Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland: Border Arrangements
Debate between David Lidington and Nigel Mills(6 years, 8 months ago)
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Mr Lidington
I am particularly conscious that in County Londonderry people commute to and from work, businesses supply customers and people travel to and from the doctors across the international jurisdictional border. For people to be able to go about their everyday lives, it is important that we reach the kind of agreement to which our Government and the Irish Government are committed.
Nigel Mills (Amber Valley) (Con)
Will my right hon. Friend define for the House what the Government meant when they said that they would guarantee that there would be no hard border? What would such a hard border involve and what are we guaranteeing will not exist?
Mr Lidington
It is exactly what we said in our commitment to the joint report in December and in the position paper that we published last summer.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between David Lidington and Nigel Mills(6 years, 8 months ago)
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Nigel Mills (Amber Valley) (Con)
The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr David Lidington)
I was pleased to be able to announce that Mr Justice Langstaff will serve as chair for the independent inquiry into the infected blood scandal. He is a highly experienced judge who I am confident will conduct a thorough inquiry. Over the coming weeks, he will be talking to those affected to set comprehensive terms of reference, and the Government will provide him with all the support he needs. [Interruption.]
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between David Lidington and Nigel Mills(13 years ago)
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Nigel Mills (Amber Valley) (Con)
8. What recent steps he has taken to strengthen relations with countries in central Asia; and if he will make a statement.
The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)
Central Asia is increasingly important to British economic and strategic interests. We shall be opening a British embassy in Kyrgyzstan early next year, and we are maintaining high-level bilateral contact with all five republics. The most recent such contact took place during a visit to central Asia by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department for International Development.
Nigel Mills
When I was doing voluntary work in Tajikistan recently, it was noted that despite the good work of our ambassador, there was a very low-key British presence. Will the Minister ask the British Council whether it can raise its profile in that country? The council currently deals with it from Uzbekistan, and relations between the two countries are pretty poor.
Mr Lidington
I pay tribute to the voluntary work that my hon. Friend did in Tajikistan earlier this year. It is good that the interests of that important part of the world can be highlighted in the House of Commons. I will happily pass on what my hon. Friend has said to the head of the British Council.