Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
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 5 December 2018 to Question 199427 on Boston Consulting Group, on which cross-cutting complex policy and delivery matters the Boston Consulting Group provided strategic analytical support.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Boston Consulting Group were awarded a contract to provide support to the Policy and Delivery Coordination directorate in the Department for Exiting the EU. They have worked on discrete projects aligned with the directorate's core functions. This includes scrutinising policy and delivery planning, supporting, monitoring and catalysing implementation and developing policy positions on cross-government policy priorities.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, which Ministers will attend meetings of the Alternative Arrangements Working Group.
Answered by Steve Barclay
I have met a group of MPs and others known as the 'Alternative Arrangements Working Group'.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to his Department's transparency data entitled DExEU spend over £25,000, October 2018, for what services his Department paid the Boston Consulting Group £720,000 on 2 October.
Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng
The Government is utilising the skills of the brightest and best across the Civil Service as we prepare to exit the EU. The Boston Consulting Group is providing strategic analytical support, working with DExEU and other Government departments to accelerate progress on cross-cutting complex policy and delivery issues. It is quite standard for a Government department to draw on the advice of external specialists. We will continue to bring in expertise from outside as appropriate. This contract was awarded using a standard route to market widely used across the Civil Service.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, further to the Answer of 26 June 2017 to Question 162, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Withdrawal Agreement in achieving the Government's aim of a seamless and frictionless border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Northern Ireland Protocol guarantees that even in the event that the UK’s future relationship with the EU is not in place by the end of the implementation period, there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland and no splitting of the UK’s customs territory. In so doing, the agreement preserves the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom, upholds the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, and ensures people and businesses that rely on an open border between Northern Ireland and Ireland can continue living their lives and operating as they do now.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
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 12 January 2018 to Question 121082, what recent progress his Department has made on securing the right of onward movement for UK nationals with status in an EU Member State.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK pushed strongly for the inclusion of onward movement rights during the first phase of negotiations on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement, but the EU was not ready to include them.
We recognise that onward movement opportunities are an important issue for UK nationals in the EU, and we remain committed to raising this issue during detailed discussion on our future relationship.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
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 28 June 2017 to Question 250, if he will publish the agreements which will require replacement as a result of the UK’s exit from the EU.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The EU Treaties Office Database lists Treaties relating to our EU membership: http://ec.europa.eu/world/agreements/default.home.do. Not all of these treaties require action when we leave the EU.
We are committed to maintaining the relationships and cooperation we currently enjoy with third countries and international organisations as we exit the EU. This is why we have agreed with the EU that during the implementation period, the UK is to be treated as a Member State for the purposes of its international agreements. We are also working with international partners to put in place successor agreements that replicate the effects of existing agreements as far as possible and which will come into force following the implementation period.
We will continue to keep Parliament updated on the progress of delivering continuity of our international agreements as we prepare to leave the EU.
Asked by: Deidre Brock (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many full time equivalent staff are employed in his Department.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
The required information was published last week on gov.uk as part of our transparency reporting. It can be found at the following link: