Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how much money his Department has spent on bottled water in each year since its establishment.
Answered by Steve Baker
The Department for Exiting the European Union is accommodated in buildings owned by other government departments. The provision of bottled water for meetings is provided by the landlords for each building. There are no specific transactions related to the Department purchasing bottled water detailed in the Department’s central financial system.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment on the effect of leaving the single market on the economy of Cornwall.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government is committed to securing a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom - for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and all parts of England.
As part of this commitment the Government and DExEU Ministers continue to engage extensively with regional stakeholders, and intend to continue this work throughout the exit process.
The Prime Minister has stated that we will we will not seek membership of the EU’s Single Market after we leave the EU, but a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement as part of a new, deep and special partnership.
The Department for Exiting the EU is working with officials across Government and undertaking a programme of analytical work to assess the economic impacts of exiting the European Union across all areas of the UK.
Parliament has repeatedly asked the Government to protect information that could undermine the UK's negotiating position and the Government will respect this.
The government has provided a guarantee for all European Structural and Investment Fund projects signed before the UK leaves the European Union (EU), providing they are value for money and in line with domestic priorities, including where those projects continue beyond the UK’s departure from the EU. The government’s manifesto committed to create a UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Further details on the Shared Prosperity Fund will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment on the effect of leaving the single market on the economy of Northern Ireland.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government is committed to securing a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom - for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and all parts of England. In the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive, we have engaged at an official level with the Northern Ireland Civil Service. We remain committed to working with a new Executive to ensure that we deliver a good deal for the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister has stated that we will not seek membership of the EU’s Single Market after we leave the EU, but a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement as part of a new, deep and special partnership.
The Department for Exiting the EU is working with officials across Government and undertaking a programme of analytical work to assess the economic impacts of exiting the European Union across all areas of the UK.
Parliament has repeatedly asked the Government to protect information that could undermine the UK's negotiating position and the Government will respect this.
We are committed to securing the most frictionless trading relationship possible with the EU. We have no preconceived position on the way we do that: what matters is the ends, not the means. We welcome the European Council’s commitment to develop flexible and imaginative solutions on the island of Ireland.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment into the effect that leaving the single market would have on the economy of Scotland.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government is committed to securing a deal that works for the entire United Kingdom - for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and all parts of England. We have been engaging with the Scottish Government and have been clear from the start that the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in this process.
The Prime Minister has stated that we will we will not seek membership of the EU’s Single Market after we leave the EU, but a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement as part of a new, deep and special partnership. The Department for Exiting the EU is working with officials across government and undertaking a programme of analytical work to assess the economic impacts of exiting the European Union across all areas of the UK.
Parliament has repeatedly asked the Government to protect information that could undermine the UK's negotiating position and the Government will respect this.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many Departmental Pool Car Services have been provided to his Department since it was created; and what the country of origin was of each such car.
Answered by Steve Baker
Since the Department’s creation in July 2016 two cars have been provided from the Government Car Service for use by the Secretary of State and Ministers. One car was built in the UK, and the other was built in Spain.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the total cost to the public purse was of the (a) High Court case and (b) Supreme Court appeal on Article 50.
Answered by Steve Baker
Details of the costs associated with the Article 50 case will be published in due course.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many (a) official and (b) official sensitive documents have been recorded as lost by his Department since it was established.
Answered by Robin Walker
Since the formation of the Department no OFFICIAL or OFFICIAL SENSITIVE documents have been recorded as lost.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many times the UK has made a legal challenge through the EU Court of Justice in each of the last 10 years; and if he will provide details of each such case.
Answered by David Jones
Since 2007, the UK has made six legal challenges through the Court of Justice of the European Union, detailed below.
1. T-27/16 UK v Commission - This is a direct application by the UK to challenge aspects of the legislation (Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/2098) in relation to funding for Producer Organisations (POs). The UK incurred a disallowance for alleged deficiencies in the manner in which the UK calculates the Value of Marketed Production for POs. The UK believes that its procedures for including the VMP of new joiners to the PO is correct and in compliance with the legislation. Case ongoing.
2. T-245/13 UK v Commission - An application by the UK for the annulment of Commission Decision 2013/123/EU of 26 February 2013 excluding from EU financing certain expenditure incurred by the Member States, to the extent of an entry in the Annex relating to a 5.19% extrapolated correction of expenditure incurred in Northern Ireland in Financial Year 2010 (amounting to €16,513,582.57). Judgment was handed down 4 September 2015; the Court dismissed the action.
3. T-437/14 UK v Commission - An application by the UK for the partial annulment of the Annex to Commission Implementing Decision of 4 April 2014 on excluding from European Union financing certain expenditure incurred by the Member States under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). Judgment handed down 28 September 2016; the Court dismissed the action.
4. T-115/10 - An application by the UK to annul Commission Decision 2010/45/EU of 22 December 2009 adopting, pursuant to Council Directive 92/43/EEC (the Habitats Directive), a third updated list of sites of Community importance for the Mediterranean bio-geographical region, to the extent that it lists the Estrecho Oriental site of Community importance. Judgment handed down 24 May 2011; the Court dismissed the action as inadmissible.
5. T-503/12 - An application by the UK to annul Commission Decision 2012/500/EU of 6 September 2012 excluding from EU financing certain expenditure incurred by the Member States, to the extent of four entries in the Annex relating to a 5% flat rate correction of expenditure incurred in Northern Ireland in Financial Year 2008 (amounting to EUR 277 231,60 and EUR 13 671 558,90) and in Financial Year 2009 (amounting to EUR 270 398,26 and EUR 15 844 193,29). Judgment handed down 4 September 2015; the Court dismissed the action.
6. T-107/09 - An application by the UK to annul Commission decision 2008/960/EC (on certain expenditure incurred by the Member States under the Guarantee Section of the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund and under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund) insofar as it has the effect of applying a correction to the Fruit and Vegetable aid scheme against the UK for alleged weaknesses in its control system concerning the recognition of Producer Organisations created before 2002. Case discontinued 1 September 2009.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
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 effect of tariff increases on the viability of the UK agriculture industry sector in the event that the UK leaves the single market.
Answered by Robin Walker
The Government is conducting analysis at the macroeconomic and sectoral level to understand the impact of leaving the EU on all aspects of the UK, including the agriculture sector. We want our new partnership with the EU to allow for tariff free trade in goods and to minimise the regulatory and market access barriers for both goods and services.
We have recently heard from the International Meat Trade Association, National Farmers’ Union, and the National Pig Association, and have held a number of ministerial roundtables on this subject.
We have however been clear that we are not going to publish anything that might risk harming our negotiating position.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the hourly pay-rate is for his Department's cleaning staff.
Answered by David Jones
DExEU is accommodated in Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence buildings and I refer to the answers given by my honourable friends, the Member for Ipswich (Ben Gummer) on 07 February 2017 and Member for Milton Keynes North (Mark Lancaster) on 02 February 2017.