Contributions
1,127 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEuropean CouncilWe have consistently sought to change the withdrawal agreement and make changes to the backstop. The Prime Minister, following the passing of the Brady amendment, sought further…11 Apr 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseMy Lords, I will respond briefly to the Business of the House Motion. We had lengthy and passionate debates last Thursday on the most appropriate way to handle this Bill. This…08 Apr 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseMy noble friend Lord Forsyth’s amendment gives me the opportunity to speak both to the amendments tabled to the Business of the House Motion and to the Motion itself. I regret…04 Apr 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseI think that what businesses and citizens want is certainty. We have now had a decision between the UK Government and the EU that we will extend the date past 29 March. What we…26 Mar 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseI have said that this is an unusual situation: that is why I am here asking the House to agree that we can do this. It is only right to do that. This has been done on a number of…26 Mar 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseI understand that my noble friend has written to the JCSI, but I repeat that it is for that committee to decide when it sits and to decide its programme of business. As I said, we…26 Mar 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseI am afraid I cannot give my noble friend that assurance. We have discussed this through the usual channels. This is an important SI that we need to see through and I hope I have…26 Mar 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseMy Lords, my noble friends Lord True and Lord Forsyth are of course correct to say that it is not usual practice for the House not to consider SIs until the JCSI has both…26 Mar 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseThe rationale is that we have two dates agreed with the EU, both now set out in one SI. That means that both situations are covered, which seemed a sensible approach. Again, we…26 Mar 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseMy Lords, the Motion standing in my name will allow us to dispense with Standing Order 72 tomorrow so that we can take the SI that will amend the definition of exit day in UK law…26 Mar 2019HANSARDBusiness of the HouseThat Standing Order 72 (Affirmative Instruments) be dispensed with on Wednesday 27 March to enable a Motion to approve a draft affirmative instrument laid before the House under…26 Mar 2019HANSARDEuropean CouncilAs I think I and a number of Front-Bench colleagues have said, we have been preparing for no deal. We have contingency plans in place, particularly in relation to healthcare.…25 Mar 2019HANSARDEuropean CouncilI think the noble Lord will recognise that I have never breached that convention, and I will not be doing it now.25 Mar 2019HANSARDEuropean CouncilNo, over the past two-and-a-half years, the Government have worked extremely hard to get a deal that is in the best interests of the UK and the EU and to deliver on the result of…25 Mar 2019HANSARDEuropean CouncilThe Council formally endorsed the legal instrument relating to the withdrawal agreement and the joint statement supplementing the political declaration. There was further movement…25 Mar 2019HANSARDEuropean CouncilThe Government’s position is that we will work towards a deal which is in the best interests of the UK and the EU. That is why we will continue to try to ensure that we get that…25 Mar 2019HANSARDEuropean CouncilYes, it is. Conclusions 9 and 10 from the European Council make it clear that approval of the deal this week will lead to the 22 May extension for the Bill. If there is no…25 Mar 2019HANSARDEuropean CouncilThe agreement of the UK Government and the European Union for this extension is now international law, which takes precedence. We have laid the SI to extend Article 50 in those…25 Mar 2019HANSARDEuropean CouncilThe noble Lord is right that there are two elements to the extension that has been agreed. If the deal is passed this week, there will be an extension to 22 May to get the…25 Mar 2019HANSARDEuropean CouncilObviously, the House of Commons has not yet voted, so it is somewhat difficult for us to plan business on a hypothetical. I hope, however, noble Lords will also recognise that,…25 Mar 2019