Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what plans his Department has for the UK's continued involvement in the European University Institute.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK’s EU membership is inextricably linked to its current membership of the EUI Convention. As a result of exiting the EU, the UK will no longer be an EU member state and so, in a no deal scenario, the UK’s membership of the European University Institute Convention (EUIC) will automatically cease on 29 March 2019. In a deal scenario, the UK’s membership of this Convention will continue for the duration of the implementation period.
The Government has repeatedly made clear that it values international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of its vision for a Global Britain. The Political Declaration sets out that we will establish general principles, terms and conditions for UK participation in EU programmes in areas of shared interest, and wider dialogues to allow us to share best practice and act together in our mutual interest. On this basis, we will explore with the European University Institute options for future participation in its activities and we will work to ensure that UK students at the EUI will be able to complete their studies. Furthermore, UK universities will be able to continue to collaborate with the EUI in research projects even if the UK is no longer a member of the EUI Convention.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the potential effect will be on students from the UK studying at the European University Institute of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Robin Walker
Leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority.
The UK Government has repeatedly made clear that it values international exchange and collaboration in education and training as part of its vision for a global Britain.
The UK’s EU membership is inextricably linked to its current membership of the EUI Convention. As a result of exiting the EU, the UK will no longer be an EU member state and so, in a no deal scenario, the UK’s membership of the European University Institute (EUI) Convention will automatically cease on 29 March 2019. However, the UK will continue to be part of the EUIC in a deal scenario.
We will explore with the EUI options for future participation in its activities and we will work to ensure that UK students at the EUI will be able to complete their studies. Furthermore, UK universities will be able to continue to collaborate with the EUI in research projects even if the UK is no longer a member of the EUI Convention.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what estimate he has made of the amount of money each Department has spent on preparing for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department is tasked with successfully delivering the UK’s exit from the European Union. A key element of this is ensuring preparation for all possible scenarios, including leaving the EU without a deal.
The Department’s costs, along with planned Estimates for future years, can be found in the latest Annual Report and Accounts (link). It is not however possible to accurately attribute the Department’s costs to specific scenario planning, such as “no deal”, as the Department’s work is not compartmentalised in such a manner.
The Department cannot comment on the cost of the work performed by other departments. Such questions would need redirecting to each department.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish a list of the meetings he has had with representatives of Northern Ireland's political parties in each of the last three months; and if he will include in that list (a) who he met with and (b) the date on which those meetings took place.
Answered by Robin Walker
Details of formal Ministerial meetings on Departmental business are published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are publicly available on GOV.UK.
Over the past months, the Government has met a range of stakeholders in Northern Ireland, including representatives of a number of political parties, and assured them that the Government will uphold our commitments made to the people of Northern Ireland and the Belfast Agreement.
Since the referendum there have been nine meetings of the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations. Prior to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Executive in January 2017, these meetings were attended by Ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive. We would have liked this engagement to continue, and we are working hard to restore devolved government in Northern Ireland as soon as possible. In the absence of an Executive, the JMC(EN) has been attended by senior officials from the Northern Ireland Civil Service. We are committed to working to ensure Northern Ireland interests are represented in the meantime.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many vacancies there are on the UK delegation to the Committee of the Regions; and when he plans to fill those vacancies.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK delegation to the Committee of the Regions currently has vacancies for 10 members and for 7 alternate members.
Nominations are being reviewed as a matter of urgency and we expect the process to be completed soon, enabling the new members to start contributing to the work of the Committee.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether a formal risk register has been completed for the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Each department is responsible for assessing and managing risk to their specific policy areas and delivery; a risk register is one of the tools available in the wider risk management process.
This Department has taken a number of steps to ensure it has strong risk and programme management foundations in place and will continue to assess and manage these as appropriate. As such, risk registers are part of the management process used in order to take opportunities and ensure we can achieve our operational and policy objectives.
More information about our risk management approach can be found at page 21 of the Department Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/655232/DExEU_ARA_v5.0_amended_version_14.08.17__1_.pdf.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department or its agencies has entered into contracts with SCL group.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Department has not entered into any commercial contract with Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL Group). The Department has no agencies.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the status of British National Overseas passport holders in EU member states after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
The purpose of the citizens' rights deal is to clarify the future status and rights of EU citizens exercising free movement rights in the UK, and of UK nationals exercising free movement rights in the EU at a specified date.
UK nationals' includes British citizens, British subjects with the right of abode in the UK, and British Overseas Territories Citizens who acquire citizenship from a connection with Gibraltar.
For the purposes of the citizens' rights deal, 'UK nationals' does not include British National Overseas passport holders, who do not currently fall within EU free movement regulations.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the position paper, Continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the EU, published on 21 August 2017, what formal role he plans to give to the devolved administrations during negotiations on the UK leaving the EU on the matter of continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the UK.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK Government is negotiating on behalf of the United Kingdom and we are committed to getting a deal that works for the whole country. The UK Government will work closely with the devolved administrations, as well as the governments of Gibraltar, the other Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies on the detail of proposals for continuity in the availability of goods, to ensure their priorities are taken into account.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - North East Fife)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the position paper, Continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the EU, published on 21 August 2017, what formal role he plans to give to the overseas territories during negotiations on the UK leaving the EU on the matter of continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the UK.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK Government is negotiating on behalf of the United Kingdom and we are committed to getting a deal that works for the whole country. The UK Government will work closely with the devolved administrations, as well as the governments of Gibraltar, the other Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies on the detail of proposals for continuity in the availability of goods, to ensure their priorities are taken into account.