Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alistair Carmichael and Liam Fox

Thursday 25th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

We believe it is possible to get the benefits of a customs union—no tariffs, no quotas and no rules of origin checks—through the mechanism set out in the Government’s proposal on our future relationship with the European Union. The ability to access growing markets will depend on our ability to create trade agreements with those markets. A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development suggested that by 2030 the Asian proportion of trade will be above 50% for the first time since the 19th century, and we must be in a position to take advantage of that.

[Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)]

5. What steps the Government are taking to protect intellectual property rights in international trade agreements.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alistair Carmichael and Liam Fox

Thursday 7th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Dr Fox]

In terms of the continuity of our existing agreements, the best way to ensure full continuity is to have a deal. All those who talk about the pitfalls of no deal would do well to remember that in voting against the deal they make those pitfalls all the more likely. My hon. Friend is right to suggest that it is not only trade agreements that are important but trade itself, including trade promotion for our exports, and I congratulate him on the work he has done to promote this country’s interests abroad.

[Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)]

The persecution and mass incarceration of the Uyghur community in the Xinjiang province of China is facilitated by companies such as Hikvision, which manufactures and supplies much of the surveillance equipment that is used there. Hikvision has an expanding presence in this country. Can the Secretary of State assure me that the trade deals that we might have post Brexit will not encourage trade of that nature?

[Dr Fox]

As I have said, any future trade agreements that we have beyond the European Union will be subject to public consultation, to debate in this House and, I hope, to rigorous processes that I may set out in due course about how we can increase scrutiny of those agreements. Members across the House will place different types of emphasis on different constituencies and different sectors of the economy, but I think that the whole House will share those concerns about ethics. I hope that the design of the scrutiny of those trade agreements that I will be able to bring to the House in greater detail soon will give the right hon. Gentleman the reassurance that he seeks.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alistair Carmichael and Liam Fox

Thursday 11th January 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland) (LD)]

T6. Given what we know Saudi Arabia to be doing in Yemen, is it appropriate that we should still be selling arms to it?

[Dr Fox]

All arms exports are covered by the consolidated criteria and, as the recent judicial review showed, the Government pay very due attention not just to the letter, but to the spirit of the consolidated criteria.

Scotland within the UK

Debate between Alistair Carmichael and Liam Fox

Monday 13th October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Dr Liam Fox (North Somerset) (Con)]

Does the Secretary of State accept that throughout the House many believe that further devolution to Scotland can occur only if there is a rebalancing of the entire constitutional settlement, with English votes on English issues? Does he agree that those who say that that would create two classes of MP are being disingenuous? The House has had an imbalance since devolution; many Members have been able to vote on issues such as health and education in England without having to answer to a single voter for those decisions.

[Mr Carmichael]

I have said many times that the completion of the job of devolution in Scotland and the process we are now undertaking would unlock the door to further constitutional change across the whole of the United Kingdom, and I believe that to be the case. Let me be clear, however, that the timetable we have set out here will be honoured. If other parts of the United Kingdom are able to take advantage and to move along in our slipstream, so to speak, that will be to their advantage, but we will not delay the implementation of the proposals in Scotland for other parts of the UK.