EU Withdrawal Agreement: Legal Changes

Debate between Robin Walker and Chris Bryant

Monday 11th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Walker]

I note my hon. Friend’s representations, but the Government are clear that we will be having the meaningful vote tomorrow.

[Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)]

The thing is there is only one possible motion that can be considered tomorrow for it to be a meaningful vote under the Act. It is very straightforward and the Government themselves argued repeatedly to the Procedure Committee that if the motion had any other riders added to it, it would not be legally competent—it would not have any legal effect. So the Government could publish the motion now. I could publish the motion for them now—and, for that matter, the business motion which we will have to have tomorrow, because of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. They could also introduce that now. Then we would be able to have proper scrutiny. Isn’t it time we had some proper scrutiny and we stopped flying by the seat of our pants all the time?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Robin Walker and Chris Bryant

Thursday 3rd May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Robin Walker]

The Prime Minister has set out that she believes there are great opportunities to continue to co-operate together on education and culture. We will of course need to look at what the next stage of the Erasmus+ scheme covers, but we see enormous benefits from it for students from the UK, so it is an area in which we are likely to seek further collaboration.

[Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)]

British Governments have repeatedly, and quite rightly, gone to European Council meetings and come back having persuaded their colleagues in other countries in favour of strong sanctions against Russia and the Putin regime. How will we be able to do that in the future when we are no longer sitting at the table or in the room?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Robin Walker and Chris Bryant

Thursday 1st February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Walker]

We will remain an open and tolerant country that recognises the valuable contribution of those with the skills and expertise to make our society better, but we will also control the overall number of migrants who come to the UK. As we leave the EU, we are seeking to form new ambitious trade deals around the world with trading partners anew. We will have control of our borders, and free movement as it has worked during our EU membership will end when we leave the EU.

[Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)]

5. Whether he plans for the UK to be subject to rulings of the European Court of Justice during the transition period.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Robin Walker and Chris Bryant

Thursday 2nd November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Walker]

The Prime Minister has been very clear from this Dispatch Box that we want EU citizens to stay. We are negotiating to achieve certainty over the way in which that will work under the legal frameworks of the EU and the UK. It is very important that we do that and get that agreed as soon as possible.

[Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)]

The Government’s paper on foreign policy, defence and security after we leave the European Union suggests that there are many areas where we want to maintain a very strong relationship with the EU. The paper seems to suggest that we should have some kind of observer status at the relevant Council meetings afterwards. Would it not be bizarre for us not to have that if we are still engaged in things such as Operation Atalanta, Operation Althea and many other projects? Otherwise, the rules and the determination of how those projects should be progressed will be determined by people in a room that we are not able to access.

Exiting the EU: Sectoral Impact Assessments

Debate between Robin Walker and Chris Bryant

Wednesday 1st November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Walker]

I am grateful, Madam Deputy Speaker.

I would say to the hon. Lady that I have spoken about the nature of our analysis. This motion refers to sectoral analysis, and that is what we are focusing on today. However, I do want to come to the issue here, and the motion also speaks about the Exiting the European Union Committee.

[Chris Bryant]

On that point, will the Minister give way?

[Mr Walker]

If the hon. Gentleman will give me one moment, I should say that I look forward to hearing from the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn), and perhaps from the right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras, what discussions the latter had with the Select Committee before this motion was tabled. Perhaps the Chair of the Committee, in his comments later on, could provide some suggestions to the House as to how the Committee could safeguard the confidentiality of information that might be sensitive or prejudicial.

[Chris Bryant]

rose—

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Walker]

I will give way to the hon. Gentleman on that point, but this is the final intervention I will accept.

[Chris Bryant]

Will the Minister make it absolutely clear to the House, whether, when this motion is carried today, the Government will provide the analyses to the Committee, as demanded by the House, or not?

[Mr Walker]

The motion has not yet been carried. I will absolutely take note of the decisions of this House, as Ministers always do, and we will respond in due course.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Robin Walker and Chris Bryant

Thursday 7th September 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Walker]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I have just given. He is absolutely right, and I would add that the Home Secretary has asked the Migration Advisory Committee to examine student migration and to report back next year. As she made clear in her commissioning letter, and has been echoed in our own science paper, international students enhance our universities, both financially and culturally, and often become important ambassadors for the United Kingdom in later life, so we will continue to welcome them long into the future.

[Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab)]

The Prime Minister boasted yesterday about the number of Nobel prize winners that this country had had, but the truth is that many of them were migrants who started their lives elsewhere in the world and came to this country to study in our universities. Should we not be proclaiming that fact as part of our proud inheritance?

[Mr Walker]

We are, and we will continue to do so.