Contributions
1,299 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEU Withdrawal Joint Committee: OversightObviously, this is a rather circular point. Article 4 is the conduit pipe, if you like, through which the provisions of the withdrawal agreement would come into UK law. The point…20 Mar 2019HANSARDEU Withdrawal Joint Committee: OversightThat refers to circumstances that relate to EU law. There will be other points of dispute that do not involve EU law. It is clear that after the end of the implementation period…20 Mar 2019HANSARDEU Withdrawal Joint Committee: OversightWhat I would say to my hon. Friend in respect of his question is that we were in the EU for 46 years. During that time we were absolutely and totally 100% under the jurisdiction…20 Mar 2019HANSARDEU Withdrawal Joint Committee: OversightIt is obviously up to them to decide how they would conduct matters with respect to their delegates in the Joint Committee.20 Mar 2019HANSARDEU Withdrawal Joint Committee: OversightI disagree with the hon. and learned Lady. The terms of the withdrawal agreement relate largely to the implementation period. I remind the House that during the implementation…20 Mar 2019HANSARDEU Withdrawal Joint Committee: OversightThank you. I stress that we have been very successful in restricting payments when we needed to. There is no reason to suppose that the Committee will impose swingeing penalties…20 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureLet me respond very briefly to the hon. Gentleman. He suggested that I did not agree with the statement; I fully agreed with everything in it. That is just for the hon.…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureI must say that, being relatively new to the Government Front Bench, it is a new experience for me to be utterly patronised by a former right hon. Friend, and with respect, Mr…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureAs my hon. Friend will remember, there were two options. If the deal is adopted by the House, the Government will apply for a short extension of the article 50 period. If it is…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureI was very struck during last week’s events about this so-called people’s vote, because my understanding was that the Labour party had suddenly changed its policy in favour of it,…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureMy hon. Friend is absolutely right: Northern Ireland is at the front and centre of this current debate, and the Government’s intention is absolutely that Stormont, if and when it…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureThank you. As I have said on numerous occasions in response to questions from the right hon. Lady and others, we have a choice: if we accept the deal, we can ask for a short…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureI am very pleased that my hon. Friend has asked a question. He is a great parliamentarian: he has ample experience over many years in the House of Commons, and he will have…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureThe Prime Minister set out a series of votes that took place last week. We all know the results of those votes. At the end of the process, in the final vote on the Thursday, the…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureI would love to do that, but my hon. Friend knows that the way to have done so would have been to vote for the deal so that we could have left on the required date. If the…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureI will give a blunt and simple answer. We will have a debate next week when the SI is determined, then there will be a— [ Interruption. ] That is exactly what the process will be.…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureI know that my hon. Friend is a passionate believer in Brexit, but it has been very clear from the events last week that there is no majority in this House for leaving without a…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureIn my brief time as a Minister, I have been very clear about the way to get out of the mess. The obvious way was to vote for the deal—a reasonable deal. The Opposition voted it…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureThat ball is now rolling, I am afraid. My right hon. Friend is still trying to expand on the fantasy of no deal, but no deal has been taken off the table by this House, and that…18 Mar 2019HANSARD Article 50 Extension ProcedureAs I have said, in a spirit of optimism, I still believe that there is a chance—perhaps a slim chance—that the meaningful vote will go through. People can scoff and laugh, but I…18 Mar 2019