Brexit: Declaration of Friendship

Lord Hannay of Chiswick Excerpts

Tuesday 14th March 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Goldie]

I thank the noble Baroness for raising an extremely important point. Part of the preparatory period in anticipation of triggering Article 50 has been devoted to extensive consultation. Indeed, the Department for Exiting the European Union has conducted an analysis and consultation with many sectors of society. But she raises very important issues and I am sure that her remarks will be noted.

[Lord Hannay of Chiswick (CB)]

My Lords, will the Minister, rather than trying not to answer the Question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Cormack, reflect on the fact that since it appears, if one believes what one reads in the newspapers, that the Prime Minister has given herself two extra weeks to write this important missive, she might settle down with a sharp pen and put some of the thoughts in the noble Lord’s Question into that missive?

[Baroness Goldie]

I apologise to the noble Lord if I omitted to answer my noble friend’s Question: I thought that I had tried to do that in a rather original manner. But I reassure him that the sentiments raised by my noble friend Lord Cormack are extremely important, and they will be at the forefront of the manner in which we conduct the negotiations.