Northern Ireland Backstop Debate

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Department: Attorney General

Northern Ireland Backstop

Thangam Debbonaire Excerpts
Tuesday 19th February 2019

(5 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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I will never tire of saying to my hon. Friend or to the House that we remain steadfast in our commitment to the Belfast agreement. It is as important to me now as it was when it was signed 20 years ago.

Thangam Debbonaire Portrait Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)
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The Attorney General made a rather snippy remark, if I may say so, about my hon. Friend the Member for Torfaen (Nick Thomas-Symonds) having made a comment from the sidelines, and then implied that the solutions to this situation were as much in my hon. Friend’s hands as in the Solicitor General’s. He cannot have it both ways. Has the Solicitor General invited my hon. Friend to be part of the solution—yes or no?

Robert Buckland Portrait The Solicitor General
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I remind the hon. Lady, for whom I have a high degree of respect, of section 13 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act, which gives this House the role of ratifying the withdrawal agreement. It is Parliament that has to ratify it and pass a Bill before that agreement is ratified. It is on us all—the buck stops with all of us before we can ratify—so please let us get on with it.