Common Rules for Exports (EU Exit) Regulations 2020

Lord Liddle Excerpts

Tuesday 10th November 2020 Grand Committee

[Lord Liddle (Lab) [V]]

My Lords, I do not believe that I have yet spoken in a debate being replied to on behalf of the Government by the noble Lord, Lord Grimstone. I welcome him to his role—although he has been there for some time. I see him as a very capable and grown-up figure. I wish that could be said of the rest of the Government in which he serves.

I am speaking in this debate because I am a member of the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee and this measure came before us a couple of weeks ago. In terms of Great Britain, it seems a perfectly sensible amendment of retained EU law. There is however some uncertainty, which is why I am speaking today, about its implications for Northern Ireland.

Perhaps I may quote from the 29th report of your Lordships’ Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee. Paragraph 7 states:

“While we note the Department’s explanation that the Commission could impose export controls or restrictions on Northern Ireland only in very limited circumstances, such as in relation to the movement of endangered species, it is not clear what other circumstances may allow the Commission to exercise its powers. These are issues that the House may wish to explore further, given the sensitivities around future trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.”


That is why we drew the regulations to the special attention of the House.

We have already had a rather shameful episode, in my view, where the Government signed up to the Northern Ireland protocol and then, when they considered it in more detail, decided that they did not like its terms. As a result, they attempted something which, as we saw in the Divisions last night, this House regarded as a gross breach of international law to change provisions of the protocol which they did not like. What I am seeking today is an assurance as to what exactly are the circumstances in which this bit of EU law will apply in Northern Ireland, and whether the Government will give an absolute undertaking that they will not seek in any future piece of legislation to override these provisions. Given what we have seen in the last year, I think that is a perfectly reasonable request.

The Minister rightly drew our attention to article 6 of the protocol—I have it open in front of me. He quoted point 1 of article 6, which says:

“Nothing … shall prevent the UK from ensuring unfettered market access for goods moving from Northern Ireland to other parts of the United Kingdom’s internal market.”


It goes on to say that any measures which

“restrict the exportation of goods shall only be applied to trade between Northern Ireland and other parts of the United Kingdom to the extent strictly required by any international obligations”—

[Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)]

I am sorry to interrupt the noble Lord but the time limit for speeches in this debate is three minutes.

[Lord Liddle (Lab)]

That is even given the very few speakers in the debate, which I do not understand. I will sum up in a moment. So, the protocol speaks of

“the extent strictly required by any international obligations of the Union”,

but it goes on to say that, despite Northern Ireland’s integral place in the United Kingdom, the applicable EU legislation would apply in Northern Ireland. What would that mean?

[Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)]

I am sorry to interrupt the noble Lord once again but we are very tight on time. I am afraid the noble Lord will have to conclude his remarks.

[Lord Liddle (Lab)]

I conclude my remarks, but I hope that we do not get into legal problems similar to those we have seen already.