Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kwasi Kwarteng and Tom Pursglove

Thursday 16th May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Kwasi Kwarteng]

The hon. Gentleman will have observed that we have not yet reached a deal on the withdrawal agreement. The shared prosperity fund is the pot of money that will be allocated across the UK once we have left the EU. The withdrawal agreement still has to go through. We recognise the importance of reassuring local areas at that point that the shared prosperity fund will be distributed, but it does not make any sense to do that ahead of the ratification of the deal.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

14. What assessment the Government have made of the potential effect on voter confidence in (a) politicians and (b) democracy of revoking Article 50.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kwasi Kwarteng and Tom Pursglove

Thursday 4th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Kwasi Kwarteng]

Obviously, it has been the Government’s repeated intention not to leave without a deal. The hon. Gentleman will know that part 3 of the withdrawal agreement deals extensively with the kind of regulations that would be in place in the implementation period, which, if the deal goes through, will give us another 20 months to negotiate a free trade agreement.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

18. If he will make an assessment of the potential negative effect on his Department’s policies of a second referendum on the UK leaving the EU.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Kwasi Kwarteng)]

My hon. Friend will appreciate that a second referendum would have a very corrosive impact not only on our politics but on trust, which has been mentioned many times. A clear instruction was given in 2016 to withdraw from the EU, and that is what the Government remain absolutely committed to fulfilling.

[Tom Pursglove]

I am grateful to the Minister for that answer. Beyond that impact, what assessment has he made of the democratic and financial impacts of pursuing such a change in policy?

[Kwasi Kwarteng]

My hon. Friend is quite right: holding a second referendum would create enormous uncertainty that would undermine the strong economic achievement of the Government and of our businesses. It would essentially take us back to square one and result in more delay at a time when the public simply want politicians to deliver what they promised.

European Council: Article 50 Extension

Debate between Kwasi Kwarteng and Tom Pursglove

Friday 22nd March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Kwasi Kwarteng]

I am not going to second-guess your decision on the meaningful vote, Mr Speaker, but there is a body of opinion, which I happen to share, that the circumstances will have changed—we will have had EU input on the timetable—and that it may well be argued that those changed circumstances allow another meaningful vote.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

I am afraid that I fundamentally disagree with this business of extension in the first place, but will my hon. Friend confirm whether there are any additional financial commitments associated with the proposed extension?

[Kwasi Kwarteng]

As far as I am aware, we have not discussed any more financial commitments outside those detailed in part 5 of the withdrawal agreement.