Brexit: Single Market

Baroness Ludford Excerpts
Wednesday 14th September 2016

(8 years, 3 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Bridges of Headley Portrait Lord Bridges of Headley
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My Lords, all I have to add to the Statement that the Government set out in this House last week is that the next milestone in this process will be the triggering of Article 50, which will make our position clear. Clearly, we are looking at all the options open, which the noble Lord so eloquently outlined.

Baroness Ludford Portrait Baroness Ludford (LD)
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My Lords, does the Minister accept that, essential as it is, membership of the single market short of EU membership, let alone mere access to it, entails a severe loss of sovereignty, especially if we leave the customs union—what my right honourable friend Nick Clegg called a potential tsunami of red tape? So were not the promises of taking back control and slashing bureaucracy if we left the EU a complete work of fiction?

Lord Bridges of Headley Portrait Lord Bridges of Headley
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The noble Baroness makes a number of points. We are assessing all these options. I am not in a position to comment further right now.