UK Internal Market: White Paper

Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate Excerpts

Wednesday 29th July 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate (Non-Afl) [V]]

My Lords, can the Minister gaze into his crystal ball and outline the consequences if a newly independent Scotland rejoined the European single market, particularly in relation to the management of a hard border with England?

[Lord Callanan]

The noble Lord is asking the ultimate hypothetical question—on one of those things which I hope will never come about. If this legislation did not exist and Scotland were ever to join another trading regime, that would throw up the possibility of a hard border, which would be crucially damaging for Scottish business. Scotland sells more to the rest of the United Kingdom than it does to the rest of the whole world, so unfettered access to other markets in the United Kingdom is crucial to Scotland economically.