Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of progress on the three initial divorce issues and whether this is sufficient to begin trade negotiations after the EU Council in December.
Answered by Robin Walker
In response to an Urgent Question in the House this afternoon on progress with negotiations on exiting the EU, the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU said that:
"We held further talks in Brussels over the past few days and progress has been made. But we have not yet reached a final conclusion. However, I believe we are now close to concluding the first phase of the negotiations - and moving on to talk about our future trade relations. There is much common understanding, and both sides agree that we must move forward together. Our aims in this negotiation remain as they always have been.”
“As was made clear by the comments from President Juncker and President Tusk yesterday, all parties remain confident of reaching a positive conclusion in the course of the week.”
“In particular, on the issue of Northern Ireland and Ireland we have been clear that we want to protect all elements of the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement, to maintain the Common Travel Area and to protect associated rights. We want to ensure there is no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. We recognise that as we exit we must respect the integrity of the EU single market and the customs union.
“But we are equally clear that we must respect the integrity of the United Kingdom. There remain some final issues to resolve, which require further negotiation and consultation over the coming days. Our officials are in continuous contact and we expect to reconvene in Brussels later this week for further negotiations."
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Oral Statement of 28 November 2017, Official Report, column 161, on leaving the EU: sectoral impact assessments, how many pages of material have been withheld in addition to the 850 pages submitted to the Exiting the European Union Committee.
Answered by Robin Walker
In order to meet the motion of 1st November, we have taken time to bring together the sectoral analyses in a way that is accessible and informative to the Committee. We have not edited or redacted reports. At the time the motion was passed, and subsequently, we were clear that the documents did not exist in the form requested.
The Government has to be mindful of its obligations not to allow sensitive information to be public, so we have sought not to include commercially, market and negotiation sensitive information, but we have been as open as possible. The material we have provided to the Select Committee is very substantial.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a future Association Agreement for the UK with the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Prime Minister has been clear that we’re seeking a deal that works for the whole of the UK – not an off the shelf solution. For instance, we are seeking a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement that is of greater scope and ambition than any such existing agreement.
As the Government has already made clear, we are undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work that will contribute to our exit negotiations, help to define our future partnership with the EU, and inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks.