Speeches by Maynard.

“Steve, would it help, would it not help or no answer? I just want to get to the bottom of that.”

“My second question is for you, Sir John. You are busy with Genomics England, UK Biobank and Our Future Health. Are there any points from those that you would like to pull out and educate us about that would help the life sciences sector?”

“I will be very brief. Of the £40 million that this House put aside, less than £13 million has been spent, seven years on. We really want to get to the bottom of that because it is not doing anybody any good by just sitting in a bank account. We need some answers about how it will be spent fast on useful research.”

“I am talking trade here and why so many traders in the UK have given up trading with the European Union. I would posit that it is because it has become much harder. Bureaucracy is much worse. Do you agree that bureaucracy is much worse? I think you do, yes?”

“If I may, what have we gained?”

“Lord Sedwill, a lot of this is about where the UK goes, taking a medium to long-term aspect rather than a short-term one. Your point about monopolies is very well taken. If we are looking to mitigate, manage or even contest those sorts of risks, and we want to push UK ideas, policy, security and economy, are we better …”

“In the medium to long term?”

“Okay, but just to answer that one on the long term—and I take your point about medium and short—in order to have the UK’s strength maximised, where are we better off? I am interested to hear your thoughts.”

“I have three very short questions. First, do you think it is a sensible goal to be heading towards a single market in electricity with the EU? Secondly, many interconnectors across the North Sea are linear, from A to B. Do you think we should be heading towards a mesh or a grid network in the North Sea with partners? T…”

“I refer Members to my list of interests. Dan, I want to cross-check on facts. The US is 15.3% of UK goods exports. You said that the next three were smaller than that. As per at least my phone now, Germany is at 7%, Ireland is at 6.4% and the Netherlands is at 6.2%. That is 19.6%. Total exports to the EU collectively a…”

“The first bit was goods and then I said that total UK exports were 41% EU and it is 51% of the imports.”

“I will check that while we are talking, but thank you for that. I think that you take the point that, on goods, which is where the frictions have come in, the US is nowhere near the top three in Europe. I find it bizarre that you are talking about Australia, New Zealand and Canada, which might make up 5% of our goods e…”

“Is that true or not? None of that is true.”

“When we have this massive dropout of small traders who are no longer trading with the European Union, why do you think that is?”

“Which bits of trade are inside your remit? What are you going to be doing as a council on trade?”

“Services have done okay, but goods are being hammered. I am worried about all those manufacturing companies in the UK that are being smacked by being cut off from key markets, and what we are going to do about it. I am worried because it seems that trade is not part of your remit or otherwise.”

“Do you think it would be a good idea if trade was included in your remit?”

“Trade is about international and domestic supply chains. Are trade and our relationship with our trading partners—what is and is not working—inside or outside the scope of the industrial strategy council?”

“It is an industrial strategy council, and we understand that tax is outside its remit. I just asked about the single market and customs union, and you said that that was not something you were going to give a view on. What aspects of trade are inside or outside the remit of the council?”

“Really?”