Contributions
1,165 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe big drivers of household financial insecurity are energy costs, housing costs and so on, and that is why the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and…10 Mar 2022HANSARDFood PricesThe hon. Lady will be aware that the Government have put in place a number of measures to help households, particularly with the sharp increase in energy costs that they face. The…10 Mar 2022HANSARDFood PricesInternational commodity prices are heavily influenced by factors such as energy costs and exchange rates. Recent pressures have been sustained and we have seen food price…10 Mar 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderMy right hon. Friend was very involved in discussions on and elements of this matter and has a great deal of experience of navigating the politics of Northern Ireland and the…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderAs I said earlier, Minister Poots has taken legal advice. Under the constitutional arrangements in Northern Ireland, I understand that he is entitled to issue this direction. The…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderMy hon. Friend makes an important point, and it is why the UK Government have engaged in negotiations with the European Union to seek important changes. We are motivated solely by…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderI would express it slightly differently, but would say this: the rationale Minister Poots has advanced is that the EU audit that took place and whose findings were published at…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderMy right hon. and learned Friend knows from experience that the UK Government have considerable patience for negotiation in order to reach agreement and sensible pragmatic…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderOf course the Secretary of State may direct, as the right hon. Gentleman points out, but for all the reasons I have given—for all the reasons that we understand—the bar for using…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderMy hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. The Government stand absolutely full square behind the Belfast/Good Friday agreement, which is built on the principle of…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderAs the hon. Gentleman will know, the Northern Ireland protocol had a number of requirements, including that there should not be unnecessary checks on goods going from GB to…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderWe have consistently made clear through our negotiations with the European Union that the UK Government are motivated on this issue solely by our defence of the Belfast/Good…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderI can assure the hon. Gentleman that the Prime Minister is absolutely engaged in these issues, as are the Northern Ireland Secretary and the Foreign Secretary. Those of us who…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderThrough the Joint Committee process and the negotiations led by the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), we…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderAs I said earlier, Minister Poots gave me a similar description of the requirements of consent, and his understanding is that this issue should have been discussed and agreed by…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderOn the latter point, the legal obligations that exist apply to the relevant authorities, whether that is the UK Government or indeed the Northern Ireland Executive, so businesses…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderI am here to give the House an update on the current situation, which I am doing in all the detail that I am able to. If events change, I am sure there will be an opportunity to…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderI know that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has been engaged in these matters over the past week or so as events have been developing. I am sure…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderThe Government have been clear throughout that, where there are legitimate grounds to use article 16 of the withdrawal agreement, we reserve our right to do so. We also, as I said…03 Feb 2022HANSARDNorthern Ireland BorderI would like to update the House on current developments regarding the implementation of sanitary and phytosanitary checks at points of entry in Northern Ireland. Yesterday,…03 Feb 2022