European Union (Withdrawal) Bill

I rise to speak to new clause 3, which has cross-party support, but also amendment 7, which does ...

Many of us hear what the right hon. Lady says about the Henry VIII clauses and the power grab, bu...

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about parliamentary sovereignty, which was indeed a k...

Does the right hon. Lady agree that it is most welcome that, since my right hon. and learned Frie...

The right hon. and learned Gentleman is exactly right, and that is why we have a cross-party inte...

The whole point of this Bill is that it is taking back power to this country and this Parliament,...

Oh my, what Stalinism is this?—that any attempt to disagree with the way in which this Bill is dr...

The argument that we have heard from the right hon. and learned Member for North East Hertfordshi...

My hon. Friend is exactly right. Let me say to the Conservative Members who seem to be suddenly s...

The power that the Executive will have in making regulations under the clause will be subject to ...

The hon. Gentleman has himself been a strong advocate of the responsibilities and powers of Parli...

Will the right hon. Lady give way?

I will, but then I want to make some more progress.

I assume that the right hon. Lady has read clause 9. Does she share my concern about the fact tha...

I do agree, and I think that goes to the heart of our concern.

It ought to be possible for ...

Following the point made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Broxtowe (Anna Soubry), may I ask...

The right hon. and learned Gentleman is absolutely right. This is not the Legislative and Regulat...

The right hon. Lady mentioned the different definitions of a “meaningful vote”. Does she agree th...

The right hon. Gentleman is exactly right. The timing of the vote matters, but so does its consti...

Does the right hon. Lady share my concern about the fact that the vote on the motion of both Hous...

I think the hon. Lady is right. The Minister will be able to clarify this later, but I think it i...

The written ministerial statement makes it very clear that the meaningful vote will come after th...

I think that there is a big difference between us on the word “meaningful”. I shall be happy to g...

I would not take any consolation from what the Minister has said. The formal process of ratificat...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and that goes to the heart of this: in the end, the power is ...

I am conscious of time; I will give way again, but many Members want to speak in this important d...

Has my right hon. Friend given any thought to the consequences of the possibility, under the Gove...

That is clearly a possibility, but I think we should trust in the maturity of Parliament. It is p...

Can the right hon. Lady confirm that it is Government policy that this place will be given, to us...

I agree: it is hugely important that this vote has the proper status in Parliament, as well as ou...

The point about a potential difference between the House of Lords and the House of Commons again ...

My hon. Friend is right, and that again shows the importance of having these commitments in the B...

Can the right hon. Lady explain how the timing will work? If there is to be legislation to approv...

I thought part of the way through the hon. Gentleman’s intervention that he was finally coming up...

Is it not far more likely that the Government will have to do that long before then, because ever...

That may be the case. It is clearly not what the Government want, and many of us want the certain...

The right hon. Lady talked about a delay of perhaps a couple of months, but if the treaty is not ...

We had a referendum on whether or not Britain should leave the EU. That referendum has taken plac...

The right hon. Lady might agree with me that what causes more consternation overseas among those ...

The right hon. and learned Gentleman is exactly right, and I will defer to him to set out his ame...

I rise to support new clause 3 and amendment 7. As mine is the second name attached to amendment ...

rose—

rose—

I will give way in just a second, but let me finish this point.

That means that a meaningfu...

The right hon. and learned Gentleman is demonstrating why he is Father of the House, so I hesitat...

The right hon. Gentleman makes one of the points that I was going to make. The most important eff...

The Father of the House is absolutely right that the Bill essentially gives the Government a blan...

I agree entirely, and my next point is linked to that. The nature of the parliamentary approval c...

Of course the original plan was not to have a Bill, but to rely on statutory instruments under cl...

Again, I agree entirely, and that takes me back to something that has occurred all the way throug...

rose—

rose—

I will give way in a second.

The debates on this Bill have typified this Government’s appro...

My right hon. and learned Friend said earlier that other Parliaments across Europe will have a sa...

Qualified majority voting is an excellent innovation achieved by the Thatcher Government when we ...

On a point of order, Dame Rosie. I seek your guidance on whether this is misleading the Committee...

It is disorderly to say that an hon. Member is misleading the Committee. I suggest that the hon. ...

