Brexit: Legislative Timetable

Lord Hain Excerpts

Monday 7th January 2019 Lords Chamber

[Lord Callanan]

I do not have those figures in front of me. I will write to the noble Lord on that.

[Lord Hain (Lab)]

My Lords, can the Minister answer the specific question put by my noble friend Lord Bassam about there being no emergency legislation before 29 March? Can he confirm that the forthcoming Trade Bill, due in this House shortly, could be the last legislative vehicle to accept an amendment to rule out no deal?

[Lord Callanan]

As I said in the earlier answer, the progress of legislation in this House is a matter for the usual channels, in which co-operation with the opposition parties is always ongoing. I am sure the Chief Whip will want to continue that. As for ruling out no deal, no deal is what happens if you do not have a deal. We will leave the EU on 29 March this year because that is the legislation that Parliament has passed on two occasions, and it is what Article 50 says. There is a mechanism to avoid no deal, and that is to vote for the only deal available.

[Lord Hain]

My Lords, I did not ask that question. I asked whether the Trade Bill is the last legislative vehicle to rule out no deal.

[Lord Callanan]

I will not advise the noble Lord and others what amendments can be acceptable. That is not my role. There are a number of pieces of primary legislation still before this House and, if we are in a no-deal situation, further pieces of primary legislation will be forthcoming.