Nuclear Safeguards Bill

Debate between Rachel Reeves and Chris Green

2nd reading: House of Commons
Monday 16th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Chris Green]

Absolutely. I agree wholeheartedly with my hon. Friend. As has been highlighted, 500 medical procedures a year, involving 10,000 people in the United Kingdom, depend on these products, yet we hear that they are going to be withdrawn and taken away, or that they will be held at the ports.

[Rachel Reeves]

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

[Chris Green]

No, I have already given way.

That is an extraordinary thing to suggest, and since this is outside the scope of the Bill, it is clearly scaremongering.

[Rachel Reeves]

Will the hon. Gentleman give way on that point?

[Chris Green]

No. I am going to make some progress.

As we leave the European Union, we want to continue research relationships with it on many projects. We will see through Horizon 2020 to the end, and we must consider what kind of relationship we will have on the successor programme—framework programme 9. We need a close relationship with the European Union on Horizon 2020, but we must also consider what relationship we need or want on framework programme 9, and we must be mindful of the direction of travel with the European Union.