Qualified majority voting means that each Government cast a vote and, if we get a qualified major...

I respect my right hon. and learned Friend’s consistency on this issue. He is on public record as...

My hon. Friend is not the sort who usually repeats the more scurrilous right-wing rubbish that fa...

The Father of the House is right that there will be a qualified majority vote on the withdrawal a...

I agree entirely. My right hon. Friend eloquently underlines the point that the right hon. Member...

My right hon. and learned Friend and, I believe, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for ...

No doubt my hon. Friend will catch your eye, Dame Rosie, when he will be able to explain why he t...

It is a pleasure, once again, to serve under your chairmanship, Dame Rosie, just as it is to foll...

I am listening carefully to what the hon. Gentleman is saying, but is it really that unreasonable...

The hon. Gentleman has pre-empted a point I was going to come to. In the scenario he gives, there...

Has it come to the hon. Gentleman’s attention that, were the Bill passed without either amendment...

The right hon. Lady makes a very important point. Although I concede that amendment 7 provides fo...

rose—

I cannot resist.

The hon. Gentleman is concerned about the potential for a compressed timetable and the consequenc...

The hon. Gentleman is right that the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 and the...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way on that point?

If it is all right, I am going to make a bit of progress because many Members wish to speak.

I just want to clarify whether the hon. Gentleman means what I think he means by what he just sai...

I do not think that is necessarily the case, for several reasons. First, there is no reason why a...

You told us it would take a long time.

I think it will take a long time. The Minister can confirm this, but I assume the Government woul...

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving way yet again. I think that he has just confirmed ...

What I am saying is that there is any number of options that might happen, but bear in mind there...

I wish to make a little progress.

That is why we tabled new clause 66, which would guarante...

In the event of a no deal, people are concerned about falling into World Trade Organisation rules...

I agree with my hon. Friend’s point about services. I say to all hon. Members who are happy to co...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I will make some progress, I am afraid, because a number of hon. Members wish to speak. Perhaps m...

May I say now that that amendment either has to be accepted by my hon. Friends on the Treasury Be...

I am very, very pleased to hear that. We will support the right hon. and learned Gentleman and th...

I am most grateful to have the opportunity to participate in this debate and to follow the hon. M...

My right hon. and learned Friend will know that I have never participated in any of that sort of ...

I note what my hon. Friend has said and I am very grateful to him for the way in which he put it,...

Is not the advantage of the right hon. and learned Gentleman’s very helpful amendment that it wou...

I agree with the hon. Gentleman. I hope that I will be able to develop some of those points in a ...

I hope that my right hon. and learned Friend will forgive me if I appear pedantic, but does not t...

Yes. If, indeed, we were leaving with nothing further to do, that might be a good point. But it s...

Will my right hon. and learned Friend give way?

Will my right hon. and learned Friend give way?

May I just make a tiny bit more progress?

As the Government’s position has shifted, they ha...

I happen to agree with my right hon. and learned Friend that it would be undesirable for us to le...

Yes, I think I agree with my right hon. Friend that the action of Parliament in triggering articl...

Is not the point that, everything else being equal, even if nothing else happens, article 50 has ...

There are a series of processes. I do not wish to get too diverted from my main point. We are int...

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman give way?

In a moment. I do not wish to take up too much of the Committee’s time.

My point brings me ...

I am listening very carefully, but clause 9 is not about implementing our leaving the European Un...

If I may say so, I think my hon. Friend has misunderstood what I said. The fact is that clause 9 ...

Is not the supreme irony the fact that clause 9 is actually the child of article 50 of the Lisbon...

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point.

Ultimately, the centre of this point is that we are ...

Will my right hon. and learned Friend give way?

In a moment.

On my key issue and what I was trying to tease out in tabling amendment 7, I c...

If my right hon. and learned Friend’s version of what our vote would be were to prevail, rather t...

Ultimately, as my right hon. Friend knows, this Parliament is sovereign, although its sovereignty...

I am extremely intrigued by the line that my right hon. and learned Friend has taken, with which ...

I have been pleading with the Government throughout the past four weeks, pointing out to them tha...

Has my right hon. and learned Friend also looked at this issue: does he think that, should the Go...

