Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Davis and Desmond Swayne

Thursday 3rd May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

11. What progress he has made on negotiations to agree the terms on which the UK will leave the EU.

[The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Mr David Davis)]

Clearly, great minds think alike today, Mr Speaker.

We have made significant progress in negotiating our exit by agreeing on the terms of a time-limited implementation period and locking down entire chapters on the financial settlement and citizens’ rights. Negotiations are ongoing. My officials are in Brussels this week, discussing a number of issues, including issues in the agreement such as Euratom, data and intellectual property rights and the future partnership. They are discussing how we should progress the future economic partnership and how we can progress the negotiations swiftly and in parallel. Northern Ireland—particularly human rights, state aid and, to some extent, agriculture—is also being discussed. Today, in Brussels my officials are discussing the future of the security partnership.

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[Mr Davis]

The Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr Walker), has visited Dundee and is very much across that issue. We have given undertakings in relation to guaranteeing the funding of the universities, but if the hon. Gentleman is interested, he can certainly discuss this with me explicitly, so that we can deal directly with the issue of the universities in his constituency.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

With what level of confidence does the Secretary of State estimate the probability of our leaving the customs union on 31 December 2020?

[Mr Davis]

Will 100% do?

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

Excellent.

[Mr Davis]

Let me make a serious point here. The issue of leaving the customs union plays directly to the issue of how we manage our future export and trade arrangements. Almost 60% of our exports are now going to the rest of the world. That is not surprising because both the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission itself have said that the vast majority of growth in world trade will come from outside the European Union. It is our explicit aim to make the most of that, and that means we have to leave the customs union.

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[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

The amendments passed in the other place on Monday night were those of a wrecking Chamber and not a revising Chamber, were they not?

[Mr David Davis]

No; the House of Lords is a revising Chamber and it does a very important job that I have, in my past, depended on from time to time. I agree, however, that some of the proposals—for example, to put timetables into the negotiating arrangements, at which point control is taken away from the Government—would be a gift to the negotiators on the other side.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Davis and Desmond Swayne

Thursday 15th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Mr David Davis)]

Before I answer, may I take this opportunity to express my condolences to the family of Warren Hawksley, an erstwhile colleague of ours? He was a Maastricht rebel and a great friend of mine; he was very highly principled and very energetic—sometimes too energetic—in pursuit of his views, but, as I say, I express my condolences to his family.

Our immediate goal is to agree a strictly time-limited implementation period by the March European Council next week. This is crucial to helping us build a bridge from where we are to where we want to be on our exit. We have also been working hard to codify the joint report into legal text. We are confident that both of these aims are within reach. Finally, the March European Council is expected to issue the negotiating guidelines to the Commission to negotiate the future partnership. We are seeking to ensure that those guidelines are as broad and open as possible to allow the most constructive negotiation to deliver the close relationship we are aiming for.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

It could be the making of us, couldn’t it?

[Mr Davis]

I could be just as pithy as my right hon. Friend and say yes.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Davis and Desmond Swayne

Thursday 1st February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

13. What factors the Government plan to take into account in determining their position on the length of the transition period in negotiations for the UK to leave the EU.

[The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Mr David Davis)]

As I have said before, the duration of the implementation period should be in the region of two years, and the Commission’s position indicates a period of similar length: so far it has talked about 21 months. The aim on both sides is to give individuals, businesses and Governments time to plan and initiate the changes that must be made to allow a smooth and orderly transition, and to secure the best possible outcome for the United Kingdom.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

Could it be shorter?

