Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Thangam Debbonaire and Steve Baker

Thursday 15th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Baker]

I certainly agree that we should have our own trade policies in place and that we should not be standing against free trade. We should be unequivocally embracing free trade, but we must stand against unfair, anti-competitive practices, and that is what we will do.

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

If the Secretary of State and the Government will not consider the customs union, what specific support will they give to the aerospace sector, which employs so many people in Bristol?

[Mr Baker]

I have good news for the hon. Lady. Both sides have agreed in principle that we should have a free trade agreement covering all sectors with zero tariffs. We believe that with a good-quality customs agreement we can achieve near-frictionless trade, and I believe that, taken together, those arrangements will ensure that our manufacturing industries, including aerospace, will have an ever brighter future.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Thangam Debbonaire and Steve Baker

Thursday 2nd November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)]

This week, the Committee of the Nuclear Safeguards Bill was told by many expert witnesses that the Bill was inadequate and the time insufficient to create an alternative structure for Euratom when we leave the EU. Given the risks, will the Secretary of State commit now to pushing for maintaining our membership of Euratom in the agreement?

[Mr Baker]

The institutions of Euratom are tightly coupled with the institutions of the European Union. Therefore, we need to leave Euratom as we leave the EU.

[Thangam Debbonaire]

That is not the advice.

[Mr Baker]

That is the advice that we have had. We will look carefully at the advice of those experts and take what steps are appropriate to the Government.