It would indeed be a remarkable outcome. Certainly, I think that Parliament ought to have a say. ...

May I ask my right hon. and learned Friend about a point I am struggling with and that others may...

I think that this does matter. If I understand the reason why the Government want this power, it ...

Order. The Chair obviously recognises the importance of this debate. There is a very, very long l...

I rise to speak to amendment 47, which stands in my name. It is a great privilege to follow the r...

The right hon. Gentleman is getting to the nub of the issue. If a meaningful vote, by his definit...

The hon. Gentleman anticipates precisely the point that I was going to make—[Interruption.] I was...

A red, white and blue Brexit.

I am still wrestling with the concept of a red, white and blue Brexit, and I did not find it very...

Until now, with the exception of some interventions, I believe that all contributions have been, ...

That was not what I said.

Yes, that is what the right hon. Gentleman said. The logic of what he was saying carries us remor...

indicated dissent.

The right hon. Gentleman cannot continue to shake his head with conviction. His logic carries him...

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

I will, of course, give way to the right hon. Gentleman in a moment. I just wanted to expose the ...

I set out—very clearly I thought—in my speech what the other possibility is. For the avoidance of...

Of course it is possible for the House of Commons to tell the Government that it does not like th...

Will my right hon. Friend give way?

Please, allow me to continue. It is also perfectly possible, as the right hon. Member for Leeds C...

rose—

I have no doubt that it is also what the right hon. Lady who is now seeking to catch my eye wishe...

The logic of the right hon. Gentleman’s position is that he wants to rule out any possibility for...

First, the right hon. Lady has said nothing to contradict my point about what she and other Labou...

I am not going to give way to anyone except my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford.

May I take my right hon. Friend back to what he said about article 50? It is true that that says:...

My hon. Friend makes my point for me. The very point I am making is that no UK Government and no ...

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

I will not give way.

rose—

I will give way to the Opposition spokesman in a moment.

There therefore can arise circumst...

I do not think that that is a fair characterisation of my argument. The right hon. Gentleman has ...

I am very happy to answer that question, and it will bring me neatly on to the point I want to ma...

I will be brief, and then leave it there, but I want to pick up on two of the right hon. Gentlema...

There is no possibility of precluding Parliament from making such a resolution one way or the oth...

rose—

rose—

I will give way to each of my hon. Friends, but let me say that I will not then give way again be...

My right hon. Friend will be aware that all parties are aiming for next October for the negotiati...

I agree with my hon. Friend. There may well be time; I am not in any way denying that. The point ...

May I suggest that amendment 7, as presently drafted—this is central to my right hon. Friend’s po...

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that point, which I will come back to in a moment.

In t...

My right hon. Friend perfectly clearly sets out that a serious constitutional impasse is possible...

I think that is a very possible eventuality, which takes us back to our earlier discussion. I cer...

I picked this amendment with some care, precisely because I wanted to avoid the suggestion that b...

I am delighted by my right hon. and learned Friend’s intervention, because I agree that he has su...

The Bill is unprecedented, because it is asking us, in the light of what the Government themselve...

Now I am beginning rather to agree with my right hon. and learned Friend. Therefore, my suggestio...

There will undoubtedly be an opportunity at the end of this process, if this House were so minded...

I am surprised by that, because my right hon. and learned Friend has a long and distinguished rec...

Does my right hon. Friend agree that the current plans create the risk of parallel legislation, w...

I agree with my right hon. and learned Friend that we ought to avoid the possibility of parallel ...

May I suggest another way forward, which is that we agree to the amendment and then, given that t...

But if my right hon. Friend agrees with me that our purpose in this case is not to create a so-ca...

Looking at this matter independently, as one does these days, it strikes me that my right hon. Fr...

Now that there is to be an implementation and withdrawal agreement Bill I do not personally yet u...

I am most grateful to my right hon. Friend for giving way again. In a sense, he unmasks my strate...

Speaking personally, I do not think there would be anything very brutal about the Government

I hope that means the right hon. Gentleman is now calling on the Government not to move that clau...

It was with some regret that I gave way to the hon. Gentleman. I have never known him to take a p...

Will my right hon. Friend give way?

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

I will give way two last times and then I really must sit down, because I have said everything I ...

