Cabinet Office

Michael Gove Excerpts

Wednesday 16th October 2019 Ministerial Corrections

The following are extracts from the statement on Preparations for Leaving the EU on 8 October 2019

[Michael Gove]

This morning, my right hon. Friend the Trade Secretary has published the temporary tariff regime, which will apply from 1 November. In all, it liberalises tariffs on 88% of goods entering the UK by value. It maintains a mixture of tariffs and quotas on 12% of goods, such as beef, lamb, pork, poultry and some dairy products, to support farms and producers that have historically been protected through high EU tariffs in the past. I should say that, as a result of cutting these tariffs, we should see a 15% reduction in the cost of honey from New Zealand, a 9% cut in the cost of grapes from South America and of course a 7% reduction in the cost of wine from Argentina.

[Official Report, 8 October 2019, Vol. 664, c. 1659.]

[Michael Gove]

We in this Government have compromised. We in this Government are showing flexibility. We in this Government seek to leave without a deal, but faced with the delaying, disruptive and denying tactics of the Opposition we say, on behalf of the 17.4 million: enough, enough, enough—we need to leave.

[Official Report, 8 October 2019, Vol. 664, c. 1664.]

[Michael Gove]

It is of course possible, for a host of reasons, that we might leave on 31 October without a deal, and it is prudent that this Government—and indeed the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government, led by Labour—are preparing for that, because that eventuality is a realisable and potential outcome. In the meantime, I am anxious to secure a deal. I argued that we should leave the European Union without a deal, but if it is impossible to leave the European Union without a deal, then, much though I regret it, we have to leave.

[Official Report, 8 October 2019, Vol. 664, c. 1667.]

Letter of correction from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Michael Gove):

Errors have been identified in my statement to the House.

The correct responses should have been:

[Michael Gove]

This morning, my right hon. Friend the Trade Secretary has published the temporary tariff regime, which will apply from 1 November. In all, it liberalises tariffs on 88% of goods entering the UK by value. It maintains a mixture of tariffs and quotas on 12% of goods, such as beef, lamb, pork, poultry and some dairy products, to support farms and producers that have historically been protected through high EU tariffs in the past. I should say that, as a result of cutting these tariffs, the 17% tariff on honey from New Zealand, the 15% tariff on grapes from South America and the 7% tariff on wine from Argentina will all be reduced to zero.

[Michael Gove]

We in this Government have compromised. We in this Government are showing flexibility. We in this Government seek to leave with a deal, but faced with the delaying, disruptive and denying tactics of the Opposition we say, on behalf of the 17.4 million: enough, enough, enough—we need to leave.

[Michael Gove]

It is of course possible, for a host of reasons, that we might leave on 31 October without a deal, and it is prudent that this Government—and indeed the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government, led by Labour—are preparing for that, because that eventuality is a realisable and potential outcome. In the meantime, I am anxious to secure a deal. I argued that we should leave the European Union with a deal, but if it is impossible to leave the European Union with a deal, then, much though I regret it, we have to leave.