Northern Ireland Protocol: First Treasury Counsel Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate

Northern Ireland Protocol: First Treasury Counsel

Greg Smith Excerpts
Thursday 9th June 2022

(2 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate

Urgent Questions are proposed each morning by backbench MPs, and up to two may be selected each day by the Speaker. Chosen Urgent Questions are announced 30 minutes before Parliament sits each day.

Each Urgent Question requires a Government Minister to give a response on the debate topic.

This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record

James Cleverly Portrait James Cleverly
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

The hon. Gentleman knows that I always listen carefully when he speaks, whether it is in this Chamber or elsewhere. The simple truth is that this Government are confident that our actions are in accordance with international law. We will be bringing forward legislation based on that in due course.

Greg Smith Portrait Greg Smith (Buckingham) (Con)
- View Speech - Hansard - -

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right not to break the conventions of this House on discussing legal advice. However, does he agree that those who still seek to use legal acrobatics to take the side of the EU rather than that of our country are forgetting section 38 of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020, which makes this House—this Parliament—sovereign to do whatever it takes to protect the Good Friday agreement and to protect the integrity of our whole United Kingdom?

James Cleverly Portrait James Cleverly
- View Speech - Hansard - - - Excerpts

My hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. The priority of this Government is to ensure the ongoing success of the Good Friday agreement and the ongoing integrity of this Union—this United Kingdom—and our actions will always be guided by those two principles.