Lords to question David Davis on Brexit priorities
The House of Lords EU Committee will this week question Rt Hon David Davis MP, Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, on the Government's priorities for the Brexit negotiations and the role he sees for Parliament in scrutinising the process.
The session follows the Government's announcement that it intends to formally trigger Article 50 on Wednesday 29 March, which will begin the two year negotiating period before the UK leaves the European Union.
The evidence session will start at 4pm on Wednesday 22 March in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.
Some of the issues the Committee will cover with Mr Davis include:
- The key milestones between the triggering of Article 50 and the UK exiting the EU
- The mechanisms the Government intend to put in place to ensure they deliver on their commitment that the UK Parliament will have as much access to information on the negotiations as the European Parliament
- How will the parliamentary votes on the final deal will work? What will happen if approval is withheld, by one or both Houses?
- When will the Government set out more details on the forthcoming Great Repeal Bill?
- Does the Government agree with the recent Committee's recent report that found that if the UK leaves the EU without a deal in place it would not be legally required to make any further financial contributions to the EU?
The Committee will also take evidence today (Tuesday 21 March) from former Northern Ireland party leaders Lord Trimble (former First Minister), Mark Durkan MP (former Deputy First Minister), and Lord Alderdice (former Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly), to consider the Northern Ireland dimension of its inquiry on the impact of Brexit on devolution. This session will start at 4pm in Committee Room 3 of the House of Lords.