Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between George Eustice and Michael Gove

Thursday 9th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[George Eustice (Camborne and Redruth) (Con)]

Welsh fishermen will be particularly interested in the application of the Hague preference since the ability to invoke it and, more importantly, counter-invoke it against the Irish Republic is critical to our interests. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the withdrawal agreement will protect our ability to invoke the Hague preference, because he will understand that it is not part of the common fisheries policy but a political convention that needs to be invoked each year?

[Michael Gove]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. We will be able to continue to invoke the Hague preference in certain circumstances, and it is vital that we do so in defence of our interests.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between George Eustice and Michael Gove

Thursday 28th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

That is a fair point.

[George Eustice (Camborne and Redruth) (Con)]

The UK has some of the highest standards of animal welfare in the world, but American attitudes to farm animal welfare remain very backward. Given that there is now a cross-party consensus in this House that we should enshrine recognition of animal sentience in law, should the Government not require the United States to pass equivalent legislation at federal level as a precondition to any trade deal?

[Michael Gove]

That is a very good point from someone who was an excellent Minister. I so enjoyed serving with my hon. Friend. As ever, he shows that his commitment to animal welfare and to the highest standards in farming remains undimmed. We are very lucky to have him in this House.

UK’s Withdrawal from the European Union

Debate between George Eustice and Michael Gove

Wednesday 13th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

I am delighted to give way to my dear Friend.

[George Eustice (Camborne and Redruth) (Con)]

I thank the Secretary of State for giving way. He is right to say that the European Union does not have border infrastructure in place to carry out the border inspection checks that he mentions. Is that perhaps why the EU has asked us to dynamically align our regulations for a period of nine months so that it would not have to carry out such checks during that period?

[Michael Gove]

My hon. Friend is right, but dynamic alignment during those nine months would mean our being a rule-taker during that period. Dynamic alignment would allow us to be registered as a third country, but there would also be sanitary and phytosanitary—SPS—checks on a variety of products.