Brexit Negotiations

Lord Thomas of Gresford Excerpts

Monday 11th December 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

My noble and learned friend is right.

[Lord Thomas of Gresford (LD)]

Will the noble Baroness help me on this question of full regulatory alignment between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic? Who is going to determine that? Will it be the Supreme Court of Ireland, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom or the European Court of Justice? She said about 10 minutes ago that the present situation is one of full regulatory alignment. What happens if the status quo changes?

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

As I have said on a number of occasions, alignment is about pursing the same objectives. The same goals can be achieved by different means, and it does not need to mean regulatory harmonisation. Indeed, the Taoiseach has said that not everything has to be the same.