Draft Shipments of Radioactive Substances (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

Douglas Chapman Excerpts

Monday 18th February 2019 General Committees

[The Chair]

The question is—[Interruption.] Mr Chapman is trying to catch my eye.

[Douglas Chapman (Dunfermline and West Fife) (SNP)]

I was expecting to be called, as is normal for the spokesperson for the third party in Parliament.

[The Chair]

It is helpful if you stand up, so I can see who is trying to speak.

[Douglas Chapman]

We oppose the regulations. We feel that the UK may leave the Euratom treaty on the same day as we leave the EU. Since regulation will still be automatically based in EU law on exit day, and we will no longer be a member state, we have some concerns about the future relationship.

The Minister has mentioned our concerns, but the requirement to make a quarterly return will not be replicated under the draft instrument, and the obligation to make a prior written declaration will apply to UK imports, but not vice versa. We are in favour of retaining relationships that are as close as possible beyond Brexit, but despite the Government’s best attempts to ensure continuity, we oppose the instrument on the basis that we do not believe that the Government have explored all the relationships that we would want to see in place before the regulations are put into practice.