Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Hepburn Excerpts

Monday 18th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mark Lancaster]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and he is also absolutely right to cite his constituency company as a fine example of how we can continue to compete on the world stage.

[Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow) (Lab)]

First, may I thank you, Mr Speaker, for your kind words about our former colleague Paul Flynn, who was a great comrade over the years?

Following on from the question asked by my right hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Mr Jones), why does the Minister not defer any action until after 29 March, when we will not be under EU procurement rules and we can award this ship—a £1 billion British taxpayers’ order—to a British shipyard?

[Mark Lancaster]

The hon. Gentleman seems to have a crystal ball—I simply do not—to see exactly what the situation will be post 29 March.