Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeff Smith and Jeremy Wright

Thursday 8th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

7. What recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the operation of the European arrest warrant.

[The Attorney General (Jeremy Wright)]

The European arrest warrant offers a more effective means than non-EU alternatives of surrendering individuals wanted by other EU member states and of ensuring that those who have fled the UK are returned to face justice. Agreeing continued extradition arrangements will therefore be an important part of negotiations with our European partners and is of mutual interest to both the UK and EU member states.

[The Attorney General]

I certainly agree that the European arrest warrant is the most efficient means we have available both to bring people back to the UK and to send foreign criminals home to face justice. It is our objective to be part of those arrangements in the future. Precisely how we do that will depend on negotiations that, as the hon. Gentleman knows, are ongoing.

[Jeff Smith]

Will not these arrangements have to function on the basis of the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice? Which is more important to the Government, their heavy red line on the ECJ or the ability to work effectively with our European partners to tackle crime? Does the Attorney General agree with the House of Lords report that the safety of the people of the UK should be the Government’s overriding consideration?

[The Attorney General]

I certainly agree with the last part of the hon. Gentleman’s question, but I do not accept that there is necessarily a contradiction between restricting and excluding the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union in this country and being able to have good and productive arrangements for combating crime across the European continent. That is what we seek to do, and we believe it is in the mutual interest not just of the UK but of the rest of the EU, too. That is why we are optimistic that we can negotiate.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeff Smith and Jeremy Wright

Thursday 21st July 2016 Commons Chamber

[The Attorney General]

The hon. Gentleman is right to urge caution, but what we are proposing does not go anywhere near as far as he is suggesting. The types of offences under discussion are failures by corporate entities to prevent fraud, money laundering and the like. As he will know, there are already similar types of offences on the statute book in relation to bribery, and there will shortly be some in relation to tax evasion. This is an extension of a logical principle and it is designed to ensure that we are able to catch not just those in smaller businesses who are engaged in this kind of behaviour, but those in larger business too.

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

8. What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the decision to leave the EU on the protection of human rights.

[The Attorney General (Jeremy Wright)]

I consider the best protection of fundamental rights in the United Kingdom to be UK law. I am, therefore, confident that the decision to leave the European Union will not result in any reduction in the protection of such rights in the United Kingdom.

[Jeff Smith]

We now have a Prime Minister who has advocated withdrawing from the European convention on human rights. Can the Attorney General confirm whether that will be Government policy?

[The Attorney General]

As the hon. Gentleman quite correctly observes, we have a new Prime Minister and we also have a new Secretary of State for Justice. Both have been in office for only a little over a week, so the hon. Gentleman will have to be a little more patient.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeff Smith and Jeremy Wright

Thursday 14th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Kinnock (Aberavon) (Lab)]

7. Whether he has had discussions with the Prime Minister on the legal form of the UK’s renegotiation deal with the EU.

[The Attorney General (Jeremy Wright)]

I regularly meet ministerial colleagues, including the Prime Minister, to discuss issues of common interest, including EU law matters, but I am not able to talk about the legal content of those discussions, because, by convention, whether Law Officers have given advice is not disclosed outside Government.

[Jeff Smith]

The President of the EU Council has said that we should expect a concrete proposal in February. Given the timescale involved, can the Attorney General tell us what legal form the renegotiation of the deal will take?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeff Smith and Jeremy Wright

Thursday 26th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

6. What discussions he has had with his ministerial colleagues on developing proposals for reform of the Human Rights Act 1998.

[The Attorney General (Jeremy Wright)]

I regularly meet ministerial colleagues to discuss important issues of common interest, including on domestic and international human rights law. I cannot talk about the legal content of those discussions, because, as the House knows, by convention, whether Law Officers have given advice is not disclosed outside Government.

[Jeff Smith]

Does the Attorney General agree with his predecessor, the right hon. and learned Member for Beaconsfield (Mr Grieve), who said that the European convention on human rights is

“the single most important legal and political instrument for promoting human rights on our planet”?

[The Attorney General]

As I have said a number of times, I have no quarrel whatever with the wording of the European convention on human rights; what I disagree with is the way in which that document has subsequently been interpreted by the Strasbourg Court. That is what the Government want to do something about.