Asked by: Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South West)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation affects the right of recognised unions in his Department to bargaining information as set out in Section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
Answered by James Duddridge
GDPR has not affected the rights of unions in DExEU to bargaining information provided under section 181 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the Prime Minister's proposed EU exit deal, when his Department last met with representatives of Northern Irish industry to discuss the effect on that industry of the imposition of a North-South and an East-West border.
Answered by James Duddridge
The department has engaged extensively with representatives of businesses, industry groups and trade unions from Northern Ireland. This includes through the Government’s Alternative Arrangements Business Advisory Group. Ministers are continuing to engage with representatives from all sectors of the Northern Ireland economy.
The Government's revised deal provides a new and unique solution for Northern Ireland – they will continue to be part of the UK Customs Union, but with access to EU markets without a hard border. The Government has made clear commitments to ensure unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to the whole UK internal market.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what percentage of workers employed directly by his Department belonged to a trade union in each year since its formation.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Department does not have a check-off facility for the deduction of trade union subscriptions from departmental employees pay, therefore a complete set of data to give an accurate figure for the percentage of employees who are trade union members for the period requested is not held by the Department.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many meetings he has had with trades unions since July 2016.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Stakeholder engagement is a central element of our ongoing plan to negotiate a successful outcome and achieve the best deal for the UK and the EU. We are committed to hearing from as many organisations, companies and institutions as possible, including trade unions.
One of the Secretary of State’s first meetings following the Department’s creation was with the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress. The Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial also meets the Trades Union Congress regularly.
Details of Ministerial meetings are published in the Department’s Quarterly Transparency Returns, which are made publicly available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what meetings his Department has had with (a) farming unions and (b) devolved administrations to discuss matters relating to farming since June 2016.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Department for Exiting the European Union has met a number of stakeholders from the agricultural sector, including the National Farmers Union, National Pig Association, the Country Land and Business Association and the International Meat Trade Association.
The Government is also working closely with the Devolved Administrations. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is meeting his ministerial counterparts in the Welsh and Scottish Governments, along with a senior official from the Northern Ireland Executive Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, in late September for on-going discussions on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. Further joint ministerial meetings will take place on a regular basis, as well as continued bilateral discussions.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
Her Majesty's Government how, and when, civil society will be consulted with regard to Brexit.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
Ministers and officials from the Department for Exiting the EU and across Government have engaged with civil society organisations to understand their views and to ensure that their expertise contributes to our negotiating position. We have met a range of organisations, including trade unions, charities, faith groups, academia and consumer bodies.
With the negotiations underway, we will continue to engage widely and intensively. We will reach a successful outcome by drawing on the expertise of these groups, understanding their perspectives and working with them to test and validate positions as we prepare to leave the European Union.
Asked by: Drew Hendry (Scottish National Party - Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what measures his Department has put in place to ensure that Gibraltar is represented during negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK Government has made clear that it intends to fully involve Gibraltar as we prepare for exit from the EU, to ensure Gibraltar’s interests are properly taken into account.
I have been closely involved in considering Gibraltar’s priorities from the start of the EU exit process. On 20 July, my first debate in my role as a minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union was a Westminster Hall debate on the EU Referendum and Gibraltar (https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-07-20/debates/16072020000001/EUReferendumGibraltar).
The Secretary of State for Exiting the EU and I met the Gibraltar Chief Minister on 12 September 2016 and I held a meeting with the Chief Minister and representatives of Gibraltar industry and trade unions on 1 November.
At a multilateral level, Minister for the Overseas Territories, Baroness Anelay and I met with leaders of the Overseas Territories on 2 November 2016 at the UK-Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council. We committed to taking forward future engagement through the creation of the UK – Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council on European Negotiations (JMC – OT EN), to meet in February.
I chaired the first meeting of the UK-Gibraltar Ministerial Forum on EU Exit took place on 7 December 2016, with Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers taking part alongside the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Gibraltar.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar on the future of the border between Gibraltar and Spain after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK Government has made clear that it intends to fully involve Gibraltar as we prepare for exit from the EU, to ensure Gibraltar’s interests are properly taken into account.
I have been closely involved in considering Gibraltar’s priorities from the start of the EU exit process. On 20 July, my first debate in my role as a minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union was a Westminster Hall debate on the EU Referendum and Gibraltar (https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-07-20/debates/16072020000001/EUReferendumGibraltar).
The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and I met the Gibraltar Chief Minister on 12 September 2016 and I held a meeting with the Chief Minister and representatives of Gibraltar industry and trade unions on 1 November.
At a multilateral level, Minister for the Overseas Territories, Baroness Anelay and I met with leaders of the Overseas Territories on 2 November 2016 at the UK-Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council. We committed to taking forward future engagement through the creation of the UK – Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council on European Negotiations (JMC – OT EN), to meet in February.
I chaired the first meeting of the UK-Gibraltar Ministerial Forum on EU Exit took place on 7 December 2016, with Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers taking part alongside the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Gibraltar.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he has met the Chief Minister of Gibraltar to discuss priorities for Gibraltar in the UK's negotiations on leaving the EU.
Answered by Robin Walker
The UK Government has made clear that it intends to fully involve Gibraltar as we prepare for exit from the EU, to ensure Gibraltar’s interests are properly taken into account.
I have been closely involved in considering Gibraltar’s priorities from the start of the EU exit process. On 20 July, my first debate in my role as a minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union was a Westminster Hall debate on the EU Referendum and Gibraltar (https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-07-20/debates/16072020000001/EUReferendumGibraltar).
The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and I met the Gibraltar Chief Minister on 12 September 2016 and I held a meeting with the Chief Minister and representatives of Gibraltar industry and trade unions on 1 November.
At a multilateral level, Minister for the Overseas Territories, Baroness Anelay and I met with leaders of the Overseas Territories on 2 November 2016 at the UK-Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council. We committed to taking forward future engagement through the creation of the UK – Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council on European Negotiations (JMC – OT EN), to meet in February.
I chaired the first meeting of the UK-Gibraltar Ministerial Forum on EU Exit took place on 7 December 2016, with Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers taking part alongside the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Gibraltar.
Asked by: Andrew Gwynne (Labour - Denton and Reddish)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what advice his Department has received from trade unions on the Government's forthcoming negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by David Jones
We will ensure that all views are reflected in the British Government's analysis of the options, priorities and opportunities for the UK as it exits the European Union.
We are listening and talking to as many organisations, companies and institutions as possible, including Trades Unions.
We have made it clear that workers’ rights will be protected and enhanced by this government.