(Bromley and Chislehurst)
(Con): Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister rightly
referred in her statement to the importance of leaving in a way
that maintains the closest possible security, policing and
judicial co-operation with the EU27. That is what we have at the
moment. The Justice Committee was given clear evidence by the
head of the National Crime Agency that to do otherwise would
severely impair our ability to fight organised crime and
terrorism, and keep our country safe. Does she agree that to fail
to leave without a deal—to fail, therefore, to pass the only
available means of leaving with a deal—will be to put the
security of the country at risk? That is not something that any
Member of this House could responsibly contemplate doing.
The Prime Minister: My hon. Friend is absolutely
right to raise the issue of security. It is one that is rarely
raised in these debates. The majority of questions tend to be
about the economic and trade relationship, but the security
relationship is fundamental to us being able to keep ourselves
safe. That is why I am pleased we have negotiated, in the
political declaration, the strongest possible security
relationship with the EU for the future of any country that would
be outside the European Union. Of course, if we were to leave
with no deal, those security relationships would not be open to
us. Could we negotiate some for the future? That is, of course,
possible, but it would require further negotiation and at the
point of leaving those security relationships would be stopped.
