Asked by Lord Spicer To ask Her Majesty’s Government
on what date Article 50 will be invoked. The Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State, Department for Exiting the European Union
(Lord Bridges of Headley) (Con) My Lords,...Request free trial
Asked by
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what date Article 50
will be invoked.
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My Lords, the Prime Minister has set out the timetable
for triggering Article 50 by 31 March, and we remain
committed to that timetable.
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My Lords, I realise that a much more interesting Question
I could have asked would have been, “Where is it all
going to end?”—but the Minister would have found that
rather difficult to answer. May I instead ask him this
question: given that the British people have voted to
come out of the European Union, and that the elected
House of Commons has voted to begin the process, is there
very much left for this House to do, other than to give
safe passage to the Bill when it comes before us?
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Actually, I think there is a considerable amount for this
House to do, so I beg to differ. I am very grateful for
what this House continues to do and has already done,
both on the Floor of the House and in the considerable
work that has been undertaken by your Lordships’
committees, on subjects ranging from acquired rights to
fisheries and financial services, which has in a short
time made a considerable contribution not just to the
debate but to thinking in government. I applaud the work
that has been undertaken; long may it continue.
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My Lords, the Government will have 24 months from the
notification of departure under Article 50 in which they
will have to negotiate that departure. They claim that
simultaneously, in the same 24 months, they will secure,
in their words, a comprehensive free trade agreement with
the European Union. Is it not clear that these tasks are
not achievable simultaneously in that short time, and
that the claim of securing a comprehensive free trade
agreement is a complete fiction?
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I know that the noble Lord has a considerable amount of
experience of the European Union. I would just gently
point out to him two things. The first is, obviously,
what the Article 50 process itself refers to, which is
the means by which a nation that is leaving the EU will
be negotiating the exit deal with reference to the new
framework. That is clear in Clause 2 of Article 50. The
second point, which I made last week at this Dispatch
Box, is that, unlike other nations, we wish to enter a
new partnership that reflects the fact that we have been
a member of the EU, and remain a member of the EU, and as
such our regulations and our laws are deeply embedded in
our way of life. Therefore, whereas with other treaties
being negotiated with the EU by non-EU countries, people
are wishing to bring down barriers, we are wishing to
ensure that barriers do not go up. That is why I think we
should be entering into this in a different spirit from
those other negotiations.
I also draw your Lordships’ attention to what Karel de
Gucht, the European Union’s former Trade Commissioner,
said recently. Essentially, he said that it does not take
as long as five, six or seven years, as some are
suggesting, and it could, technically, take a much
shorter time.
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My Lords, given that the Secretary of State for Exiting
the European Union said on Tuesday, in moving the Bill,
that the central question on Brexit and Article 50 is,
“do we trust the people”,—[Official Report, Commons,
31/1/17; col. 818.]
and Liberal Democrats very much agree that that is the
central question, can the Minister explain the
Government’s refusal to trust the people with the final
say on the Brexit deal in a referendum?
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I am sorry but we come up against this immoveable object,
which is the fact that the referendum took place, the
people have decided that we wish to leave the European
Union, and that is what we intend to do to honour the
commitment in our manifesto. I hope only that the noble
Baroness agrees with what her noble friend said so wisely on the
night of the referendum: that when the British people
have spoken, our task is to obey. It is only a pity that
the noble Lord, , cannot agree with
what he said then as opposed to now.
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On a recent visit to Berlin, a puzzled and upset very
senior German politician asked me, “Can I ask you a
psychological question?”, and I replied, “Please do”. The
question was, “Why are the English Europhobes so
childish?”. I undertook to give him a reply as quickly as
possible. Could the Minister help me with an answer to
that question?
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My Lords, I speak here on behalf of Her Majesty’s
Government and therefore reflect the views of the
Government. I believe that the approach that my right
honourable friend the Prime Minister set out in her
speech at Lancaster House was far from childish. It is a
very mature approach to the challenge that lies before
us, and that is what we will now embark upon.
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My Lords, did my noble friend notice that 500 MPs voted
to begin the process of our exit from the European Union,
of whom 346 had supported and campaigned for remain,
putting the supremacy of the democratic mandate ahead of
their personal views. Are they not an example to us all?
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I happen to entirely agree with my noble friend on this
point. As I have said before, the people have spoken and
it is now for us to deliver on the instruction they have
given us.
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My Lords, the Commission has said that it will consult
the European Parliament on an ongoing basis when the
Government finally start to negotiate with Europe over
this matter. Will the British Government do the same with
our Parliament?
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As my right honourable friend the Secretary of State has
made clear, and I have repeated many times, it would be
completely unacceptable for the European Parliament to
get more information than this House and the other place.
That is an intention and a commitment that we absolutely
intend to hold to.
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Regarding parliamentary scrutiny, will the Minister
confirm—it would be difficult not to, given what is on
the Order Paper—that today alone there are two Oral
Questions, one Statement and one debate on the European
Union? Just to reassure anyone who may feel that there is
insufficient parliamentary scrutiny, will he put in the
Library a list of all the Questions he has had to answer
and all the Statements to which he has responded on this
subject since 23 June? Perhaps we can at least then all
agree that that is a pretty good record.
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I will be delighted to do so. I am very much enjoying the
experience of answering all these questions. I will be
here again shortly after one o’clock to answer more.
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My Lords, did the Article 50 negotiation timetable take
sufficient account of the fact that it will include two
sets of continental summers, and perhaps even one for the
Minister? Also, what will be the effect on the timetable
of national elections during this two-year period?
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My Lords, a number of national elections will take place
during this period, not just in France and Germany. We
have set out our negotiating position and we will set
forth to achieve our aims in those negotiations.
Obviously, the political situations in various European
countries may change but our negotiating positions are as
set out.
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