Contributions
1,710 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemI am grateful to the Chair of the Select Committee for that characteristically thoughtful question. As she would expect, a lot of ministerial focus is on juxtaposed ports as they…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemI am grateful to the shadow Minister for his questions. As I said at the beginning of my remarks, I share his point about the importance and impact that preauthorisation can have.…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemSustained engagement with the French is crucial, and it is happening at all levels, be that ministerial, senior official, or operationally, to ensure that prioritisation of flow.…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemTo address the point about Brexit, we must be clear—for example, the Republic of Ireland, which is outside Schengen, also has these challenges, so the idea that reversing to…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemMy hon. Friend makes an exceptionally important point about vulnerable users. Operation Brock and the Dover traffic assessment project give scope for the KMRF to stand up…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemThat is an excellent point. Ahead of the May bank holiday, we demonstrated that we were able to use that rich sense of who is coming—it is not a surprise—and to plan for when the…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemI share some of my hon. Friend’s analysis, but not all of it. If we are dealing in counterfactuals, which I am usually loath to do but this one is quite entertaining, if we were…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemIt is important to recognise, as I did at the start, that these queues are not new, but the entry-exit system risks being a compounding factor. I too look at the weather and think…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemIt is reasonable for the House and the Government of the day to have a real focus on the juxtaposed ports, because the issues happen on UK soil and have impacts in UK…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemThere is a lot in the hon. Gentleman’s question. I would slightly challenge the assertion that the CTA is an open border. If an individual crosses that border into the UK, they…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemMy hon. Friend raises an important issue. On HGVs, there is degree of ease because the majority of HGV drivers are European nationals and are not subject to the same degree of…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemI have always taken the view that I get to do the answers, but I do not get to do the questions as well—you know that well, Mr Speaker. I will seek to address whatever is put to…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemAlong with me, my hon. Friend holds that most exalted status of being a Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament. By instinct, I am the same as him; in anything in my life, I…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemThe hon. Gentleman is testing my GCSE French—maybe I will be found wanting in that regard. On his first point, we absolutely accept that for some products, time is absolutely…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemThe nature of who is driving short-use freight can make that easier, but there is a challenge in terms of prioritisation. As I have said to colleagues, there is a very good reason…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemI might contest the idea that we do not do very much European scrutiny in this place. That would be very difficult to say, because I do not recall ever standing at the Dispatch…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemOn the point about alliances, I have always taken the view in this Chamber that if I agree with somebody, I say that I agree with them; if I disagree with them, I say that I…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemThe point about Scottish holidays has been well made by colleagues. We can model volumes relatively accurately, because we know who is and is not on holiday and who has and has…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemThe hon. Lady may or may not have had the chance to see from the transcript or, indeed, the video that I was on the subsequent panel for that session. That is not the view of the…08 Jul 2026HANSARDEuropean Entry and Exit SystemI commend Bridlington’s lobster industry. I have to say, that was a new one to me, but let me correct that error at the first possible opportunity. Lobster is, of course, the…08 Jul 2026