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Thursday Volume 642 14 June 2018 No. 153 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 14 June 2018 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2018 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1053 14 JUNE 2018 1054 Sir Christopher Chope (Christchurch) (Con): Is not it House of Commons right that we in this country are not able to exercise some of the rights that people would wish us to exercise? Thursday 14 June 2018 The freedom to be able to transport live animals for slaughter is a freedom that we would prefer not to have. As soon as we leave the European Union, we will be The House met at half-past Nine o’clock able to take control of those things for ourselves. Mr Baker: My hon. Friend raises a point on which I PRAYERS am sure that many of us have received correspondence. I look forward to the day when it is within the powers of this House to change those rules. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow) (Lab): Is not it right BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS that we have a customs union that protects workers’ rights, with the right to allow state aid, the right to UNIVERSITY OF LONDON BILL [LORDS] allow public ownership, and the right to be able to ban Motion made, That the Bill be now read a Second outsourcing and competitive tendering should the time. Government wish to do so? Hon. Members: Object. Mr Baker: If you will allow me, Mr Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman’s capacity to Bill to be read a Second time on Thursday 21 June use parliamentary procedure to bring an enormous (Standing Order No. 20(2)) . range of issues into his question. I suggest that he might wish to call an Adjournment debate if he feels that he has not had sufficient opportunity during the passage Oral Answers to Questions of the withdrawal Bill to debate all the issues that he raises. Mr Speaker: In reference to the honour of the hon. EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION Member for Jarrow (Mr Hepburn), I would simply point out that rights, standards and protections do amount to a pretty broad category, and he has behaved, The Secretary of State was asked— as usual, in a perfectly orderly, if innovative, manner. Rights, Standards and Protections David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con): Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the most fundamental 1. Liz Twist (Blaydon) (Lab): What steps he is taking rights is to decide who determines our legislation and to ensure that there is no change to (a) rights, (b) where that legislation comes from, and that that is standards and (c) protections derived from the EU after exactly the right that we are protecting when we listen to the UK leaves the EU. [905829] what the people have told us and withdraw from the European Union? The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Mr Steve Baker): The UK has a long-standing tradition of protecting rights and liberties. Mr Baker: Yes. The fundamental political right is The decision to leave the European Union does not and that power should derive from the consent of the governed. will not change that. The European Union (Withdrawal) In leaving the European Union, we will re-establish that Bill retains the rights, standards and protections derived consent on a basis that has been traditionally understood, from EU legislation and treaties as they exist immediately which is that it is this Parliament that will determine the before our departure from the EU. That will ensure laws of the United Kingdom. that, so far as is practicable, all rights will apply as they did before exit. I have no doubts about the abilities of Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP): The this House to uphold our rights, standards and protections Equality and Human Rights Commission has said that after we leave the EU. the loss of the charter of fundamental rights will lead to a significant weakening of the current system of human Liz Twist: Given the Prime Minister’s insistence that rights protections in the United Kingdom. Given that the Government have committed not to roll back workers’ that is the advice of the Equality and Human Rights rights, can the Minister explain why Conservative MPs Commission, what specific steps is the Minister taking voted against yesterday’s Lords amendment to protect to prevent the loss of human rights protections following employment, equality, health and safety, consumer and the loss of the charter of fundamental rights? environmental rights and standards after Brexit? Mr Baker: We disagree with the commission. The Mr Baker: Our commitment to workers’ rights is charter of fundamental rights is only one element of the unwavering. On the hon. Lady’s specific point, the fact UK’s human rights architecture. Most of the rights is that, if that amendment had been taken forward, it protected in the charter are also protected in domestic would have severely damaged our capacity to have a law by common law, the Human Rights Act 1998 or functioning statute book as we left the European Union. other domestic legislation. The fact of the matter, which 1055 Oral Answers 14 JUNE 2018 Oral Answers 1056 the hon. and learned Lady does not seem to wish to Mr Walker: The UK Government could not have accept, is that this House has voted repeatedly on this been clearer about our commitment to ensuring no very question. hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. Although the funding settlement for the PSNI is a Dr David Drew (Stroud) (Lab/Co-op): Does the Minister devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Administration, accept that animal welfare and environmental protection which we all want to be restored as soon as possible, the are extremely important to British agriculture? What UK Government do not intend to allocate any resources guarantees will the Government put in place to make for policing a hard border after our exit from the EU, or sure that there is no diminution in that regard? He need for the furtherance of any steps that would contradict not take my word on this—he can take the word of the or undermine the clear commitments we have made. National Farmers Union. Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con): Were Mr Baker: We have had wide-ranging debates about we to leave without an agreement, we would not put a animals and animal rights, and the hon. Gentleman will border there, so if anyone wants one, they would have know that that is a subject of continuing interest for the to put it there, wouldn’t they? Government. The Government have tabled amendments on environmental protections, and the Secretary of Mr Walker: My right hon. Friend raises an interesting State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has point, but it is our intention to leave with an agreement. brought forward a range of proposals on animal rights. We have been clear that our first priority is to secure the I look forward to us carrying those forward. absence of a hard border through the future relationship between the UK and the EU. Mr Speaker: Mr Linden, you are now much preoccupied with consulting your electronic device, but if you are Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP): still interested in contributing to our proceedings, let us Our Government, the Dublin Government and Brussels hear you. have all said that they do not want a hard border. Does the Minister have an understanding from the EU that a David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP): Mr Speaker, the hard border, whoever might want it, would be totally Secretary of State’sdepartmental colleague,Lord Callanan, impossible to police because of the hundreds of crossing wants to points that everyone in Northern Ireland would use, “scrap the working time directive, the agency workers’ directive, even if someone tried to implement a hard border on the pregnant workers’ directive and other barriers to actually the ground? employing people”. Which one does the Minister think should happen first? Mr Walker: The hon. Gentleman speaks with considerable experience and knowledge of the issue. He Mr Baker: The Government’s position is that the UK is absolutely right. That is why, from what I have seen firmly believes in strong labour protections while also and conversations I have had, London, Dublin, Belfast embracing the opportunities that arise from a changing and Brussels have all been clear about the need to avoid world of work. We do not need to stay aligned with the the creation of a hard border. EU to have strong protections for workers, and a key tenet of the Government’sindustrial strategy is continually Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley) (Con): When we talk to improve labour standards in domestic legislation. about the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, are we putting the cart before the horse? Surely we need Northern Ireland Border to focus on UK-EU customs arrangements so that we know exactly where we are. We buy 850,000 German 2. Karin Smyth (Bristol South) (Lab): What recent cars every year, and £3 billion of flowers and bulbs from discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the Dutch. Irrespective of what Wetherspoons did yesterday, border infrastructure in Northern Ireland after the UK we still drink more Champagne than the French and has left the EU. [905830] will continue to do so. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting Mr Walker: My hon.

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