European Union (Future Relationship) Bill

Duke of Wellington Excerpts

3rd reading & 2nd reading & Committee negatived & 2nd reading (Hansard) & 2nd reading (Hansard): House of Lords & 3rd reading (Hansard) & 3rd reading (Hansard): House of Lords & Committee negatived (Hansard) & Committee negatived (Hansard): House of Lords
Wednesday 30th December 2020 Lords Chamber

[The Duke of Wellington (CB) [V]]

My Lords, I declare my relevant interests, as detailed in the register. Like other noble Lords, my overwhelming sensation on hearing the Prime Minister’s announcement was of relief. I could not believe that any British Government would take us out of the transition period with no deal, trading on World Trade Organization terms as advocated by the ultras. Today, it is clear that this legislation must pass. However, I and many others are left with a number of worries, which I hope the Minister addresses when he winds up.

I worry for the fishermen, who have not achieved what they were promised in the referendum. I worry for small hill farmers, who will find that their sheepmeat must comply with new bureaucratic processes to enter their principal continental markets. I worry for all exporters, who will certainly encounter delays in the European ports. I hope the process can be streamlined to create something closer to the promised frictionless trade.

I worry for business travellers, artists and performers who need to move in and out of continental Europe without hindrance. I worry for students, as we have chosen not to remain part of the Erasmus programme. I hope that the new Turing scheme gives students as much chance to study overseas, and international students to come here. I worry for the City of London and financial services. I hope that the Government move with speed to negotiate an agreement for access to the continental markets.

I worry that the police and security services will not have the same access to European databases. I worry for the National Health Service, which has a lengthening list of vacancies, where EU citizens have been such an important component in the past. I worry for the citizens of Gibraltar and hope they reach an agreement with Spain to keep the frontier open. Finally and most importantly, I worry about our union of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Despite my concerns, we must commend the Government for making a deal, however imperfect. It is my fervent hope that Ministers realise that there is still much to do. I hope that the country finds a renewed prosperity under these very changed circumstances.

Future Relationship with the EU

Duke of Wellington Excerpts

Monday 14th December 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord True (Con)]

The reality is that, whatever happens in these negotiations, there will be change on 31 December to 1 January. As enacted in law, the United Kingdom will leave the European Union single market and customs territory. For that reason, new customs and border arrangements will come into place. All businesses and citizens should be aware of that and make preparations for it.

[The Duke of Wellington (CB) [V]]

My Lords, I declare my European and agricultural interests as detailed in the register. I am sure all Members of this House wish the Government well in their negotiations at this very difficult moment. Surely, whatever their party or interest, no Member of this House would have wished to see the country in the position we find ourselves in—only 17 days before the end of the transition period. Does the Minister agree that it will be absolutely necessary to negotiate a period of adjustment or implementation so that, whatever the outcome, the changes do not all come into effect on the first day?

European Union (Withdrawal) Bill

Duke of Wellington Excerpts

Tuesday 30th January 2018 Lords Chamber

[The Duke of Wellington (Con)]

My Lords, at the end of a long day, I am sure we will all be brief. I will try to be so. I will restrict myself to commenting only on the provisions of the Bill. As always, I must declare my European interests, as detailed in the register, and add that I was an MEP for 10 years in the 1980s.

The Bill is about how to get European law on to our statute book. It is clearly necessary for the good government of the country and, at its Second Reading, I think it should be supported. However, this House, which has so much expertise and a deserved reputation for the effectiveness of its scrutiny, must make some changes to the Bill, in my opinion. I do not accept, as has been suggested by one or two noble Lords, the idea that amending the Bill amounts in some way to obstructing Brexit. In fact, it is probable that the Government are expecting the House to make some changes, and I have some concerns.

First, as a non-lawyer, I am concerned by the very great powers that Ministers are taking to themselves to make statutory instruments in great volume and great substance. Many Members of both Houses of Parliament wish to see control pass back from Brussels to London, but surely to Parliament, not to government Ministers. There will be amendments in Committee to constrain the powers in Clauses 7 and 9 and I am minded to support those amendments.

I first learned about Henry VIII powers when I chaired a lecture at King’s College London given by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Judge. I am therefore aware of the tendency of Ministers of all parties to propose ever-increasing numbers of statutory instruments, but in this Bill it has gone too far and Parliament should restrict these powers as much as possible.

My second concern is that the Government find it necessary to amend their own Bill by inserting an exact time and date for exit day. I realise that there is a power to change this, but I favour deleting the date from the Bill altogether. The only point that matters now is that the Government should be given as much flexibility as possible to try to negotiate a satisfactory agreement and a final deal that does not damage the economy. We must all hope that the Government can formulate a coherent negotiating position and that other Ministers can refrain from making comments outside of their own responsibilities.

I have still not heard a satisfactory explanation of how we can keep a totally open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic while we leave the single market and the customs union. When the Minister replies, can he address this point? My final concern is in respect of the devolved Administrations. If the decision of the referendum was to take back control, it was surely to this Parliament and on devolved matters to the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly, when it resumes. There is a very regrettable impression given on this and other matters that the Government wish to take power back from Brussels to themselves and not to this Parliament and the devolved legislatures.

We have a duty in this House to accept the principle of the Bill, but to seek to scrutinise, amend and improve. Indeed, as our own Constitution Committee has declared and has much been quoted in this debate, the Bill as drafted is “constitutionally unacceptable”. That surely means that we have a duty to amend it. I hope that during the passage of this Bill through this House, Ministers will make concessions to ensure that Parliament indeed has more control. If that can happen, this House will have done its duty.