Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Hannah Bardell and Lucy Frazer

Tuesday 13th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Hannah Bardell (Livingston) (SNP)]

18. What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the justice system of the UK leaving the EU.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Lucy Frazer)]

We laid out our ambition in the policy paper that we produced in August 2017 and again in the most recent White Paper, setting out that we want the closest possible co-operation in civil and family justice matters. We continue to negotiate with the EU on these matters; in the meantime, as a responsible Government, we continue to prepare for no deal.

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[Lucy Frazer]

It is both in our interests and the EU’s to ensure that we have a mutual arrangement on these matters that is as good as possible. I look forward to ensuring that we negotiate the best possible deal on this matter going forward.

[Hannah Bardell]

The recent Scottish Government publication on security and judicial co-operation emphasises the need for Scotland’s separate legal and judicial system to be taken into account during the Brexit negotiation process. Can the Minister give a cast-iron guarantee that any new arrangements between the UK and the EU will respect Scotland’s separate and independent judicial system?

[Lucy Frazer]

The hon. Lady is right to identify the separate and distinct legal arrangements that we have in Scotland. We negotiate and work very closely with Scotland and the Scottish Government on all these matters. In relation to no deal planning, there is almost weekly contact between my officials and those in the Scottish Government.