To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Customs: Northern Ireland
Monday 4th November 2019

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will list the international obligations which will require declarations in respect of goods moving from Northern Ireland to GB under the Irish protocol of the Withdrawal Agreement.

Answered by James Duddridge

The deal negotiated by the Government with the EU explicitly allows the UK to ensure unfettered market access for goods moving from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. The UK does not therefore intend to carry out checks on such movements of goods.

There will be a minimal administrative process which is designed to prevent, for example, trade in endangered species. We will work with the EU to eliminate this limited process as soon as possible after Brexit.

These arrangements automatically dissolve after four years unless a majority of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Stormont votes to keep them.




Written Question
UK Trade with EU: Small Businesses
Monday 25th February 2019

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether UK-based shopfitting firms that currently have contracts to provide services in the rest of the EU will need to obtain work permits from the relevant EU country for their staff to enable them to continue doing that work in the event that the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.

Answered by Robin Walker

Leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority. We welcome the proposal by the European Commission to put UK nationals on a visa-free list for short trips to the EU even in the event of no deal.

In the event that we leave the EU without a deal, UK nationals travelling to the EU for the purposes of work may be subject to extra conditions. Businesses will need to check individual Member State immigration rules for whether there are any requirements or conditions around supporting documentation, work permits or visas. Businesses should also check whether there are any restrictions on the provision of services, such as whether a UK professional qualification is recognised in the country in question.

We have published advice on the steps that UK nationals may need to take to prepare for our exit from the EU, which can be found at gov.uk/euexit. The Government will publish any necessary updates on gov.uk in due course.


Written Question
Brexit: Northern Ireland
Thursday 21st February 2019

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government has made an economic assessment of the Malthouse compromise proposals.

Answered by Robin Walker

We have engaged with this proposal sincerely and positively, and the principle of alternative arrangements has already been accepted by the EU as a way out of the backstop. The Prime Minister and President Juncker agreed that our teams should hold further talks to find a way forward.

The Government has delivered on its commitment to provide appropriate analysis to Parliament. The analysis, published in November 2018, focuses on the long-term economic impacts after the UK’s new relationship with the EU comes into effect. It does not seek to capture any short-term changes and does not account for specific factors relating to varying border arrangements. The analysis does not model the Backstop as it is an insurance policy which neither side wish to use; and if triggered, would be explicitly temporary. For the same reason it is not practical to model alternatives to the backstop.


Written Question
European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018
Monday 4th February 2019

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to his oral contribution of 29 January 2019, Official Report, column 755, on the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018, which experts he proposes to consult on the technical points raised in the proposals of the hon. Member for North West Hampshire; and if he will make a statement on their response.

Answered by Robin Walker

A number of members of the House have suggested ways to achieve alternative arrangements. This sits alongside the UK and the EU’s existing commitment to developing alternative arrangements to replace the backstop. The Political Declaration is also clear that this includes looking at how facilitative arrangements and technologies can avoid a hard border. Such arrangements are also referenced in the text of the Withdrawal Agreement.

The Government plans to continue discussion with members from around the House in the coming days to finalise proposals to go back to the EU.


Written Question
Companies: Disclosure of Information
Thursday 13th September 2018

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many non-disclosure agreements the Government has signed with companies in relations to contingency plan for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

We continue to engage with a wide range of businesses to understand their priorities and issues as we leave the European Union, both to inform our negotiating position, and our preparations in the unlikely event of there being no deal.

The Government has non-disclosure agreements with some private sector organisations. Confidentiality requirements are a common component of contractual obligations and are used by the Department to protect commercial considerations as well as negotiation sensitivities.


Written Question
UK Relations with EU
Thursday 19th July 2018

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, at what time on 12 July 2018 a copy of the White Paper entitled The Future Relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union was available on the gov.uk website.

Answered by Robin Walker

The White Paper on the Future Relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union was published on the gov.uk website at the moment the Secretary of State stood up to make his statement.


