Select Committee
Parliament

Mr Barclay is asked to confirm that if there is a Canada-style free trade agreement, there would be customs checks, regulatory checks and rules of origin checks.

"It's absolutely the case that we are committed to Northern Ireland coming out of the EU customs union," he replies.

Mr Barclay says the UK is also committed to "minimising" any checks that are required.

Select Committee
Parliament

When asked whether the EU has been amenable to proposals in the submitted draft political declaration, Mr Barclay says: "It is a negotiation and both sides have equities within that.

"The EU will have legitimate areas of interest that they want to protect as is quite proper.

"The point I was signalling, as the PM has set out, is to have a best in class free trade agreement.

"And a big part of that is the global approach that we want to have in terms of other trade deals with other countries."

Select Committee
Parliament

Mr Barclay is asked by Conservative MP Stephen Crabb whether the negotiations are moving in the direction of a Northern Ireland-only backstop.

"One doesn’t want to get into the detail of negotiations ongoing," he says.

"What was the fifth pillar of the Juncker letter on 2 October [from the PM] was the UK is leaving whole and entire and I think that is absolutely fundamental to the government's approach.

"The sovereignty of the United Kingdom needs to be respected."

Select Committee
Parliament

Mr Barclay says: "My whole focus is on getting a deal.

"A no-deal is disruptive.

"The reality is a deal is a far better outcome."

Select Committee
Parliament

Stephen Barclay tells MPs the Benn Act has been "unhelpful" to negotiations.

"But I think what is recognised, both in the EU and the UK, that the time is now for a deal," he says.

"The teams are working extremely hard to take that forward."

Select Committee
Parliament

Mr Barclay says the UK government has submitted a draft text for the political declaration with the EU.

There are a "number of aspects" in discussion, he says.

Select Committee
Parliament

Mr Barclay defends the provision in the PM's Brexit proposals that means the consent of Northern Ireland's politicians is to be sought every four years - meaning the arrangement could, in theory, continue indefinitely.

"The legislation failed three times because of concerns around [its] democratic nature," he says, referring to the withdrawal agreement that MPs rejected.

Select Committee
Parliament

Image source, UK Parliament

Mr Barclay says the government is "focused on delivering" a deal.

He says it is "essential" that "we reach agreement with the EU, then [there is] the question of whether it is deliverable in UK Parliament".

Mr Benn asks how long the government expects Parliament to take to approve and ratify a Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

"Based on your legislation," Mr Barclay replies, referring to the Benn Act, "it is a House that can move very quickly when it wishes to do so."

Select Committee
Parliament

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay is asked by committee chairman Hilary Benn whether the House will be sitting on Saturday 19 October.

Mr Barclay says it will be for the Commons leader to set out what the House will be doing tomorrow.

"We will see what the progress (with negotiations) is today," he says.

On whether the prime minister will send a letter as required by the Benn Act if the House does not approve a deal by 19 October, Mr Barclay says: "The government will comply with the law."

He adds: "We are committed to leaving on 31 October, we think the best way to do that is with a deal.

"That is why the team are - as we speak - involved in negotiations. We think there will political will on both sides."

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay is answering questions from the Brexit select committee about the progress of the UK's exit from the EU.

Later on today, MPs and peers will be debating the contents of the Queen's Speech, the government's legislative agenda outlined on Monday.