Extracts from committee
stage (Commons) of the European Union (Notification of
Withdrawal) Bill
The First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means (Mrs Eleanor
Laing): New clause 55—Conduct of negotiations—
“Before giving any notification under Article 50(2) of the treaty
on European Union, the Prime Minister must undertake to have
regard to the public interest during negotiations in—
(a) maintaining and advancing manufacturing industry,
(b) securing the interests of all the regions in England,
(c) delivering existing climate change commitments,
(d) maintaining the common travel area with the Republic of Ireland.”
This new clause sets out statutory objectives to which the
Government must have regard whilst carrying out negotiations
under Article 50.
New clause 38—Common travel area—draft framework—
“Before exercising the power under section 1, the Prime Minister
must set out a draft framework for the future relationship with
the European Union which includes reference to the maintenance of
the common travel area with the Republic of Ireland.”
(Gordon) (SNP):...If
the right hon. Gentleman had made the same pledge as the Prime
Minister made, I would expect him, as a right hon. Member, to
have kept to it. I saw the evidence this morning, and I heard the
Scottish Parliament Minister, Mr Russell, give the example of
Liechtenstein and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is in the European
economic area; Switzerland is not. They have a frictionless
border—let us put it that way—just like the border the Prime
Minister promises for Northern Ireland and the Republic of
Ireland...
(North Down)
(Ind): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his graciousness
in allowing me to intervene. He and many of his colleagues have
claimed that the decision to leave the EU will mean we can take
back control of our borders. Can he gently and slowly explain to
those of us in Northern Ireland how he is going to take back
control of the border, which stretches for about 300 miles,
between the Republic of Ireland, which remains within the EU, and
Northern Ireland, part of the UK and which therefore will be
coming out of the EU? How do we retain control of that?
(Dover) (Con): I
thank the hon. Lady for making a very important point. The common
travel area must be maintained. We have a strong history of that
between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and the
Prime Minister has set it out as a key priority for her.
[Interruption.] The hon. Lady’s intervention brings me neatly to
the next issue: the customs union. [Interruption.] I am answering
the hon. Lady’s question...
The Minister of State, Department for Exiting the
European Union (Mr David Jones): ...New clauses 2, 7,
100, 163 and 193, as well as amendments 32, 34, 40 and 55, would
require the Prime Minister either to have regard to, or to set
out in a report, a number of matters prior to triggering article
50. Those include, but are not limited to, the common travel area
with the Republic of Ireland and the
preservation of peace in Northern Ireland; tariff-free trade with
the European Union; workers’, women’s, human, civil, social and
political rights; climate change and environmental standards; and
the British economy and economic model. The White Paper published
last week sets out our strategic aims for the negotiations and
covers many of the topics that hon. Members have addressed in
these and other amendments...
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Extract from Committee
stage (Lords) (day 4) of the Neighbourhood Planning
Bill
(Lab):...My Lords, we have discussed this group of
amendments for over an hour, so I feel that we are getting close
to “closing time” on it. However, I wish to make a few brief
comments. I join the noble Lord, , in paying
tribute to Pub is the Hub. It is a great organisation for the
very reason it has kept village pubs going and offering all sorts
of other services. That is an excellent initiative. I first saw a
pub being used as a corner shop, post office and other things in
the Republic of Ireland. Many pubs in Ireland—or bars, as they
are called there—do that very successfully...
To read the whole debate, CLICK
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