Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Davis and Martin Vickers

Thursday 2nd November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

I was not here yesterday; by the sounds of it I missed a good debate, and one that would have suited my character, but there we are. I have already spoken to the Chairman of the Select Committee, the right hon. Member for Leeds Central (Hilary Benn)—he sends his apologies for not being present today; I think he has to be in Leeds—and I am organising discussions with him about how we handle the confidentiality of the documentation that we hand over. I reiterate the point made by the Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr Walker), which is that these documents are not some sort of grand plan; they are data about the regulations and markets of individual sectors, which inform our negotiation. Of course we will be as open as we can be with the Select Committee—I fully intend to be.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Has the Secretary of State been made aware of the evidence given by people from the aviation industry to the Transport Committee on Monday? They spoke positively about the future of their industry post-Brexit and were very satisfied with the Government’s approach. Talk of aircraft being grounded is nonsense.

Leaving the EU: Parliamentary Vote

Debate between David Davis and Martin Vickers

Thursday 26th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

There was a certain amount of harrumphing from a sedentary position from the right hon. Member for New Forest West (Sir Desmond Swayne), in response to which I simply observe, without fear of contradiction, that none of my parliamentary colleagues is a viper. However, I think it would be fair to say that that is a matter of taste rather than of order.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Does the Secretary of State agree that if we are to have a meaningful vote on the final deal, it will be better if all Members engage constructively with the proceedings rather than seek to frustrate the will of the British people?

[Mr Davis]

I could not have put it better myself.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Davis and Martin Vickers

Thursday 27th April 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

All the ones it currently has, for a start, and some more.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

In an earlier question reference was made to the English regions, which are of course an EU construction. They divide great counties such as Lincolnshire between the east midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. Is it too much to expect a future Government to scrap these regions when we regain our independence, or at the very least ensure that Lincolnshire is in one of them?

[Mr Davis]

All I can say is that my hon. Friend tempts me too much.

Legislating for UK Withdrawal from the EU

Debate between David Davis and Martin Vickers

Thursday 30th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

Unusually for the hon. Gentleman, as an ex-Select Committee Chairman, he missed the fact that the Prime Minister made direct reference to the White Paper, which covers exactly that point.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

I know we can rely on my right hon. Friend to be an extremely robust negotiator, but just for the sake of absolute clarity on the role of the European Court of Justice, can he confirm that it will have absolutely no authority in the UK and that he will not in any circumstances water down that commitment during the negotiations?

[Mr Davis]

I was just going to say yes, but I will make very plain what we are saying: the European Court of Justice will have no reach into the UK. It is of course the case that when one sells a product in another country, one meets the rules of that country. If one does that in the United States, one meets the rules that reach up to the Supreme Court. The same will happen in Europe, but the ECJ will not reach here.

Exiting the EU: New Partnership

Debate between David Davis and Martin Vickers

Thursday 2nd February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

This is a negotiation, but if the hon. Lady reads the White Paper, she will see that it sets out that European exports of goods and services to us total £290 billion, whereas ours to them are worth £230 billion. So they clearly have a strong interest—as strong an interest as we do—in tariff-free goods access, because for them goods are a much bigger part of it as well. The disparity is more than £60 billion, so there is every reason to expect that we will succeed in what we are intending to do, which is protect the jobs of her constituents.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

My right hon. Friend will recall that at last week’s Brexit questions I asked about the seafood sector, and I can tell him that it will be particularly pleased with the comment in paragraph 8.16 giving it full support. However, he will also be aware of the long-standing grievance of the fishing communities up and down the country following their being sold out in the original negotiations. Will he reiterate yet again that that will not occur on this occasion?

[Mr Davis]

Yes.

Article 50

Debate between David Davis and Martin Vickers

Tuesday 24th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

We already have. That was the point that the Prime Minister was making when she said that we wanted barrier-free, most facilitated trade with the EU.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Can my right hon. Friend assure the 70% of my constituents who voted for Brexit that he has a contingency plan to ensure that, if the upper House were to attempt to thwart or delay the Bill, we would meet the March deadline?

[Mr Davis]

From what I remember of my hon. Friend’s constituency, there are enough Members of the upper House in it for him to be able to tell them himself.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Davis and Martin Vickers

Thursday 1st December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Davis]

Those are two different things. As I said earlier, we give very high priority to both tariff-free access and access without tariff barriers, at least no more than there are already—there are plenty. That may or may not include membership of the single market, but it is achievable by a number of different methods.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

The fishing industry has never fully recovered from the sell-out in the original negotiations to enter Europe. Can Ministers assure me that the fishing industry will have a much higher priority in this set of negotiations?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Davis and Martin Vickers

Thursday 20th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Davis]

More important than me, the Prime Minister had a meeting with Nissan only this week, and the communiqué that came out after it was extremely positive on both sides.

[Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)]

Brexit has been widely welcomed by leaders of the fishing industry in the Grimsby-Cleethorpes area. The industry was badly let down in the original negotiations in the 1970s. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that that will not be the case on this occasion?