Thursday Volume 653 24 January 2019 No. 240 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 24 January 2019 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2019 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 317 24 JANUARY 2019 318 Jo Stevens (Cardiff Central) (Lab): The Secretary of House of Commons State will know from his discussions how concerned the Welsh Government are about the prospect of a no-deal exit—the Prime Minister was told that last night. The Thursday 24 January 2019 Secretary of State will also have seen the comments from the chief executive of Airbus this morning, and his The House met at half-past Nine o’clock stark warning about no deal. Will he therefore take this opportunity to condemn the comments of his Conservative MEP colleague David Bannerman, who described PRAYERS Mr Enders’s warning as “a German CEO putting EU interests first before his own employees”? [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Stephen Barclay: I take very seriously the warning from the chief executive of Airbus, but I remind the hon. Lady that he supports the Prime Minister’s deal. Oral Answers to Questions Many in business regard the deal as the way of delivering certainty through the implementation period. There is a lot of positivity with Airbus. If I look at the work that my hon. Friend the Member for Filton and Bradley EXITING THE EUROPEAN UNION Stoke (Jack Lopresti) has done to champion the “wing of the future” at the research and development centre there, I see that there is huge opportunity. What the The Secretary of State was asked— chief executive and others in the business community are clear about is that they want a deal in order to avoid Devolved Administrations: Discussions the uncertainty of no deal, and that is why they are backing the Prime Minister. 1. Dr Philippa Whitford (Central Ayrshire) (SNP): What recent discussions he has had with the devolved Owen Smith (Pontypridd) (Lab): Welsh lamb producers Administrations on the UK leaving the EU. [908744] send 90% of their exports to the European Union. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, they will face an effective The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union tariff rate of 46%, so how are the UK Government (Stephen Barclay): The hon. Lady asks about recent working with the Welsh Government to support our discussions. Having been in post for just over two farmers in this very serious situation? months, all my discussions seem fairly recent. She will be aware that on my first day in post I met the devolved Stephen Barclay: We are talking closely with the Administrations as a priority. I have had meetings with Welsh farming community, as are Members on both the Prime Minister and the First Minister of Scotland. sides of the House. The Prime Minister was at the Royal Indeed, the Prime Minister met the First Minister again Welsh Show last year as part of that engagement. The yesterday, and they had a phone conversation last week. hon. Gentleman will know that the National Farmers Union in Wales, and indeed across the United Kingdom, Dr Whitford: This week’s report from the Institute for has made it clear that the best way of supporting Government suggests that Whitehall Departments are farmers is by backing the deal. not yet prepared for Brexit, deal or no deal. The UK Government started talking last summer about stockpiling, Peter Grant (Glenrothes) (SNP): The Prime Minister so why was the list of critical drugs not shared with the has promised that her discussions with the devolved Scottish Government until just before Christmas? nations and the Opposition parties will be without preconditions, so clearly she will not refuse even to Stephen Barclay: I think that the assessment in Whitehall discuss the prospect of extending article 50, because is that Whitehall is more prepared than the devolved that would be a precondition; she will not refuse even to Administrations. We are looking to work closely with discuss the prospect of taking no deal off the table, the devolved Administrations. My right hon. Friend the because that would be a precondition; and she will not Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has been refuse even to discuss the possibility of giving the very clear that medicines and medical products are our people another say, because that would be a precondition. No. 1 priority for the supply of goods, and the extra Can the Secretary of State therefore confirm on the ferry capacity has been purchased with that very much record that all those topics will be available for discussion, in mind. in honour of the Prime Minister’s promise that there will be no preconditions? Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con): If the discussions were about the maintenance of frictionless Stephen Barclay: The Prime Minister was clear in her trade, a customs union of itself will not deliver that, statement to the House on Monday that there are no will it? preconditions. That is why she is engaging not just with the devolved Administrations; today I will be joining Stephen Barclay: My right hon. Friend is absolutely her for meetings with trade union leaders as part of that right. It is not just about what tariffs apply; it is also engagement. As the hon. Gentleman will know, the about what regulations apply on non-tariff barriers. extension of article 50 is not a unilateral decision—it Much of the debate in this place is about tariffs, but requires the consent of the other 27 member states. standards and regulations are also relevant. However, the main issue, and in fact, probably the only 319 Oral Answers 24 JANUARY 2019 Oral Answers 320 precondition that one could apply, is the fact that we transition period for direct payments to provide further need to honour the referendum result, and that is what stability for farmers, giving comfort to them as they the Prime Minister is committed to doing. look to a brighter future. Peter Grant: The Prime Minister was very clear in her Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab): Farmers statement to the House that there were no preconditions. in my constituency tell me that the majority of grain She has been equally clear in a letter to my right hon. exports go to the European Union, and they are very Friend the Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Ian concerned about the risk of the imposition of tariffs in Blackford) that there are preconditions. The Secretary the event of no deal, or indeed after the end of the of State, and indeed the Prime Minister, will be becoming transition period, when arrangements are very uncertain. only too well aware that within probably a fairly short What assurances can the Government give them? time the UK Government will be bombarding Scotland with promises about how much they love us, how equal Stephen Barclay: We have already covered the fact a partner we are, and how much they want us to stay. that there is an issue for the farming community in Can I suggest to the Secretary of State that if he expects terms of tariffs. That is why I advocate a deal and those the people of Scotland to be conned by those false voting against a deal need to explain the impact of that promises again in 2019, he should at the very least make issue to farmers. However, polls are obviously selective, sure that his Prime Minister stops breaking the promises but a poll taken in Farmers Weekly showed that a she made to the people of Scotland last week? majority of farmers supported leaving the EU. I suspect that that was because they see a brighter future where Stephen Barclay: Let me just say very gently to the we can have high animal welfare standards and good hon. Gentleman that the con is to have a referendum environmental standards, building on the reforms set and then say that one will not honour the result. We had out in the Agriculture Bill. So instead of talking down a referendum on independence in Scotland. The Scottish the opportunity of Brexit for farmers, this House should people spoke very clearly in that. I suspect that one of be looking at the opportunities that a green Brexit will the reasons for that was that the trading relationship deliver. within the United Kingdom is the most economically beneficial to them. Having taken that decision, the next Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield) (Lab/Co-op): The referendum was on a UK-wide basis, and it needs to be Minister might know that as the chair of my party’s respected on that basis. Back-Bench DEFRA committee, I think there are at last real signs that preparation for farming and farmers Support for Farmers has been quite significant. However, that contrasts distinctly with what has been happening with the 2. Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con): What recent Secretary of State for International Trade. Has the Brexit discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Secretary seen the disgraceful remarks that his colleague Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on support for made in Davos yesterday? Has he seen the front page of farmers after the UK leaves the EU. [908745] The Times, which says that 100 companies are going to the Netherlands, to Ireland and to France? What is he The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union going to do, talking to colleagues, actually to get things (Stephen Barclay): I continue to have regular conversations moving? with ministerial colleagues across Government on all aspects of exiting the EU, including support for farmers.