Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate she has made of the effect on the Northern Ireland economy of potential changes to the trade relationship with the rest of the UK as a result of the backstop provisions in the EU Withdrawal Agreement.
Answered by John Penrose
As was set out in paragraphs 49 and 50 in the Joint report on progress during phase 1 of negotiations under Article 50 TEU on the UK’s orderly withdrawal from the EU:
"The United Kingdom remains committed to protecting North-South cooperation and to its guarantee of avoiding a hard border. Any future arrangements must be compatible with these overarching requirements. The United Kingdom's intention is to achieve these objectives through the overall EU-UK relationship. Should this not be possible, the United Kingdom will propose specific solutions to address the unique circumstances of the island of Ireland. In the absence of agreed solutions, the United Kingdom will maintain full alignment with those rules of the Internal Market and the Customs Union which, now or in the future, support North-South cooperation, the all island economy and the protection of the 1998 Agreement. 50.
In the absence of agreed solutions, as set out in the previous paragraph, the United Kingdom will ensure that no new regulatory barriers develop between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, unless, consistent with the 1998 Agreement, the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly agree that distinct arrangements are appropriate for Northern Ireland. In all circumstances, the United Kingdom will continue to ensure the same unfettered access for Northern Ireland's businesses to the whole of the United Kingdom internal market.”
The UK Government’s assessment is that there will be minimal change to businesses as we are committed to unfettered access for Northern Ireland to its most important market, Great Britain.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what information her Department holds on whether the (a) Republic of Ireland and (b) the EU has plans for building new infrastructure on the UK border in Northern Ireland in the event of no agreement being reached under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union; and whether the UK Government has any such plans.
Answered by Shailesh Vara
As set out in the Joint Report, the UK and the EU are committed to ensuring that our departure does not lead to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Our White Paper outlines a new and detailed proposal for a principled, pragmatic and ambitious future partnership between the UK and the EU and would enable us to meet these commitments.
We firmly believe it is in the interests of both the EU and the UK to strike a deal and we are confident that this will be achieved.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which EU (a) Directives, (b) Regulations and (c) other legislation affecting his Department he is planning to propose (i) revocation and (ii) amendment of after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will retain EU law as it applies in the UK on exit day. We expect between 800 and 1000 statutory instruments will be required across Government to correct this retained EU law to ensure the statute book functions appropriately outside the EU. All Departments are engaged in this process.
Once we leave the EU, we will make our own laws. As we leave the EU, the Government’s EU exit legislative programme is designed to cater for the full range of negotiated and non-negotiated outcomes.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what processes his Department has put in place to (a) monitor, (b) collate cost information on, (c) review and (d) respond to requests to amend or revoke regulations introduced by his Department.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The changes to regulations affecting business during the 2010-15 Parliament are recorded in Statements of New Regulation that were published every six months. These are available on:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/one-in-two-out-statement-of-new-regulation.
For the 2015-17 Parliament, the Government will shortly publish its final report on the savings to business delivered during that Parliament.
For the current Parliament, the Government is committed to maintaining a proportionate approach to regulation to enable business growth while maintaining public protections. This will be monitored through the target that the Government is required to set under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the title was of each set of regulations introduced by his Department in each month since May 2010; which of those regulations have been (a) subject to the (i) one in one out and (ii) one in two out procedure and (b) (i) revoked and (ii) amended; and what the net cost to (A) the public purse; and (B) business of those regulations is.
Answered by Chloe Smith
The changes to regulations affecting business during the 2010-15 Parliament are recorded in Statements of New Regulation that were published every six months. These are available on:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/one-in-two-out-statement-of-new-regulation.
For the 2015-17 Parliament, the Government will shortly publish its final report on the savings to business delivered during that Parliament.
For the current Parliament, the Government is committed to maintaining a proportionate approach to regulation to enable business growth while maintaining public protections. This will be monitored through the target that the Government is required to set under the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015.