Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Explainer for the agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union, published on 14 November, which established practices and conventions they will seek to follow in regard to seeking the consent of devolved legislatures; and who will determine whether such action is deemed to be relevant.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill is an essential part of our preparations for a smooth and orderly exit from the EU. The Bill will implement our international commitments - set out in the Withdrawal Agreement - into UK law. Certain provisions of the Bill are likely to engage the conventions and practices under which the UK Government will normally seek the legislative consent of the devolved legislatures. Although the Bill is still developing, we will seek legislative consent for those provisions in the Bill if they engage these conventions and related practices.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, published on 14 November, whether, under Article 169, the Scottish and Welsh Governments may be regarded as a party wishing to commence consultations.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government will represent all parts of the UK in all discussions at the Joint Committee, this includes any consultations as set out in Article 169. The UK Government remains committed to engaging with the devolved administrations on EU Exit. Ministers have regular discussions with the Welsh and Scottish governments, including through the Joint Ministerial Committees and the Ministerial Forum on EU Negotiations.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Draft Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, published on 14 November, what discussions they have had with the Welsh and Scottish Governments concerning their representation in the proposed Joint Committee provided by Article 164.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK Government has been clear from the start that the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in the process of our Exit from the European Union and we remain committed to this.
Regular discussions are held between the UK Government and the Welsh and Scottish Governments on EU Exit. There have now been fifteen meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations. It met most recently on 19 November 2018 and continues to meet on a monthly basis.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the definition of "economic activity" for the purposes of article 9 of the draft agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Article 9(a)(b) of the draft Withdrawal Agreement provides a definition of ‘frontier workers.’ “Frontier workers” are persons who pursue an economic activity in accordance with the provisions set out in Article 45 or 49 TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union) in one or more States in which they do not reside.
Economic activity is activity provided for remuneration. For the purposes of Article 9, economic activity must be in accordance with the provisions set out in Articles 45 or 49 TFEU.
To be exercising an economic activity as a worker in accordance with Article 45 TFEU a person must be a ‘genuine and effective’ worker and the work must not be on such a small scale so as to be ‘purely marginal or ancillary’
Article 49 TFEU provides for the freedom of establishment. A person is established in a particular state if they are participating ‘on a stable and continuous basis’ in the economic life of that State. If a person is providing temporary services they will not fall within the definition in Article 9(a)(b).
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether residents of Northern Ireland who work in the Republic of Ireland for less than half of the working week would be classified as frontier workers, as defined by article 9(b) of the draft agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Withdrawal Agreement provides for the maintenance of the Common Travel Area arrangements, so British and Irish citizens will continue to be able to live and work in each other’s state just as they do now.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish staff turnover figures for the Department for Exiting the European Union, set out by quarter, since June 2016.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We can confirm that we do not plan to publish staff turnover figures for the Department for Exiting the European Union, set out by quarter, since June 2016. We do however already provide monthly turnover figures to the National Audit Office which are published in their reports.