Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he intends to formally enter discussions on a future trade deal with the EU before the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by David Jones
Article 50 states that the process for withdrawal will take account of the ‘framework’ of the leaving Member State’s future relationship with the EU, and there is a clear connection between the terms of our withdrawal and the future relationship that we want to establish.
We do not want to get ahead of the negotiations or set out unilateral positions. How we take the process forward will be a matter for discussion with the EU institutions and our European partners.
But given what is on the face of Article 50 and the connections between our withdrawal and our future relationship, it is our intention to seek to deal with both sets of issues together wherever possible, something that would clearly be in the interests of the EU as well as the UK.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
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 potential implications for the Government's timetable for triggering the Article 50 process of the High Court ruling on 3 November 2016 relating to that matter.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government disagrees with the High Court’s judgment. We are appealing to the Supreme Court.
We remain committed to triggering Article 50 by the end of March 2017.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government plans to share with Parliament the analysis presented to Ministers on the options for the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
Parliament has an important role to play in our strategy for exiting the EU. However, as we have said before, it would not be in the best interests of the UK for us to provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of the negotiations and our preparations for them. Ministers in the Department for Exiting the EU will be as open as possible with Parliament.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government plans to publish a White Paper or a Green Paper including proposals for the negotiations for the leaving the EU before Article 50 is triggered.
Answered by Robin Walker
When we trigger Article 50 we want people to be aware of our overall approach, to give as much certainty as possible, while at the same time not giving away our negotiating position. Parliamentary scrutiny is valuable but it cannot be about binding the Government’s hands in a negotiation. We welcome the unanimous conclusion of the Commons, "that this House recognises that leaving the EU is the defining issue facing the UK; believes that there should be a full and transparent debate on the Government’s plan for leaving the EU; and calls on the Prime Minister to ensure that this House is able properly to scrutinise that plan for leaving the EU before Article 50 is invoked; and believes that the process should be undertaken in such a way that respects the decision of the people of the UK when they voted to leave the EU on 23 June and does not undermine the negotiating position of the Government as negotiations are entered into which will take place after Article 50 has been triggered." We will engage with Parliament as appropriate.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the staffing costs are of the secondees to his Department from elsewhere in the Civil Service.
Answered by Robin Walker
The term 'secondment' to refer to an interchange of staff between the Civil Service and an external organisation as such we have not brought any secondees into the Department from elsewhere in the Civil Service. All joiners from other Government departments have been on a loan basis, which refers to an interchange of staff between Civil Service departments or Agencies. The Department’s budget will be set out to the House of Commons and approved as part of the Supplementary Estimates in the new year, as is standard practice.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what he expects the total staffing costs of his Department to be in each of the next three years.
Answered by Robin Walker
Detailed work is underway to establish the staff budget required to fulfil the Department’s responsibilities over the period of the Spending Review. The budget of the Department will be set out to the House of Commons and approved as part of the Supplementary Estimates in the new year, as is standard practice.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley North)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps he plans to take during negotiations on leaving the EU to ensure that people in the UK who benefit from the Common Agricultural Policy are not disadvantaged by the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
We continue to receive views across the range of the Department’s responsibilities following the outcome of the EU Referendum. Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the EU and current EU funding arrangements will continue unchanged. Defra will be liaising closely with other key departments, the industry and the public on future support for agriculture and its beneficiaries.