[Mr Davis]

If I simply accept the European Commission proposal, then yes.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Davis and Desmond Swayne

Thursday 14th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

The timetable on that will be decided within the framework that is being discussed now between the First Secretary of State and Mr Mike Russell.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

4. What recent progress he has made in negotiations with the European Commission; and if he will make a statement.

[Luke Hall (Thornbury and Yate) (Con)]

15. What progress the Government are making on entering into trade talks with the EU.

[The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Mr David Davis)]

Last week, we took an important step in the negotiations. As the Prime Minister confirmed, on the morning of Friday 8 December, the Government and the European Commission published a joint report on progress during the first phase of the negotiations. On the basis of this report, and following discussions last week, President Juncker is recommending to the European Council that sufficient progress has been made to move on to the next stage and begin talks on the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. There is much work still to do, but I have no doubt that we are on the right path to securing the ambitious future relationship that we seek with the European Union.

[Sir Desmond Swayne]

Essential to our ambition for an excellent deal is preparation for no deal, is it not?

[Mr Davis]

That is one perspective. I will say one thing about no deal: it has become massively less probable after the decisions of last Friday. That is a good thing, because the best deal is a non-tariff, barrier-free arrangement with the European Union. However, my right hon. Friend is quite right that we continue to prepare for all contingencies and will continue to do so until we are certain that we have a good free trade deal with the EU.

EU Exit Negotiations

Debate between David Davis and Desmond Swayne

Tuesday 5th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

If the hon. Lady will forgive a factual correction, people certainly did. The Prime Minister at the time did so, as did the Chancellor at the time and, I think, the leaders of the leave and remain campaigns. I suggest that the hon. Lady looks at the records of “The Andrew Marr Show”, on which they all said that.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

May we return to the Prime Minister’s original intention that there would be no running commentary? This discussion is driving the Opposition into a state of apoplexy when strategic patience is required.

[Mr Davis]

I thank my right hon. Friend for his inducement to my patience.

EU Exit Negotiations

Debate between David Davis and Desmond Swayne

Monday 13th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

The hon. and learned Lady makes the mistake that, I am afraid, many metropolitan media commentators make, which is to assume that everything they are told in Brussels is the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

If the Secretary of State were trying to sell me a car and I assured him that I was determined not to leave the showroom without buying one, does he imagine that that would strengthen my negotiating hand?

[Mr Davis]

My right hon. Friend is quite right. It is a foolish proposition that is only deployed by the Opposition.

Leaving the EU: Parliamentary Vote

Debate between David Davis and Desmond Swayne

Thursday 26th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

No, I do not agree with the right hon. Gentleman on that. His description of events is also wrong. It is one thing to give an undertaking, which is binding, and another to say that these are the probabilities and the difficulties that we face together, which is what I said yesterday. I treated the Exiting the EU Committee chaired by the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn) with absolute respect in outlining what had happened previously—not what we expect, not what we intend, not what the Union intends, but what had happened previously and the risks that we have to take on board. We intend to meet all our undertakings, and I do not take it very well that the right hon. Member for Wolverhampton South East (Mr McFadden) suggests that we will not.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

How can we approve an agreement before we have an agreement?

[Mr Davis]

My right hon. Friend makes a very good point; we cannot. That is why the House will be given the agreement to approve as soon as possible at the draft stage, as my right hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd West (Mr Jones) has previously made clear at this Dispatch Box.

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[Mr Davis]

I would have thought that would have been self-evident. What we intend, however, is that the House will have put to it by the Government the deal that we negotiate, which will be the best deal we can obtain for this country, respecting the decision of 17.5 million people. In other words, it will bring back control to this House; it will being back control to this country; it will deal with the borders issue; it will deal with money; it will deal with the future relationship. All that will be put to the House and the House will decide whether it approves of that or not.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

On a very germane point of order, Mr Speaker.

EU Exit Negotiations

Debate between David Davis and Desmond Swayne

Tuesday 5th September 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

Every time this hoary old argument is brought up by Opposition Members I say the same thing to them: I make no apologies for being ambitious on behalf of our country.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

Are the negotiations any more convivial than the press conferences that follow them, which serve only as a powerful corrective to any illusion that we ought possibly to have remained part of that institution?

[Mr Davis]

All my meetings with everybody are always convivial.