I am afraid I am little overwhelmed by the legal expertise all around me—I will just speak very p...

I understand what my hon. Friend is saying, but I do not agree with her. There is a well establis...

The right hon. Gentleman has been digging a hole for himself on clause 9 quite successfully. The ...

It is very odd—it is as if the hon. Gentleman has not been here, but I have seen his body here al...

We have been discussing new clause 3 and amendment 7, which is about process in this place and, a...

On a point of order, Sir David. I am not able to hear what the hon. Lady is saying because behind...

The hon. Lady is entirely right. We should be courteous to each other. I should also add, while I...

Thank you, Sir David. I hope, as my party’s Front-Bench representative, and perhaps as the only S...

The hon. Lady is making an incredibly strong point, and one that gets lost in all this debate abo...

The hon. Lady is absolutely right. Among other things, we are talking about preparing for a futur...

Would my hon. Friend agree that young early-career researchers in the academic sector, for exampl...

I absolutely agree. As I said, we have lost 10,000 EU nationals from our health services. We have...

I agree with many of the hon. Lady’s points, but is it not vital that we send out the clear reass...

I absolutely agree with the hon. Lady, but unfortunately it is not enough to come to the Dispatch...

In relation to the points and the amendments from the right hon. and learned Member for Beaconsfi...

Okay, I am just going to move swiftly on. It was a speech, so my hon. Friend has had his chance t...

The hon. Lady is making an important point. Is she also mindful of the fact that, at a critical t...

I agree. Processes such as quality control, batch certification and lot release must take place i...

I must make progress. A long queue of Members are waiting to speak.

The EMA also leads on r...

I am very grateful, Mr Amess—[Hon. Members: “Sir David Amess.”] I am so sorry. I should remember ...

rose—

Yes, it has stimulated my hon. Friend.

What my right hon. Friend is saying is spot-on: clause 9 gives some powers that trouble even Euro...

I can barely stand up again, because I am slightly overwhelmed by the outbreak of consensus.

Will my right hon. Friend give way?

My cup runneth over.

Before my right hon. Friend tries to urge us all into withdrawing these amendments and waiting fo...

I bow to my right hon. and learned Friend’s wisdom and experience on that point. I am a consensus...

If they can justify it.

If they can justify it, of course.

The second part of my remarks, which will be as brief as...

I am entirely supportive of the intention behind this amendment, but being too much of a lawyer, ...

indicated assent.

I see the Solicitor General nodding. However, the fact that it might have legal implications does...

The implications of leaving Euratom, some of which have already been identified the hon. Member f...

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for tabling this amendment. As he knows, the Business, Energy an...

The hon. Lady and her Committee have published an excellent 45-page report this morning, and I re...

The key point about that work programme is that Austria will be taking over the presidency of the...

The hon. Lady is entirely correct because Austria is an anti-nuclear state, and there is some sus...

Sir David—for you are indeed beknighted—it is good to take part in this debate immediately after ...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I will give way to the 16th century, but I cannot imagine for an instant how the hon. Gentleman c...

As I have said, I have my doubts about parts of clause 9, but it says that a Minister of the Crow...

The hon. Gentleman entices me down the road of one of my amendments. Previous legislation allowin...

Does the hon. Gentleman not concede that there was a meaningful vote on 23 June 2016, when people...

Plenty of Members have plenty of courage about their convictions and have demonstrated it effecti...

Will the hon. Gentleman join me in my call to the Secretary of State, which I have made in this H...

I would love to, but the truth is that the Government do not have the foggiest idea when anything...

The hon. Gentleman said earlier that he was focused on getting the best possible process. Should ...

That is where we disagree. I believe that we will get the best possible deal only if we have the ...

Oh yeah right!

I am glad that the right hon. aristocrat agrees with me.

I am listening to the hon. Gentleman’s argument with great interest, because I was waiting for th...

Obviously, if the Government cannot get their deal through Parliament, they may be in trouble. Th...

Is not that the whole point about what happened last week? After what happened on the Monday, whe...

I agree. As I have said before, I also believe that there is a significant degree of agreement am...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I am sorry, but I am not going to give way to the hon. Gentleman.

rose—

No. The hon. Gentleman can point and hail as many cabs as he wants, but I am not going to give wa...

