Wednesday Volume 697 16 June 2021 No. 18 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 16 June 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 261 16 JUNE 2021 262 Arlene for her work. I will continue to work, as I have House of Commons done over the past few days, with all the party leaders in Northern Ireland to ensure that we can keep a sustained Wednesday 16 June 2021 and stable Executive in the weeks, months and period ahead. I regularly discuss our approach to the Northern The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Ireland protocol with Lord Frost. We have conducted joint engagements together in Northern Ireland on a PRAYERS regular basis with businesses and civil society, as well as joint engagements with Vice-President Šefcˇovicˇ to consolidate our understanding of the real-world impacts [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] of the protocol. At last week’s Joint Committee, the Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Orders, Government outlined our continued commitment to 4 June and 30 December 2020). engaging to find the pragmatic solutions that are urgently [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] required and needed to ensure that the protocol can achieve the delicate balance that was always intended. Speaker’s Statement We in the UK will continue to work actively to find and deliver the solutions. Mr Speaker: Today marks the fifth anniversary of the death of our friend and colleague Jo Cox, who was Joanna Cherry [V]: May I, too, express my condolences murdered on her way to meet constituents in her Batley to the family, friends and comrades of our late colleague and Spen constituency. She was doing what so many of Jo Cox on this anniversary? us do as constituency MPs, and that made her death A trade war has been threatened, but, most importantly, more shocking to us all. May I, on behalf of the whole the stability and the peace process in Northern Ireland House, express our sympathy with her family, friends are at stake. Two international treaties are at stake; so, and colleagues on this sad anniversary? We will never too, is the reputation of the United Kingdom in the eyes forget Jo or her legacy.We remember her wise words: that of the world, because our allies fear that this Government we have would be prepared to breach either or both of those “far more in common than that which divides us.”—[Official treaties. Does the Secretary of State now regret saying Report, 3 June 2015; Vol. 596, c. 675.] that the Government were prepared to “break international law”, BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS albeit “inaveryspecificandlimitedway”?—[OfficialReport,8September2020; MONKEN HADLEY COMMON BILL Vol. 679, c. 509.] Bill read the Third time and passed. Brandon Lewis: I was answering a question that I was asked last year and giving a factual position. The reality, as we outlined at the time, is that we were creating an Oral Answers to Questions insurance policy to ensure that we could continue to deliver on the Good Friday/Belfast agreement in terms of unfettered access from Northern Ireland to Great NORTHERN IRELAND Britain. Wewere then able to secure that, and we therefore did not need to take those clauses forward. That was exactly The Secretary of State was asked— what we said we would do. Our colleagues around the world can be very clear that we will do what we have Negotiations: Lord Frost and the European Commission said we would, and they can have confidence that we will continue to protect the Good Friday/Belfast agreement Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP): What in all its aspects and all its strands. recent discussions he has had with Lord Frost on negotiations with the Vice-President of the European Mr Speaker: Let us go to the Chair of the Select Commission on Northern Ireland. [901165] Committee on Northern Ireland Affairs. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Brandon Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con) [V]: Like the hon. Lewis): May I associate myself with your remarks about and learned Member for Edinburgh South West (Joanna Jo Cox, Mr Speaker? I am sure that none of us in that Cherry), Jo Cox was in my intake in 2015. She was a House will ever forget where we were on that day. My sparkling light among us and we miss her enormously. thoughts are with her friends and family, and the amazing I associate myself with your remarks at the start of our legacy that she has left. proceedings, Mr Speaker. I would like to thank Arlene Foster, who resigned as Does my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State First Minister of Northern Ireland earlier this week. agree that mutual trust is possibly the key ingredient to Arlene has given 18 years of public service to the people sorting out the position with regard to the Northern of Northern Ireland. We have seen throughout the Ireland protocol? Our Committee has just had Lord Frost covid pandemic the phenomenal work that she has before us for an hour and a half, taking questions; I done as First Minister in Northern Ireland, working think that he agreed on that proposition as well. What is with all the parties to take Northern Ireland through a my right hon. Friend doing as Secretary of State to very difficult time, especially as the Executive were ensure that the issue of trust and its importance is newly reformed just weeks before. I would like to thank understood across Whitehall? 263 Oral Answers 16 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 264 Brandon Lewis: My hon. Friend the Chairman of the Brandon Lewis: The Executive and Executive members Select Committee makes an important point. I have not have been part of a specialist committee. They have also had a chance to see the transcript of the meeting this been part of the wider engagement meetings and had a morning that he and his Committee had with Lord Foster, chance to feed into them. Obviously this is a negotiation but I work closely with Lord Foster on these issues and betweentheUKGovernmentandtheEuropeanCommission, one of the key things is that mutual understanding and and it is therefore right that the UK Government lead trust. That is one of the reasons I have always felt on that, but we have been the ones who have been engaging strongly that our colleagues, friends and partners in the across businesses and civic society, as well as with the EU should be engaging with civic society and businesses Executive politicians, and we will continue to do that in Northern Ireland to ensure that they really understand and continue to encourage the EU to do that. the sensitivities and the nuances in Northern Ireland. I am pleased that the Commission and Maroš Šefcˇovicˇ Sir Jeffrey M. Donaldson (Lagan Valley) (DUP): have done a couple of those meetings already. I would May I associate my colleagues with the comments made like to see more of that as we go forward, so that we can about the late Jo Cox and also pay tribute to our former build that understanding. It is fundamental to the basis leader and First Minister, Arlene Foster, for the sterling of having trust that each one understands why it matters leadership that she provided to Northern Ireland during to deliver on the protocol in the way that was always what has been a very difficult period for all of us? intended: in a pragmatic, flexible way that delivers for What progress has been made in the Secretary of the people of Northern Ireland. State’s discussions with the EU side to ensure that when people are travelling with their pets between Great Louise Haigh (Sheffield, Heeley) (Lab): I join the Britain and Northern Ireland, in either direction, they Secretary of State in sending all our love to Jo’s family are not required by the EU to carry so-called pet on this very difficult day, and in paying tribute to the passports and incur the cost of having their pets vaccinated outgoing First Minister, Arlene Foster, for her many for a disease that has not existed in the United Kingdom years of public service and for the lesson she has treated for almost a century? all of us to in recent weeks on how to do politics with dignity, even in difficult times. Brandon Lewis: In reflecting on the excellence of I support the Secretary of State in his efforts to delivery that Arlene Foster had, I am going to learn a ensure that there is a strong, stable, functioning Executive lesson that I am sure all Members here will be pleased in the current negotiations to meet the enormous challenges about: I am going to avoid singing at any point this facing Northern Ireland, and one that respects all existing afternoon as I simply cannot live up to the talent that commitments.However,it was an extraordinary diplomatic she showed on Friday. failure for the Prime Minister to spend a crucial summit on home soil being rebuked by our closest allies. Northern Pet travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is Ireland does not have any more time for bickering or one of the critical issues that we have been discussing blame games, so is it not time to get serious and commit with the EU. We see no reason why part 1 listing could to a veterinary agreement that would eliminate the vast not be granted by the EU, and indeed it should be.