Brexit: Single Market

Lord Davies of Stamford Excerpts

Monday 24th October 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Kramer (LD)]

My Lords—

[Lord Davies of Stamford (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Lord Hannay of Chiswick (CB)]

My Lords—

Brexit: Single Market

Lord Davies of Stamford Excerpts

Wednesday 14th September 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Tomlinson (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Lord Davies of Stamford (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Evans of Bowes Park]

My Lords, this really is not helpful. We have time to get a number of questions in. It is the turn of the Conservative Benches, then we will come to the Labour Benches. This really is not helping us make sure we can get our points across, and frankly it is not helping how the House looks to the public.

Exiting the European Union

Lord Davies of Stamford Excerpts

Monday 5th September 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bridges of Headley]

My Lords, the UK’s exit from the European Union does not change the commitment of the UK Government and the people of Northern Ireland to the settlement set out in the agreement and its successors and to the institutions they establish. As I said, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State will visit Dublin later this week. I am sure that these matters will be raised then.

[Lord Davies of Stamford (Lab)]

My Lords, the noble Lord has talked a lot about opportunities but they seem to be pretty pious aspirations at this point. He has said nothing at all about the costs, many of which are immediate, palpable and already visible. One appeared today, for example—the threat that the European Medicines Agency, which employs 900 people, will leave this country and perhaps go to Sweden. That is serious enough but, much more seriously, the European headquarters of a number of international pharmaceutical companies will follow the agency if it leaves this country. What are the Government doing about that? Do they care about that sort of thing at all? Do they have a policy on that matter?

[Lord Bridges of Headley]

I cannot comment on the specifics but I am certainly not sanguine about the costs. There are clearly numerous challenges. I have already met a number of businesses, business organisations and others who have pointed to them. That is what we are trying to assemble right now. If the Statement suggested that we were being complacent, that is absolutely not the case. I am entering into this looking at a glass half full and with a sense of optimism, not pessimism.

Royal Prerogative

Lord Davies of Stamford Excerpts

Monday 18th July 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bridges of Headley]

My Lords, I am sorry to say that I am sticking with what I have said. Article 50 is a matter for the royal prerogative, as it affects the position in international law and not in domestic law. That is our understanding.

[Lord Davies of Stamford (Lab)]

Is it not inconceivable that the royal prerogative should be used to withdraw statutory rights? Is that not what we had an argument with Charles I about in the 17th century?

[Lord Bridges of Headley]

That is an interesting observation, my Lords.