Contributions
485 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDUK and EU RelationsMy Lords, in the negotiations last year we made proposals to try to fix the problems to which the noble Earl refers. They were rejected by the European Union. We were able to…24 Jun 2021HANSARDUK and EU RelationsMy Lords, when one observes the situation in Northern Ireland, there is a clear sense in one community that ties with the rest of the UK risk being weakened. That has the…24 Jun 2021HANSARDUK and EU RelationsMy Lords, as I mentioned, the governance mechanisms of the trade and co-operation agreement are now operational. The specialised committees will meet in the weeks and months to…24 Jun 2021HANSARDUK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Regions and Industrial SectorsMy Lords, on the Northern Ireland protocol, the issue is that the protocol is a very delicately balanced document designed to support a very delicately balanced agreement—that is,…27 May 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern IrelandMy Lords, we looked very closely, obviously, at the report from Marks and Spencer earlier this week and the costs that it has identified as being connected to the protocol. It is…27 May 2021HANSARDUK–EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Meetings of BodiesMy Lords, now that the trade and co-operation agreement has been ratified, its committees and other bodies can indeed begin their work. None has met so far, but we will agree the…27 May 2021HANSARDUK–EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Meetings of BodiesMy Lords, I agree that it is extremely important that all the bodies created under the trade and co-operation agreement should meet and work effectively. I can assure the noble…27 May 2021HANSARDUK–EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Meetings of BodiesMy Lords, the question of the Northern Ireland protocol will, I am sure, be on the agenda of the joint committee when that meets, which should be at approximately the same time—in…27 May 2021HANSARDUK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Regions and Industrial SectorsI agree with my noble friend. These questions have been extensively debated over the last five years and the range of views on that subject has possibly not changed significantly…27 May 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern IrelandMy Lords, as I have set out on many occasions, it is clear that the protocol is presenting significant challenges for many in Northern Ireland and across the whole of the UK.…27 May 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern IrelandMy Lords, obviously I am not able to comment on the specifics of litigation while it is ongoing. I point out that the protocol itself is clear that it is without prejudice and has…27 May 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern IrelandMy Lords, the noble Lord is right to observe that we are not particularly happy with the way that the protocol is being implemented. Our hope is that we can find solutions to this…27 May 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern IrelandMy Lords, we would have liked, in the negotiations last year, to have established as part of the TCA an agreement on equivalence for SPS and food standards that could have been…27 May 2021HANSARDUK–EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Meetings of BodiesMy Lords, I share my noble friend’s distaste for bureaucracy in all its forms, even though I have spent most of my life working in one. It is, unfortunately, a characteristic of…27 May 2021HANSARDUK–EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Meetings of BodiesThe noble Lord is right, in that the trade and co-operation agreement is an extremely broad treaty, with a very wide agenda. That is why it requires so many committees to make it…27 May 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern IrelandI certainly agree that it seems curious to us that there needs to be extensive process paperwork as well as the possibility of checks for goods that do not present any risk of…27 May 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern IrelandMy Lords, I remain in contact with all those whom the noble Lord has suggested that I should be in contact with. I talk to my European Union opposite numbers frequently—in fact, I…27 May 2021HANSARDProtocol on Ireland/Northern IrelandMy Lords, this is a good example of a problem that we saw no reason should arise when the protocol was negotiated but has nevertheless arisen. We are concerned about the…27 May 2021HANSARDUK–EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Meetings of BodiesMy Lords, unfortunately, I am not sure that I agree with my noble friend that we would be in a significantly different position if that committee had met. There have been quite a…27 May 2021HANSARDUK–EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement: Meetings of BodiesMy Lords, extradition arrangements were indeed the subject of quite a large part of the negotiations, and in our view—the Government’s view—the agreement that we reached with the…27 May 2021