Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Davis and Robert Courts

Thursday 14th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Davis]

That would all be fine if I could commit the European Commission to doing the same. Unfortunately, it tends to depend on how long the negotiation takes. As the hon. Lady has seen in the last six or seven months, the process has not been entirely predictable.

[Robert Courts (Witney) (Con)]

Does the Minister share my passion for environmental protection, and does he agree that our leaving the European Union gives us the opportunity to go further and faster?

Leaving the EU: Parliamentary Vote

Debate between David Davis and Robert Courts

Thursday 26th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

Unlike the hon. Gentleman, I respect the views of 17.5 million people, and I intend to uphold them.

[Robert Courts (Witney) (Con)]

Does the Secretary of State agree that since the Florence speech there has been a change of tone in EU capitals, and that Mr Barnier is far from alone in wanting to see progress towards a good deal as soon as possible?

[Mr Davis]

My hon. Friend is exactly right. The Florence speech had a massive impact, frankly, on the attitudes in the capitals of the European Union and, indeed, within the Commission. Certainly, Mr Barnier, Mr Juncker and Mr Tusk have all said as much.

EU Exit Negotiations

Debate between David Davis and Robert Courts

Tuesday 5th September 2017 Commons Chamber

[Robert Courts (Witney) (Con)]

Michel Barnier has said that his

“state of mind…is to reach an agreement”

with the United Kingdom. In the Secretary of State’s experience, is the good will that is required to reach a negotiated settlement present?

[Mr Davis]

Of course it is. The simple fact is that all the negotiators on the other side want to reach a deal, not just out of generosity and altruism to us, but because it is in their own interest to do so. The second thing to say is that, as other people have pointed out, these are simply the negotiators. At the end of the day, they are not the final decision makers. That falls to the Council and it very much has every reason to do a deal.

Legislating for UK Withdrawal from the EU

Debate between David Davis and Robert Courts

Thursday 30th March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

I apologise. I forgot about the point the hon. Gentleman made when I was responding to his other points. At this stage we do not know, because we do not know the final format of the Bill. That is the simple truth.

[Robert Courts (Witney) (Con)]

I welcome the Bill and the certainty it provides for business as we undergo this process. Will the Secretary of State confirm that certainty for business will be at the forefront and a priority for him throughout?

[Mr Davis]

Yes, and that is fundamental to the whole strategy behind the Bill.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Davis and Robert Courts

Thursday 26th January 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Davis]

I had better deal with this one.

Interestingly, if we look at the response around Europe to the Prime Minister’s speech about competence, we see, for example, that the Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, whom I saw only a couple of weeks ago, welcomed it widely and said that we had an eminently achievable aim in everybody’s interests.

[Robert Courts (Witney) (Con)]

In my constituency, we are lucky to see the excellent Airbus A400M as it flies from RAF Brize Norton. Does my right hon. Friend agree that this is an excellent example of defence co-operation between Britain and her European allies, and that such defence co-operation will continue when this country leaves the European Union?