this contribution)
Nothing I have seen since the referendum has convinced me that the plan for the UK to leave to EU...; Stewart Hosie | 637 c949 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend the Member for North East Fife (Stephen Gethins) made a very considered speech in ...; Ross Thomson | 637 c949 (Link to this contribution)
I am glad that the hon. Gentleman agrees about trade liberalisation. Does he not agree, therefore...; Stewart Hosie | 637 c950 (Link to this contribution)
I know the Scottish branch of the Tory party does not like expert opinion, but the pre-Brexit Tre...; Paul Masterton | 637 c951 (Link to this contribution)
The Opposition amendments to the Scottish Government’s Bill significantly water down the massive ...; Stewart Hosie | 637 c951 (Link to this contribution)
When Conservatives talk about a power grab in Holyrood, it is code for defending all powers comin...; Bill Grant | 637 c951 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Stewart Hosie | 637 c951 (Link to this contribution)
No, I have given way twice, and there are no extra minutes left.
As my hon. Friends said ea...; John Lamont | 637 c951 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Stewart Hosie | 637 cc951-2 (Link to this contribution)
No, I am not going to give way again.
The Scottish Government are being asked to sign away ...; Stephen Kinnock | 637 cc952-3 (Link to this contribution)
On 23 June 2016, the people of this country voted to leave, as did a majority of my constituents....; Vicky Ford | 637 c954 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman is making a powerful case about the EEA and EFTA, although it is unfortunate t...; Lindsay Hoyle | 637 c954 (Link to this contribution)
Order. This is meant to be a quick intervention—; Vicky Ford | 637 c954 (Link to this contribution)
Quickly—; Lindsay Hoyle | 637 c954 (Link to this contribution)
Order. There is no “quickly” about it, because you will need to explain to the Front Benchers whe...; Stephen Kinnock | 637 c954 (Link to this contribution)
In short, if we are looking for a common-sense Brexit that strikes a pragmatic balance between pr...; Vicky Ford | 637 c954 (Link to this contribution)
The problem with the EEA is that we would have to cut and paste all EU rules, especially on key s...; Stephen Kinnock | 637 c954 (Link to this contribution)
As I have said, it has to be a blend of a template and a bespoke deal. The Government have fundam...; Lord Wilson of Sedgefield | 637 cc954-5 (Link to this contribution)
I want to raise two areas of European affairs this afternoon.
The first is the potential im...; Baroness Chapman of Darlington | 637 c955 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend and colleague from the north-east for giving way. I just wanted to point o...; Lord Wilson of Sedgefield | 637 cc956-7 (Link to this contribution)
I thank my hon. Friend and constituency neighbour. She is right. I think there is a shift in opin...; Drew Hendry | 637 cc957-9 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend the Member for North East Fife (Stephen Gethins) gave a compelling exposition of w...; Karin Smyth | 637 cc959-960 (Link to this contribution)
Saturday is St Patrick’s day. Although we do not know where St Patrick was actually from, we know...; Baroness Chapman of Darlington | 637 cc960-2 (Link to this contribution)
It is a pleasure to follow the outstanding and thought-provoking speech made by my hon. Friend th...; Robin Walker | 637 cc962-4 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Member for Darlington (Jenny Chapman) for her kind words at the start of her spe...
Subjects: Agriculture Customs Borders Fisheries Financial services Food EU external trade Northern Ireland Origin marking Scotland Republic of Ireland Trade Trade agreements Service industries Brexit
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on hansard.parliament.uk

European Affairs

Secondary information

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