Written Question
European Economic Area
Tuesday 26th June 2018

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, on what date the UK will cease to be a member of the EEA.

Answered by Robin Walker

The UK is a party to the EEA Agreement by virtue of its membership of the EU. In the absence of any further action, the EEA Agreement will no longer operate in respect of the UK when we leave the EU in March 2019.

However, at the March European Council we agreed with the EU that the UK is to be treated as a Member State for the purposes of international agreements for the duration of the implementation period. The EU will notify other parties of this approach in due course.

This includes the EEA Agreement, which governs crucial elements of our trading and non-trading relationship with the three EEA EFTA states - Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Once the implementation period ends, the EEA Agreement will no longer apply to the UK. We will instead seek to put in place new arrangements to secure our relationship with the EEA EFTA states.


Written Question
UK Relations with EU
Wednesday 20th June 2018

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish a list of the UK/EU negotiating groups that are discussing the future partnership with the EU.

Answered by Robin Walker

We have made good progress on the outstanding WA issues since March European Council on topics including goods, customs, intellectual property, ongoing police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, ongoing judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters, data, public procurement, Euratom, Union procedures, administrative procedures and administrative cooperation procedures.

We have already published the topics for discussion on the future framework jointly with the EU. This incorporates the economic and security partnerships outlined by the Prime Minister, as well as the institutional framework that will underpin them and other cross-cutting issues.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/topics-for-discussions-on-the-future-framework-at-forthcoming-meetings

Since then we have had a series of productive discussions and have published detailed slides and papers covering:

  • Framework for the UK-EU Economic Partnership

  • Company Law (accounting and audit)

  • Civil Judicial Cooperation

  • Data Protection

  • Transport

  • Science, Research and Innovation

  • Framework for the UK-EU Security Partnership

  • Exchange and protection of classified information

  • Consultation and cooperation on external security

  • Security, law enforcement and criminal justice

  • UK participation in Galileo

  • Benefits of a new Data Protection agreement

The British people voted to leave the EU and Government is focused on delivering this historic task. The whole of Government is working hard to ensure the UK can fully seize the opportunities offered by withdrawing from the EU.


Written Question
Michel Barnier
Monday 18th June 2018

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, on how many occasions he has met Michel Barnier since 1 January 2018.

Answered by Robin Walker

We have always engaged constructively and as a full and responsible Member State, in order to secure a deal that works for all parts of the country.

To that end, the Secretary of State has been in contact with Michel Barnier, on a number of occasions since December last year. The Secretary of State met him on February 5th in London, had a call on 2nd March. They had a joint press conference in March following the agreement reached on the implementation period. Most recently he met with him on Monday 11 June.

Throughout this period officials have been negotiating hard and at pace on issues related to our withdrawal, including Northern Ireland and other separation issues. More recently, they have begun discussions on the future framework, with discussions covering elements of both the future security and future economic partnerships.

We will of course continue to keep Parliament informed as negotiations unfold, in the coming months.


Written Question
Rules of Origin
Monday 16th April 2018

Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what estimate he has made of the cost to UK businesses of meeting rules of origin requirements after the UK has left the EU.

Answered by Suella Braverman

The Government is undertaking a wide range of continuing analysis in support of our EU exit negotiations and preparations. Our overall programme of work is comprehensive, thorough and is continuously updated. Estimating the cost of complying with rules of origin is challenging due to the variance of outcomes.

It is our objective to reduce as far as possible any additional compliance costs, or unnecessary administrative burdens, for such trade, in line with the Prime Minister’s objective of securing the most frictionless trade possible. We will continue to work with industry, as we seek to deliver this outcome.

We have been clear the Government will not provide an ongoing commentary on internal analytical work that is being carried out within government. Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, not to release information that could reveal our negotiating position.

The Government has confirmed that when we bring forward the vote on the final deal, we will ensure that Parliament is presented with the appropriate analysis to make an informed decision.