Oral Answers to Questions

Gregor Poynton Excerpts

Thursday 10th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Tony Vaughan (Folkestone and Hythe) (Lab)]

4. What steps he is taking to improve relations with the EU.

[Gregor Poynton (Livingston) (Lab)]

5. What steps he is taking to improve relations with the EU.

[Mr Connor Rand (Altrincham and Sale West) (Lab)]

16. What steps he is taking to improve relations with the EU.

--- Later in debate ---

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

My hon. and learned Friend is a powerful advocate for his constituents in Folkestone and Hythe. The SPS agreement will remove routine border checks and certification, including for goods travelling through Folkestone and the Port of Dover. It will mean that fresh produce will hit supermarket shelves more quickly, with less paperwork and fewer costs.

[Gregor Poynton]

The new agreement with the EU will help Scottish businesses to grow and to export. World-class producers such as Glenmorangie whisky, which is bottled in my constituency, Paterson’s shortbread, which is baked in my constituency, and the Scottish salmon industry have warmly welcomed the deal for Scotland. Why does the Minister think that the SNP, the Tories and Reform have set their faces against it?

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

My hon. Friend speaks very powerfully for his local businesses, and I am delighted that great produce such as Paterson’s shortbread, Lorne sausages and Scottish seed potatoes will benefit from easier and cheaper trade with the EU via the SPS agreement. Any party that wants to reverse that will have to explain why it wants to take £9 billion-worth of benefits a year by 2040 away from our economy.