UK/EU Future Economic Partnership

Nick Thomas-Symonds Excerpts

Monday 5th March 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Let us hear from another very well-behaved person—in fact, a cerebral academic, I think. Nick Thomas-Symonds.

[Nick Thomas-Symonds (Torfaen) (Lab)]

I am most grateful for the compliments, Mr Speaker.

The Prime Minister has said that alignment is possible in two ways, either by having the same rules or by having the same consequences flowing from different rules. Which of those two categories will the automotive sector fit into, given that so many jobs in the country depend on it, not least in my constituency?

[The Prime Minister]

It will clearly be up to Parliament to decide which rules apply in the future. As I pointed out in my speech on Friday, the automotive industry is a very good example of what I said in response to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Jeremy Lefroy) about integrated supply chains. We have been clear about this. Choices will be made about the areas where it is right—where Parliament will say that it wants an identical law, and where it wants the same outcome but wants to achieve it by a different means. Many businesses have made it very clear that they want to maintain the same regulatory standards, which is why that is one of the options that will be available.