Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans the Government has to provide additional support to the Falkland Islands in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Overseas Territories, including Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands, are responsible for their own contingency planning. We regularly meet with the Overseas Territories, and provide advice and support on contingency planning to ensure they are prepared to trade with the EU in all scenarios. In the event of a no deal, HMG has agreed to guarantee funding for specific EU projects in the Overseas Territories, should it be required.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what additional support will be allocated to Gibraltar in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Overseas Territories, including Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands, are responsible for their own contingency planning. We regularly meet with the Overseas Territories, and provide advice and support on contingency planning to ensure they are prepared to trade with the EU in all scenarios. In the event of a no deal, HMG has agreed to guarantee funding for specific EU projects in the Overseas Territories, should it be required.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent assessment he has made of the viability of technological solutions for arrangements to replace the backstop when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government is committed to having a future relationship in place with the EU by the end of December 2020. However, even if the full future relationship is not in place by the end of the implementation period, the Government’s objective is to ensure that the backstop is replaced by alternative arrangements. Both the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration emphasised the shared determination of the UK and the EU to replace the backstop with an agreement on alternative arrangements.
In anticipation, the Government intends to establish three domestic advisory groups: an expert group on trade and customs, a business and trade union group, and a parliamentary group. These groups will engage widely, including with the institutions established under the Belfast Agreement, to ensure the UK’s input is informed by a broad and inclusive range of voices domestically. Amongst other facilitations, the groups will consider work drawing on cutting-edge technological solutions designed to streamline and modernise border controls and support engagement with customs and regulatory processes.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether it remains Government policy for the UK to leave the (a) Single Market and (b) Customs Union.
Answered by Robin Walker
Yes.
We are not seeking membership of the Single Market, or Customs Union, after we leave the EU, but a bold and ambitious economic partnership. The Political Declaration sets out a clear vision for the UK’s future relationship with the EU.
The negotiated Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration outline the EU and UK's shared commitment to a free trade area for goods with no tariffs, quotas or rules of origin requirements. The Prime Minister has been clear that we will have an independent trade policy.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the view that no deal is better than a bad deal remains the Government's policy.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
It is the Government’s position that the Withdrawal Agreement is a good deal for the UK.
Parliament has voted against no deal three times, and it is clear that there is no Parliamentary majority for leaving without a deal.
We will continue to prepare for all Brexit scenarios. A bad deal would be one which did not deliver on the referendum result, or did not allow the UK to take back control of our laws, money, and borders. The withdrawal agreement achieves all of this, ensuring a good deal for British businesses and citizens.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government has stopped planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We remain focused on ensuring our smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU with a deal as soon as possible. However, no deal remains the legal default at the end of the extension period.
In light of this, departments will make sensible decisions about the timing and pace at which some of this work is progressing, but we will continue to prepare for all Brexit scenarios.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2019 to Question 236355, on EU Budget: Contributions, what the Government's legal obligations are in relation to the financial settlement with the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
In the event that we leave the EU without a deal, the financial settlement as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement would no longer apply.
The Government recognises that the UK has obligations to the EU, and the EU obligations to the UK, that will survive the UK’s withdrawal—and that these need to be resolved. But in a no deal scenario we would need to determine how to do so.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the UK is legally obliged to pay a financial settlement in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
As Minister Robin Walker set out in his answer to Question 231383 on 21 March - as part of the Withdrawal Agreement, we have reached a fair financial settlement with the EU, honouring commitments we made during our period of membership, and ensuring a fair deal for UK taxpayers. In the event that we leave the EU without a deal, the financial settlement as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement would no longer apply.
The Government recognises that the UK has obligations to the EU, and the EU obligations to the UK, that will survive the UK’s withdrawal—and that these need to be resolved. But in a no deal scenario we would need to determine how to do so.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
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 amount the UK would pay to the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Robin Walker
As part of the Withdrawal Agreement, we have reached a fair financial settlement with the EU, honouring commitments we made during our period of membership, and ensuring a fair deal for UK taxpayers. In the event that we leave the EU without a deal, the financial settlement as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement would no longer apply. The Government recognises that the UK has obligations to the EU, and the EU obligations to the UK, that will survive the UK’s withdrawal—and that these need to be resolved. But in a no deal scenario we would need to determine how to do so.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the status of Gibraltar remains a red line for the UK in its negotiations on leaving the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
British sovereignty over Gibraltar is not negotiable and the Government is negotiating a deal that works for the whole UK family, including Gibraltar. We will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their wishes, nor enter into a process of sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar is not content. We are proud that Gibraltar is British and our position on sovereignty has not, and will not, change.