Contributions
1,454 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolI am giving this statement to the House today because we are bringing forward legislation in the coming weeks to address the precise issues mentioned by the hon. Gentleman. He is…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolMy hon. Friend makes a good point. We share those goals, and I know that everyone in this House is committed to the Belfast/Good Friday agreement. I have heard many across the…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolI am clear that our priority is to seek a negotiated solution with the EU, and none of the proposals that I have put forward makes the EU any worse off. We want a solution that…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolI am very clear that our proposed solution reduces bureaucracy all round. It will make the EU no worse off, in that we will continue to protect the single market, supply the…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolI am not going to speculate as to why the EU has not changed its negotiating mandate, but it is very clear that there is a solution—my right hon. Friend worked very hard on…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolAs I have said, the Bill is legal in international law and we will set out the position in due course.17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolThe provisions in our Bill will do just that. We have heard acknowledgement from the Labour party that there are real concerns about the way in which the Northern Ireland protocol…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolThose figures demonstrate that there has been trade diversion in Northern Ireland, and they demonstrate that we need to restore the balance of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement to…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. We have established the trusted trader scheme and the sharing of commercial data with the EU. What we are proposing, as part of this Bill, is…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolWe have engaged in negotiations with the EU in good faith. We want to achieve the practical solution in all the areas that I laid out, including customs, taxation and governance.…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolWe are committed to bringing forward legislation to deal with this very real issue that is upsetting the balance of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement. That is why I am making this…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolOur priority in putting forward this legislation is to protect the hard-won peace and stability inherent in the Belfast/Good Friday agreement. That is our priority and that is why…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolMy hon. Friend makes an important point. Our proposals would secure the single market and allow data sharing, which we are already doing on commercial data, on goods crossing the…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolI can assure my hon. Friend that we are committed to upholding the rule of law. We are clear that this Bill is legal in international law, and we will set out the legal position…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolI am very clear that we will be bringing the Bill out in the coming weeks. That is an important priority for this Government and we understand that we cannot see any more delay.…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolOur priority, as the United Kingdom Government, has to be peace and stability in Northern Ireland and protection of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement. It is vitally important that…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolI agree with my hon. Friend. It is urgent that we act and I assure him that the Bill is coming in the following weeks.17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolWith permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to update the House on the Northern Ireland protocol and to lay out the next steps. Our first priority is to uphold the Belfast/Good…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolI have been very clear that we are open to a negotiated solution, but that negotiated solution needs to deliver on the ground in Northern Ireland and address the very real…17 May 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland ProtocolOur proposals, which deal with customs bureaucracy and tax inequality, are ultimately the solution we need to deliver. If the EU has a new mandate and is prepared to look at those…17 May 2022