Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans the Government has to ensure the maintenance of rights of representation before the EU Intellectual Property Office for UK legal professionals when the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris
We recognise that our new relationship with the EU means that we will no longer be members of the Single Market and will therefore have a different relationship with that market from the end of 2020.
We want to facilitate continued cross-border provision of legal services between the UK and the EU. That is why we are proposing specific provisions for legal services, including permitting joint practice between UK and EU lawyers.
We will work closely with the legal services sector as well as consumers to prepare for these new arrangements.
In the meantime, we are working with the EU to ensure that the Withdrawal Agreement allows UK practitioners to complete pending proceedings if they are representing clients before the EU Intellectual Property Office at the end of the implementation period.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Russell Group and (b) its individual members in preparation for the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by David Jones
We continue to set up events all over the country to bring together academics, think tanks, businesses, charities, universities and more. This is a vitally important part of our work to create a national picture of what people want from a deal on exiting the EU.
Ministers have met a range of Higher Education Institutions, including through the stakeholder working group Jo Johnson - Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation – has set up. The group includes a number of senior representatives of UK research and innovation organisations, including the Russell Group, to discuss opportunities and issues arising from the UK’s exit from the European Union. This group will work with Government to ensure the UK remains a world leader in research and innovation.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of the agricultural sector on the implications on agriculture of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by David Jones
Stakeholder engagement is at the core of our plans to build a national consensus around our negotiating position; we are listening and talking to as many organisations, companies and institutions as we can. The Secretary of State and Junior Ministers will aim to visit every sector and every region of the UK.
I have recently heard from a range of stakeholders at meetings on agriculture. These have included meetings with the National Farmers’ Union, the Farmers’ Union of Wales, the National Pig Association and attendance at DEFRA’s stakeholder roundtables, one of which focused on farming and horticulture.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps his Department has taken to engage with UK universities in relation to the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Department for Exiting the EU has engaged with a range of higher education institutions and groups through visits, meetings and forums. Over the coming weeks and months the department will continue to engage with key stakeholders in business and civil society, including universities, through roundtables, bi-laterals and visits across the UK.
We have been clear that we want to create an environment in which the UK as a whole can continue to be a world leader in research, science and the tertiary education sector more broadly. The government has announced that UK researchers can still apply for Horizon 2020 projects and the Treasury will underwrite the payment of such awards, even when specific projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. Equally, existing EU students and those starting courses in 2017/18 will continue to be eligible for student loans and will be for the duration of their course.
Jo Johnson - Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation – has also set up a forum with a number of senior representatives of UK research and innovation organisations to discuss opportunities and issues arising from the UK’s exit from the European Union. This group will work with Government to ensure it has the best evidence to keep the UK punching above its weight in research and innovation.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
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 the UK's negotiations to leave the EU to ensure that (a) the financial and competitive position of UK agriculture is maintained and (b) UK agriculture can provide national food security after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by David Jones
We are focused on growing our world-leading food and farming industry, and we want the best possible arrangement for UK agriculture and for consumers. The department is therefore working across government to analyse the impacts of our withdrawal from the EU, including on agriculture and food security. This will inform the UK’s negotiating position; but we are not going to not speculate on what that looks like at this stage.