It is always a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant), who made some very ...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

May I just make a little progress?

I am not sure whether every hon. Member has had a chance...

rose—

I will make a small amount of progress but then, of course, I will take the right hon. Gentleman’...

Does the Minister recognise my point about the situation that EU nationals are in now? Will the G...

All hon. Members should heartily welcome the agreement we have reached on the principles that wil...

Will the Minister give way?

I will come back to the right hon. Gentleman shortly. He has been very patient and I did say that...

The Minister said that the House would vote on a resolution. This morning’s written ministerial s...

I will come to that. It is very clear that we would not be able to proceed with the withdrawal ag...

Will the Minister give way?

I am just going to make a bit more progress.

I will address the point raised by the Labour ...

The point is that clause 9 is so widely drafted that it could apply to absolutely anything that c...

I thank my hon. Friend for the constructive way she makes her point. Of course, until we have the...

rose—

May I at least give the answer before my right hon. and learned Friend jumps in?

That is wh...

I want to understand this, because it is rather important. We are going to enact a withdrawal agr...

I thank my right hon. and learned Friend. I should just say to my hon. Friend the Member for Eddi...

Six months.

No, that is not right. We would be required to wait for the withdrawal agreement Bill to be enact...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

No, I am going to make some progress.

I know that my right hon. and learned Friend the Memb...

Will the Minister give way?

No, I am going to make some progress.

Nor is there any getting around the long tail of tech...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I am going to make a little progress.

Will the Minister give way? I did give way to him.

I will give way to the right hon. Lady later, and I am coming on to talk about her amendment.

Timing is the crucial issue. Given that there are many examples of an accelerated process being u...

It is just not practicable. I will come on to address the timeframe for how we are going to appro...

Does not my hon. Friend think that there should be a trigger within clause 9 to require the conse...

My right hon. and learned Friend touches on a very important principle. I hope that I will be abl...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I will give way to my right hon. Friend later. If she will just be patient, I want to make a bit ...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I will just finish this point before I finally give way to my right hon. Friend, who has been ver...

Will my hon. Friend confirm that the Bill was drafted before the general election on 8 June? If I...

As someone who was brought into government reasonably recently and on to the Committee even more ...

May I ask the Minister two questions? First, in respect of the statement made by the Brexit Secre...

I have enjoyed having proper debates with the hon. Gentleman both during the referendum and since...

Order. [Interruption.] Order. The hon. Member for Aberavon (Stephen Kinnock) should not have been...

Thank you, Mrs Laing. Many of the amendments that have been tabled have focused on the exact natu...

I thought a moment ago that the Minister was rejecting the idea of a meaningful vote, but I am de...

From my experience, I must say that I think that is a rather rose-tinted perspective on EU negoti...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

If I may, I will finish my comments on this amendment, and I will then let my right hon. and lear...

I am again most grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way. He will know—I touched on this in my c...

My right hon. and learned Friend is right about almost everything; the only point he is not right...

I am sure that a lot of people are looking at this debate and seeing it as being conducted very m...

The hon. Lady, as ever, sums up the situation very neatly. Clause 9 is absolutely necessary to ma...

We have only two hours left, and I want to make some progress, but I give way to my right hon. Fr...

I think that my hon. Friend is suggesting a route to solving the problem raised by my right hon. ...

I would hope that the assurances we have made, along with the written ministerial statement, are ...

Does that mean, therefore, that the Government would accept an amendment on Report that put on th...

What I am saying is that my hon. Friend has had an assurance, given by me at the Dispatch Box, th...

Will the Minister give way?

No, I am not going to give way again.

Amendment 47, tabled by the Chair of the Exiting the ...

Will the Minister give way?

I am going to make some progress.

Amendment 116 would require a referendum on accepting the...

I am grateful for that. It was intended as a probing amendment, particularly to ensure that these...

I thank my hon. Friend for his comments. I hope he understands how, in good faith, I am seeking t...

May I correct an error of mine?

I give way.

I mentioned the wrong constituency name. I am sure that my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford wo...

My hon. Friend’s point is well made.

I turn now to equalities legislation. Last week, the G...

rose—

The right hon. Gentleman is quick off the mark. I am about to address his point. When the Bill wa...

