Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall South)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the Leader of the House, which Government Department is responsible for answering the Exiting the European Union Select Committee following the closure of the Department for Exiting the European Union.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
As my Right Hon Friend the Prime Minister set out to the House (https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-02-03/debates/20020316000004/DepartmentForExitingTheEuropeanUnionClosure) the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) closed on 31 January. Those of its functions which are still required have been transferred to relevant government departments. The administration of the closure of DExEU is being carried out by the Cabinet Office.
The Government department responsible for answering written questions will depend on the subject of the question. Questions can be transferred between departments to ensure that they are answered by the relevant department. The Government department responsible for answering oral questions will depend on the subject of the question.
Once the Exiting the European Union Select Committee members are nominated and it is fully constituted, the Committee may wish, in the first instance, to take up any questions it has with the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall South)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, whether the Government's Taskforce Europe will be subject to direct parliamentary scrutiny following the closure of the Department for Exiting the European Union; and whether he plans to allocate parliamentary time to debate the scrutiny of that body.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
Taskforce Europe is a unit within the Prime Minister’s Office. Parliamentary scrutiny will be exercised in the usual way for the Cabinet Office and the Prime Minister, including through responding to written and oral questions. Questions on specific issues arising from the negotiations with the European Union will be answered by the department or departments most directly responsible; including the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall South)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, which Government Department is responsible for answering written questions previously within the remit of the Department for Exiting the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
As my Right Hon Friend the Prime Minister set out to the House (https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-02-03/debates/20020316000004/DepartmentForExitingTheEuropeanUnionClosure) the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) closed on 31 January. Those of its functions which are still required have been transferred to relevant government departments. The administration of the closure of DExEU is being carried out by the Cabinet Office.
The Government department responsible for answering written questions will depend on the subject of the question. Questions can be transferred between departments to ensure that they are answered by the relevant department. The Government department responsible for answering oral questions will depend on the subject of the question.
Once the Exiting the European Union Select Committee members are nominated and it is fully constituted, the Committee may wish, in the first instance, to take up any questions it has with the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall South)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, which Government Department is responsible for answering oral questions previously within the remit of the Department for Exiting the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
As my Right Hon Friend the Prime Minister set out to the House (https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2020-02-03/debates/20020316000004/DepartmentForExitingTheEuropeanUnionClosure) the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) closed on 31 January. Those of its functions which are still required have been transferred to relevant government departments. The administration of the closure of DExEU is being carried out by the Cabinet Office.
The Government department responsible for answering written questions will depend on the subject of the question. Questions can be transferred between departments to ensure that they are answered by the relevant department. The Government department responsible for answering oral questions will depend on the subject of the question.
Once the Exiting the European Union Select Committee members are nominated and it is fully constituted, the Committee may wish, in the first instance, to take up any questions it has with the Cabinet Office.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall South)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, when the Privy Council will next meet.
Answered by Jacob Rees-Mogg
The next scheduled Privy Council meeting will be held on Wednesday 9 October 2019.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall South)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, whether the Government has plans to publish the titles of the Statutory Instruments in relation to the UK leaving the EU that have been deprioritised by the Government and will not be approved by Parliament in advance of 29 March 2019.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government's objective has always been to have a functioning statute book in place by Exit Day. As I have said previously in correspondence to the Procedure Committee and the European Statutory Instrument Committee, departments have taken steps to prioritise the statutory instruments (SIs) that were essential to achieving this. These considerations and assessments made by individual departments have meant that we have been able to lay over 90% of the secondary legislation required before we exit the EU. SIs that Departments deem to be non-essential, or where alternative powers already exist, have been deprioritised. Any SIs that fall into this category and are still required but not before Exit Day, will be laid before Parliament and Members will have the opportunity to scrutinise them in the normal way.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall South)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, if she will publish the criteria the Government is using to deprioritise Statutory Instruments relating to the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government's objective has always been to have a functioning statute book in place by Exit Day. As I have said previously in correspondence to the Procedure Committee and the European Statutory Instrument Committee, departments have taken steps to prioritise the statutory instruments (SIs) that were essential to achieving this. These considerations and assessments made by individual departments have meant that we have been able to lay over 90% of the secondary legislation required before we exit the EU. SIs that Departments deem to be non-essential, or where alternative powers already exist, have been deprioritised. Any SIs that fall into this category and are still required but not before Exit Day, will be laid before Parliament and Members will have the opportunity to scrutinise them in the normal way.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall South)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, how many Statutory Instruments in relation to the UK leaving the EU deprioritised by the Government and will not be approved by Parliament in advance of 29 March 2019.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government's objective has always been to have a functioning statute book in place by Exit Day. As I have said previously in correspondence to the Procedure Committee and the European Statutory Instrument Committee, departments have taken steps to prioritise the statutory instruments (SIs) that were essential to achieving this. These considerations and assessments made by individual departments have meant that we have been able to lay over 90% of the secondary legislation required before we exit the EU. SIs that Departments deem to be non-essential, or where alternative powers already exist, have been deprioritised. Any SIs that fall into this category and are still required but not before Exit Day, will be laid before Parliament and Members will have the opportunity to scrutinise them in the normal way.