Oral Answers to Questions

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Thursday 12th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

Northern Ireland will be the only part of the United Kingdom to share a land border with an EU member state after the UK leaves the EU. What discussions has the Minister had with his counterparts in Northern Ireland regarding future trade and investment opportunities and potential issues post-Brexit?

[Greg Hands]

The whole Government are engaging very closely with those in authority in Northern Ireland, as the hon. Gentleman knows, and also engaging with the other side of the border. I should be meeting the Irish Trade Minister tomorrow.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

Very unusually, I had not heard the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr Skinner), but I have now.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

Many protections in EU law, especially equality rights, have already been written into UK law. Does the Minister therefore agree that our leaving the EU should not cause any detrimental impact on or removal of the rights and equalities that we currently enjoy, and will merely present us with the opportunity to further improve the law wherever we in the UK see fit to do so?

[Justine Greening]

Absolutely, and it is worth my pointing out that in several areas, UK law already goes beyond existing EU law.