Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
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 7 November 2017 to Question 110712, on EU law, what representations he has had from business organisations on the importance of regulatory alignment to the EU after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government is committed to the best possible deal for the United Kingdom - a deal that works for businesses and all parts of the UK. Stakeholder engagement is a central element of our plan and the Government has conducted a wealth of engagement with representative organisations, both in the UK and most recently at a roundtable for leaders of Europe’s key business organisations. We continue to take their suggestions into account, including on the subject of regulatory alignment.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what representations he has received from business organisations about (a) a free trade agreement with the EU and (b) a strictly time-limited implementation period after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
HMG has held numerous meetings with the business community since the Referendum in June last year. This has included over 350 individual meetings, roundtables and other types of engagement with sectors across the economy and in every region of the UK. Engagement with business has included discussions on a wide range of issues.
A cross-government Business Advisory Group, consisting of the five main business representative organisations, has also been established to ensure business is not only heard but is influential throughout the negotiations. The Prime Minister chairs a quarterly Business Advisory Council to hear directly from senior business leaders on the key issues across EU exit, and the wider economy. This engagement has helped to inform our positions on the implementation period and the deal we are seeking with the EU. The insight and analysis provided as a result of this close dialogue is incredibly valuable as we seek a bold and ambitious future partnership with the EU.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the compatibility of the UK and EU legal regimes after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The act of leaving the EU means that it is inevitable that elements of the EU’s supranational framework will not be retained.
The EU (Withdrawal) Bill will provide businesses and stakeholders with maximum certainty as we leave the European Union by ensuring that, wherever practical, the same rules and laws apply after exit and that legal rights and obligations are clear.
We are also pursuing a deep and special future partnership with the EU, the exact nature of which will be determined by the outcome of the negotiations.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions he has had with the European Commission on the protection of intellectual property rights after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
As referenced in the Government’s Summer Paper on Science and Innovation and the EU exit White Paper in May, the UK has one of the best IP regimes in the world, and leaving the EU will not change that: we will continue to deliver quality rights-granting services, lead the world in enforcement and engage in international IP discussions.
We have made good progress to date on discussions of separation issues, including IP rights, but we believe that this issue will be an important part of the discussions on our future partnership. We have been clear that in order to provide certainty to businesses and citizens we must talk about the future. For our part, we are ready to move these negotiations on. Doing so will allow us to best achieve our joint objectives and move towards a deal that works for both the UK and the EU.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he plans to negotiate on intellectual property rights with the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
We have been clear that in order to provide certainty to businesses and citizens we must talk about the future economic partnership between the UK and the EU. For our part, we are ready to move on to these negotiations at the earliest opportunity and believe that the future relationship on intellectual property rights will be an important part of our discussions.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps he is taking to provide UK businesses with certainty about the UK's future relations with the EU.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
We understand that businesses want as much certainty about the future relationship between the UK and EU as soon as possible, and we are engaging with companies across the economy to provide them with the information they need to understand the challenges and opportunities they may face in the coming months and years.
The Prime Minister emphasised this commitment in her Florence speech, where she acknowledged the value of certainty for business and proposed a time-limited period of implementation on current terms. This will give businesses time to adjust, as well as allowing for new systems to be put in place. Our desire is to agree arrangements for this period as soon as possible.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the EU on customs arrangements for movement of goods within Europe after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union regularly meets with counterparts in the EU to discuss a range of matters relating to the UK's Exit from the EU.
The Government set out its position in relation to future customs arrangements with the EU in a Future Relationship Paper in August.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the importance of regulatory alignment to the EU after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
In our negotiations with the EU, the UK will seek to secure a new, deep and special partnership. We propose the greatest possible tariff- and barrier-free trade with our European neighbours based on our rules and regulations being the same at the start, and on maintaining our commitment to free trade and high standards.
But there will be areas that affect our economic relations where we and our European friends may have different goals; or where we share the same goals but want to achieve them through different means. This is where we recognise that the single market is built on a balance of rights and obligations, and so our task is to find a new framework that allows for a close economic partnership but holds those rights and obligations in a new and different balance.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the benefit to businesses and the economy of a transition period of three years or longer as called for by the British Chambers of Commerce.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Government is undertaking analysis of different scenarios, but will not publish any information that could undermine our negotiation position.
We will need to build a bridge from our exit to our future partnership, to allow business and people time to adjust, and to allow new systems to be put in place. It makes sense for there to be only one set of changes.
That is why we are proposing a strictly time-limited implementation period, based on the existing structure of EU rules and regulations, during which the UK and the EU would continue to have access to one another’s markets on current terms, and the UK would take part in existing security measures.
The length of the period should be determined by how long it will take to prepare and implement the new processes and new systems – as the Prime Minister has said, this is likely to be for a period of around two years and it should be agreed as early as possible, so as to provide certainty.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will ensure that Vauxhall Ellesmere Port has the same trade arrangement for (a) tariff and (b) non-tariff barriers after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK is the third largest European car producer with its competitiveness underpinned by using a highly integrated European supply chain to support just-in-time production. We want British companies, including automotive, to have the greatest possible tariff- and barrier-free trade with our European neighbours.
Negotiating a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU, greater in scope than any such agreement before, is a priority for the Government as we leave the EU. We want tariff-free trade with Europe, and for cross-border trade to be as frictionless as possible. The UK starts from a unique position – where our rules and regulations are the same as the EU, and where we share a commitment to high regulatory standards. The terms of our future trading relationship with the EU are a matter for the negotiation, however we are confident that a future partnership between the UK and the EU is in the interest of both sides, so we approach the negotiations anticipating success.