Brexit: Negotiations and No-deal Contingency Planning Debate
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Lord Whitty
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Brexit: Negotiations and No-deal Contingency Planning
Lord Whitty Excerpts(6 years, 3 months ago)
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Lord Callanan
I have not been to Dover recently myself, but ministerial colleagues have and officials are, of course, in regular correspondence and discussions with the officials there. One reason we put forward our proposals was to produce a frictionless border which would ensure that there are no queues at Dover or any other port. One reason why we are proposing a facilitated customs arrangement, and negotiating on it, is to produce frictionless borders both in Ireland and at Dover.
Lord Whitty (Lab)
My Lords, given the complications and the failure to get anywhere close to an agreement, does the Minister wish to reconsider his answer to the noble Lord, Lord Wigley, that in no circumstances would we seek an extension of the deadline? If we have only got six weeks and we are still so far away, should we not now be formally seeking an extension of that deadline?
Lord Callanan
No, because we are leaving the European Union on 29 March 2019.