The Minister has now clarified what the Government intend to do in relation to primary legislatio...

The amendment has been tabled, and I am giving the right hon. Gentleman the assurance now that th...

I have listened carefully to my hon. Friend’s argument on clause 9. It seems to me that the initi...

The problem is that clause 9, although now of residual use and scope, remains vital if we want th...

I am very grateful indeed to the Minister for allowing me to intervene. I just want him to clarif...

I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. There is absolutely no intention to use clause 9 in a...

Forgive me for correcting the Minister. I do not mean to be rude, but clauses 7 to 9 extend to No...

It is important that any changes that may need to be made to the Northern Ireland Act 1998 to ens...

As a new Member, I have listened intently as many Members on both sides of the Committee—some who...

As I said earlier, clause 9 retains the residual necessity to provide us with agility in these ne...

Will the Minister give way?

I am going to make some progress, because I have been on my feet for some time.

rose—

I will not give way to the hon. Gentleman, because I have given way to him already. I am going to...

rose—

Order. The hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant) knows better—and he also knows better than to r...

A number of Members have tabled amendments seeking to maintain the UK’s membership of EU agencies...

I know that my hon. Friend has been on his feet for 50 minutes. We should be happy to have anothe...

The Government intend to present a written ministerial statement to Parliament before Report whic...

Will the Minister give way?

I want to make some progress, but I will give way once to the hon. Lady.

On the subject of amendment 300, will the Minister confirm that the Government intend any impleme...

That will be addressed in the written ministerial statement and the strategy that will be forthco...

rose—

I am going to make some more progress, if I may.

Secondly, the Government have committed to...

This debate started with an extremely eloquent and passionate contribution by the right hon. Memb...

I welcome the chance to reiterate what has already been said and what is already set out in the w...

Will the Minister give way?

I will not. I am going to finish, because I have been at it for well over an hour and I want to m...

Order. Now that the Minister has spoken and taken a great many interventions, many of the issues ...

Thank you, Mrs Laing. I will do my best but, with short notice, I may struggle to bring my speech...

I have listened to this entire debate with close interest. I think that we are all agreed that we...

Article 50 clearly states that an extension can be requested, so when we voted to trigger it, we ...

I will come back to the way Parliament interacts with the process, but it would be really rather ...

I thought for a moment that my hon. Friend meant all that stuff about my challenging the result o...

No, no, no.

I am sorry; I misheard my hon. Friend. I do not think for one moment that we will have completed ...

As I say, it is not something that we can bank on.

May I just deal with this question of wh...

Does my hon. Friend agree that, to be meaningful, there has to be some time between that vote and...

The right hon. Lady knows as well as I do that the intention is to try to conclude an agreement b...

Well, we have been promised a statute.

Yes, a statute has been promised, but not as a means of second-guessing the negotiations. At what...

I am most grateful to my hon. Friend for giving way. I think that he may misunderstand the positi...

Actually, that option is not available, because article 50 has a deadline, and when that deadline...

Does my hon. Friend agree that this is a process completely driven by Parliament? We have an Act ...

It is wishful thinking that the deadline will be extended. Where I disagree with my right hon. an...

Order.

This is not the moment to try to defeat the Government, when there is another opportunity to amen...

On a point of order, Mrs Laing. Are summits now to be sovereign over Parliament?

That is not a point of order.

This is not the moment to try to defeat the Government, when there is another opportunity to amen...

We have been speaking for months.

Well, continue the discussions.

Will my hon. Friend give way?

No, I will not give way. I keep hearing my right hon. Friend saying, “It’s too late.”

I did not say that; I have never said that.

I have heard my right hon. Friend saying that.

On a point of order, Mrs Laing. I will put up with all sorts of things, but I will not have an ho...

The right hon. Lady knows that that is not a point of order. It is a point of debate. The hon. Me...

I will give way to my right hon. Friend the Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey).

My hon. Friend’s remarks fill me with hope. He seems to accept that this debate is about a point ...

I think that some people in this House might be trying to delay Brexit, some of whom may be suppo...

I will try to do this in three minutes, and I have three principal points. I do not want to speak...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it is deeply insulting for those who have time and again voted...

I could not agree more with the hon. Lady. She is absolutely right.

