Post Brexit: Small Service Businesses

Lord Rooker Excerpts

Monday 24th May 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

The noble Baroness makes some very good points, and I know that she has raised this point about the provision of services before. Regarding the creation of the creative export office, I will speak to my colleagues in DCMS who have responsibility for this and write to her with the details.

[Lord Rooker (Lab) [V]]

My Lords, I told my colleagues that I would try to sweep up any questions the Minister did not answer, but I have so many to choose from that it is difficult. However, in at least two of his answers, he has been very critical of the EU. In answer to the noble Baroness, Lady Ludford, he implied that the EU was not being sincere or constructive in practice and, in his answer to the question from my noble friend Lord Hain, he said that the EU is not a willing partner in discussion. We cannot carry on like this. We have left the EU. That is it: we have left. The consistent inability to do deals, to talk to the EU and to accept that it might be a willing partner and that the problem might be with us is very difficult. Will the Minister try to answer those two questions again please?

[Lord Callanan (Con)]

As I said to the noble Baroness, Lady Ludford, the UK’s proposals on input from the sector were repeatedly rejected by the EU and the EU’s proposals would not have addressed many of the sector’s concerns. They were non-binding and did not include touring.