Oral Answers to Questions

David Duguid Excerpts

Wednesday 6th December 2017 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Foster (Torbay) (Con)]

4. What progress the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) is making.

[David Duguid (Banff and Buchan) (Con)]

7. What progress the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) is making.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (David Mundell)]

The Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) provides a valuable forum for the UK Government and devolved Administrations to discuss EU exit. We took an important step forward at the last meeting in October by agreeing a set of principles to govern the consideration of frameworks. Another meeting will be held next Tuesday, and I hope to see significant progress then.

[David Mundell]

I agree with my hon. Friend. I look forward to the opportunity to continue the good progress that we are making in our framework discussions, which will lead to significantly more powers for Holyrood while maintaining the integrity of the UK’s internal market.

[David Duguid]

As my right hon. Friend will know, fishing is a totemic industry in my constituency of Banff and Buchan, where there is real concern that the Scottish Government want to take Scotland back into the common fisheries policy. Can he reassure me that in all conversations and negotiations in the JMC (EN), he stands firm on taking Scotland’s fishermen out of the CFP, and keeping them out?

[David Mundell]

In his short time in this Parliament, my hon. Friend has already come to be seen as a champion for the fishing industry. I can give him an absolute guarantee: unlike the Scottish National party, which would take us straight back into the common fisheries policy, this Government will take Scotland and the rest of the UK out of that discredited policy.