As my third point, befo...

I rise to address amendment 7, in particular, which I hope the Committee will reject if it is put...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the incentive would be to make sure that the deal was as bad a...

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. We are trying to negotiate a good deal, but it takes two ...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

I will in a second if I can just finish my point.

If that was the case, it would be an outr...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

In a second; I will tell my hon. Friend when I am ready.

Such a limbo would not be business...

I am slightly confused by the point that my hon. Friend is making. I thought that taking back con...

I can help my hon. Friend with her confusion, because the point is very simple. If an amendment s...

Perhaps I could suggest a handicap system for Members who observe the advisory time limit on spee...

I will not be voting for article 7, because I think it is a mistake—[Interruption.] I am extremel...

Does my hon. Friend agree that there is a quite natural solution, which is to put the assurance g...

My right hon. Friend’s speech was absolutely brilliant. He got to the heart of all these matters,...

My hon. Friend is probably right, but my understanding is that the definition of withdrawal agree...

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend, but the Government have already said that we will have a c...

A meaningful vote.

Well, that vote must by its nature be meaningful. As we know, it is very easy to have a meaningfu...

The votes we will have at 7 o’clock will be the most important since this House voted to trigger ...

This House and the people voted to leave in the referendum, and I respect that. Like the vast maj...

Order. I remind Members that if they keep their contributions short, more hon. Members will be ca...

Brexit has had many titles, but in my view it is fast becoming the Laurel and Hardy Brexit, becau...

Parliament should have a meaningful vote on the EU withdrawal agreement before it is implemented....

I rise to speak to amendment 355, which stands in my name and that of my hon. Friends and sets ou...

I have listened carefully to the many esoteric legal arguments that have been advanced this eveni...

My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Let me say to him that—reflecting the mood of the C...

I hope that the Minister’s intervention will satisfy some of my colleagues.

Let me end by s...

I rise to speak about my amendments 293, 294 and 295, which deal with the issue of who decides ex...

Throughout the referendum campaign, leave campaigners spoke about taking back control, and it was...

I rise to support the—

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Yes, of course.

While I was briefly out of the Chamber, an announcement was made of a Government concession, but ...

I rise to support amendment 7, tabled by the right hon. and learned Member for Beaconsfield (Mr G...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that a moment comes in one’s life when, on the most important issue...

I agree absolutely with the right hon. Lady. I pay tribute to her and to a range of other right h...

rose—

I am afraid I must push on, because we are moving towards the deadline.

Having paid tribute...

The House will know that, from my point of view, we cannot get out of the European Union fast eno...

I am coming up to my 18th year in the House. During that time, we have had serious votes on going...

The Government have now made it clear that the House will have a final meaningful vote on the EU ...

I am delighted to intervene again and, reflecting the mood of the House, I can tell my hon. Frien...

I thank the Minister. I am going to take a moment to reflect.

This has been a thoughtful debate that has shown the strength of this House, but the thoughtfulne...

My understanding is that the Minister has just said that the Government will use clause 9, and wi...

I certainly think that something much better is needed, because the powers in clause 9 are unprec...

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:

Amendment 345, in clause 8, page ...

What a privilege it is to have the opportunity to speak on such a momentous evening when Parliame...

It is wonderful to see so many former Ministers on the Conservative Benches discovering their lov...

And I have even more respect for those who have never held ministerial office and who actually vo...

Is the hon. Gentleman wondering—he might be about to come to this—whether the Government have car...

That is indeed a question I was coming to. I am sure that the Minister will tell us that the Gove...

Just as the hon. Gentleman wonders whether the Government have produced impact assessments for th...

Indeed, and after the Minister has finished the first page of his speech, on the impact assessmen...

rose—

Civil service time that should, of course, always be spent on the right hon. Gentleman’s policy i...

Because the hon. Gentleman has, notwithstanding his personal views, accepted the will of the elec...

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman’s constituents knew all this before they voted in the referendum...

On that basis, is it therefore the hon. Gentleman’s intention to reopen the question so that the ...

My view is that the British public always have the right to think again and decide the fate of th...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the other parties to these treaties may not quite have the incenti...

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. As these are potentially fresh treaty discussions, other coun...

