Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans his Department has to begin formal negotiations on trade deals with (a) Australia, (b) New Zealand, (c) Canada and (d) the United States of America during the implementation period provided for in the UK-EU withdrawal agreement; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government has established working groups and high level dialogues with a range of key trade partners, including Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
In addition to seeking continuity for our existing EU trade agreements, including the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), our priority is to be in a position to begin formal negotiations with key partners, including the US, Australia and New Zealand, immediately after we leave the EU and to take these negotiations forward during the Implementation Period,
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to repeal the incorporation in UK law of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The purpose of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill is to provide a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU, and ensure that it is for our sovereign Parliament (and in some cases for the devolved legislatures) to make any future changes.
The Bill will convert all directly-applicable EU legislation - that is regulations, decisions and tertiary legislation - as it applies in the UK immediately before exit, into domestic law and will preserve all the laws which have been made in the UK to implement EU obligations.
Any future changes will be subject to parliamentary scrutiny.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 2 November 2017 to Question 111141, on EU law, what assessment he has made of which elements of the EU's supranational framework will not be retained.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The European Union (Withdrawal) Bill aims, so far as possible, to provide that the laws which apply immediately before exit day will continue to apply in the same way after we leave. The act of leaving the EU means that it is inevitable that some elements of the EU’s supranational legal framework will not - and should not - be retained.
Clause 5 and the accompanying Schedule 1 set out a number of important exceptions to the general retention of EU law under the Bill. The provisions in this Clause and Schedule cover the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the principle of supremacy, challenges to the validity of an EU instrument, the general principles of EU law and Francovich damages.
Asked by: Craig Mackinlay (Conservative - South Thanet)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the entirety of the Fisheries acquis will be transferred into domestic legislation in the EU (Withdrawal) Bill.
Answered by George Eustice
The purpose of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill is to provide stability and certainty so that wherever practical, the same laws and rules will apply immediately before and immediately after our departure. On that basis, most of the fisheries acquis will be transferred into domestic legislation. The Queen’s Speech, however, set out the Government’s plans for a fisheries bill for the UK to control access to its waters and set fishing opportunities when we leave the EU and the Common Fisheries Policy. Provisions in the Fisheries Bill would supersede the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the supply of medical devices to NHS patients in the event that there is no transitional period prior to the UK leaving the EU during which to implement changes in EU law made before or during such a transitional period.
Answered by Philip Dunne
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Office of Life Sciences, and the Department for Exiting the European Union are leading our work in this area.
Medical devices are important for transforming health outcomes, and our top priority for the Life Sciences sector in the negotiations is to protect the safety of patients and ensure the integrity of cross-European public health systems.
After the European Union referendum, the UK EU Life Sciences Steering Group was established to oversee a programme of work that is informing our departure from the EU. The group’s remit includes people and skills; research and grants; intellectual property; regulation and trade, manufacturing and supply - to organisations including the National Health Service.
Regarding potential transposition of any changes in EU law, the general approach taken in the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill is that EU law which applies directly in the UK legal system immediately before exit will be converted into domestic law after exit. The purpose of the Bill is to provide a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU, and it is designed to ensure that the United Kingdom exits the EU with certainty, continuity and control. After we leave the EU, Parliament will be free to change the law where it decides it is right to do so.
In the negotiations the Government will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue to cooperate. We start from the position of having an aligned regulatory partnership and any changes should consider the impact on patient and public health. However, we appreciate that this is a negotiation, so we are prepared for all eventualities. Whatever the outcome we will protect the best interests of patients and the NHS.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 July 2017 to Question 3708, on Immigration: EU nationals, how her Department will determine who is eligible for deemed leave.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government’s policy paper (Cm 9464) is clear that the Home Office will provide a period of blanket residence permission, to start immediately on the UK’s exit from the EU for EU citizens, and their family members, lawfully resident in the UK before the date agreed with the EU.
This will be a generic “umbrella” of temporary leave to give individuals time between the moment that free movement ends and the time that they obtain their residence document; allowing them to remain lawfully in the UK, and continue to undertake lawful activities during that interim period. Such leave, known as ‘deemed leave’ in UK law under the Immigration Act 1971, will not require an application.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what process her Department plans to use to identify all existing lawful EU residents and their families eligible for the period of blanket residence permission, outlined in paragraph 24 of her Department's policy paper, Safeguarding the position of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU, published on 26 June 2017; and what the procedure will be for applications for such permission.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government’s policy paper (Cm 9464) is clear that the Home Office will provide a period of blanket residence permission, to start immediately on the UK’s exit from the EU.
This will be a generic “umbrella” of temporary leave applying to all existing lawful EU residents (and their families), to give them a grace period between the moment that free movement ends and the time they obtain their residence document – allowing them to remain lawfully in the UK, and continue to undertake their lawful business during that interim period. Such leave, known as ‘deemed leave’ in UK law, under the Immigration Act 1971 does not require an application.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the contribution of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the Environmental Audit Committee on 25 October 2016, Question 332, what proportion of existing EU legislation within the policy remit of her Department cannot immediately be brought into UK law upon the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government will bring forward legislation in the next session that, when enacted, will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and ensure a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU. This ‘Great Repeal Bill’ will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK. The Bill will convert existing European Union law into domestic law, wherever practical. The Government will set out the content of the Bill and its implications in due course.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the contribution of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the Environmental Audit Committee on 25 October 2016, Question 332, what proportion of existing EU legislation within the policy remit of her Department cannot immediately be brought into UK law upon the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Oliver Heald
The Government will bring forward legislation in the next session that, when enacted, will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and ensure a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU. This ‘Great Repeal Bill’ will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK. The Bill will convert existing European Union law into domestic law, wherever practical and in that context all relevant legislation is currently being identified and assessed.
Asked by: Mary Creagh (Labour - Wakefield)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the contribution of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to the Environmental Audit Committee on 25 October 2016, Question 332, what proportion of existing EU legislation within the policy remit of his Department cannot immediately be brought into UK law upon the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Government will bring forward legislation in the next session that, when enacted, will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and ensure a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU. This ‘Great Repeal Bill’ will end the authority of EU law and return power to the UK. The Bill will convert existing European Union law into domestic law, wherever practical and in that context all relevant legislation is currently being identified and assessed.