Oral Answers to Questions

Alan Brown Excerpts

Wednesday 6th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

No reason to doubt that at all.

[Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)]

4. What support the Government is providing to Northern Ireland for preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

[Tommy Sheppard (Edinburgh East) (SNP)]

8. What support the Government is providing to Northern Ireland for preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement.

[Alan Brown]

The reality is that, two days ago, a senior official with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs told the Public Accounts Committee that even if border processes were announced today there would be

“insufficient time for traders who wish to comply to get ready.”

It was also admitted that while HMRC has been working on possible trade processes, it “cannot tell” traders. With 23 days to go to Brexit is that lack of clarity not an absolute disgrace?

[Karen Bradley]

I disagree with the hon. Gentleman. The Government are taking appropriate and responsible measures in the event that we end up with no deal, but there is a way to avoid no deal, and that is to vote for the deal next week.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Prime Minister]

I am very happy to join my hon. Friend in thanking and congratulating Tweedmouth Community Middle School on its excellent work encouraging pupils to cycle to school. It is clearly an excellent achievement. We all know the importance of keeping our young people active. I congratulate Mr Hulbert and all the teachers, but particularly the students who have taken this up and put it into practice. It is a very good example of what schools are doing across the country.

[Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)]

Q14. My constituent, Yvonne Chafey, has a four-year-old son, Logan, who is the only child in the whole of Europe with chromosome 7p duplication syndrome, which causes epilepsy and autism. Hardly any prescriptions of medicinal cannabis have been allowed to date, and with Logan being so unique, he will always be denied access under the current rules of proven benefit. What changes can be made to allow Logan to access cannabis products to ease his suffering without his family having to go through a very high-profile public campaign?

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman has raised a distressing case about a constituent. We have taken steps to ensure that medicinal cannabis is available, but decisions on availability are taken by clinicians, as is absolutely right.