As always, my hon. Friend makes a compelling case for changing the Bill. Given that the Governmen...

I will believe the Government if they publish the assessments, and I am prepared to make an appoi...

My hon. Friend is making an important point. Of course, I support his new clause.

I have lo...

It is, and I think it is particularly incumbent on those who advocated Britain’s exit from the EU...

Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Government should carry out an impact assessment to establ...

Indeed. For example, last time I heard, only three officials at the Department for Transport were...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I will give way one more time, but then I must make some progress, because others want to speak.<...

I just wanted to help the hon. Gentleman. Given his position in the Chamber, he might not have be...

I think that the Minister might actually have been tweeting his respect for the result of the vot...

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

I want to make a bit of progress as others want to speak.

We in the UK are thinking that we...

The hon. Gentleman obviously thinks very little of this country if he feels that other countries ...

Those countries already have very good trade agreements with us by virtue of our membership of th...

The hon. Gentleman needs to answer the question that I asked him first, with all due respect. He ...

I hope that countries do, and we will need them to, otherwise we will literally be planting carro...

My hon. Friend rightly raises the issue of these countries objecting to any changes to quota, bec...

That is a real worry. This will not get media attention or airtime, but it is a big chunk of our ...

There is another complication. If we are saying that we are going to have regulatory alignment on...

There is a big issue relating to the most favoured nation status arrangement because of clauses i...

This is a filibuster.

I will finish shortly. I know that I am trying the right hon. Gentleman’s patience.

The 36 ...

The hon. Gentleman is going into great detail about the amount of time and effort that is going t...

Let us think about all the important priorities for our constituents, including public service re...

I shall speak to amendment 352, which seeks to maintain for future trade deals the EU rights and ...

The hon. Gentleman rightly mentioned chlorinated chicken, and he should be worried not only that ...

It is an interesting idea that foxes have been eating chlorinated chicken.

As the right hon...

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that, as well as chlorinated chicken and other items, infant formula ...

People will know that the EU has enormous capacity for negotiating trade deals, and we have been ...

Does my hon. Friend agree that the EU was able to extract additional protections on the environme...

That is precisely right. What we are now seeing with the Japan deal, as with CETA, is that it wil...

I have a great deal of affection and respect for the hon. Member for Nottingham East (Mr Leslie),...

West.

Swansea West. The hon. Member for Nottingham East said that he did not believe that people should...

I am not sure how to follow both of those contributions, but hon. Members may be relieved to know...

The House has heard many technical and legalistic arguments focused on the economic, trade and le...

One key thing that future students will read about and find incredibly difficult to understand is...

Not surprisingly, I could not agree more with my hon. Friend.

Does the hon. Lady agree that there will probably be a chapter in the history books called “Impac...

I absolutely do agree. It will probably say “Impact Assessments” and there will just be a blank p...

Does my hon. Friend share my concern that there has been no proper commitment yet to continuing w...

I absolutely agree. A delegation from across the EU—from Spain, France and many other countries—c...

It has been a pleasure to listen to this wide-ranging debate and to hear some of the speeches, no...

I do have a speech on clause 8 and I would like to raise some specific points, but I am slightly ...

I am very happy to do my best endeavours to ensure that the hon. Lady does get five minutes to ma...

I appreciate the Minister’s explanation of the scope of clause 8. Does he agree that, just like c...

My hon. Friend make a good point on the exact matter that I was going to come to in a moment; she...

rose—

Perhaps I can respond to the hon. Lady’s intervention before she even makes it. It is important t...

I am grateful to the Minister for pre-empting the intervention, but he is referring to my earlier...

I am happy to give that confirmation. As I said to the House of Lords Constitution Committee earl...

By regulation.

At all—by regulation or in any other way.

I will turn briefly to the amendments and respond...

Will the Minister give way?

I will give way once more, but that is it, because I want to give the hon. Member for Wakefield (...

I am just looking for a small concession. If the Minister will not do an assessment, will he at l...

We will be coming forward with more information on this front in due course. However, a lot of th...

rose—

I am going to give the hon. Lady a chance to speak, so I hope she will wait.

That body will...

I thank the Minister for rushing through his speech so that I get the chance to have my five minu...

This is an incredibly important series of discussions. We need more information on the 759 intern...