Speeches by Benn.

“The honest answer would be that it is a work in progress, really. I am very keen to build good relationships with all of the people I have the privilege of working with. There have been one or two bumps along the way. The city deals were definitely a bump, but I have to say that we all felt joy when I went to co-sign t…”

“There is one other thing I would add on public service transformation. Part of the deal that the previous Government did when the institutions were restored was to set aside £235 million, as you will be aware, for public services transformation. In talking to the First and Deputy First Minister and other Ministers, the…”

“There is a balance to be struck here. On the one hand, there is very considerable, as you will know, devolution to the Executive and the Assembly. On the other hand, the UK has, and particularly the new Government have, a great interest in ensuring that the missions are met throughout the UK. As I have reflected on pre…”

“Thank you very much, Chair and members of the Committee. Can I begin by saying how much Fleur and I, and indeed all the team at the NIO, are looking forward to working with you? Thanks very much for inviting us to appear before you today. As Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, I have three main priorities. The fir…”

“I do understand, and I hear the strength of feeling. I have tried to explain why we are in this situation. It is our departure from the European Union that has created every single one of the issues that the hon. Gentleman has just identified. We have to find a practical way forward in honouring the decision that the B…”

“I am about to conclude, but I will give way one last time.”

“I did listen very carefully. The record will show exactly what the hon. and learned Gentleman said, but I take his point. When it comes to access to materials and goods moving from GB to Northern Ireland, that does happen under the Windsor framework. There are certain things that businesses have to do, but the goods do…”

“Northern Ireland is very much part of the United Kingdom. I was merely pointing out that the protocol and the Windsor framework were democratic decisions of this Parliament, of which Northern Ireland is a part. After much debate, consideration, argument and disputation, that is how this Parliament decided to move thing…”

“I have great respect for the right hon. Gentleman, and he and I have had many discussions about progress on implementing the commitments made in “Safeguarding the Union”. He can see the progress that has been made, and he and I have discussed issues where there is work in progress. By the way, the original protocol, wh…”

“I hope it will not come as a surprise to the hon. Gentleman if I say that I agree with him. Complaining and ignoring does not get us very far. He anticipates what I am about to come on to: the progress we have seen as a result of the Windsor framework.”

“For my many and varied sins, I spent a number of years chairing the Brexit Select Committee. We looked at all of these things at great length, and I have to say to the hon. and learned Gentleman on the basis of that experience that nothing hoved into view that would address the central question: how to maintain an open…”

“What a pleasure it is to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. I congratulate the hon. and learned Member for North Antrim (Jim Allister) on securing the debate. It is good to see so many colleagues from Northern Ireland in the Chamber. All of us will agree on one thing: the importance of Northern Ireland to our Union. T…”

“We are absolutely committed to that. There were practical difficulties with bringing the parcels arrangements into effect by 1 October. Then we had an election and various other things. The consequence, as you all know very well, of not proceeding with the parcels bit was that the EU said, “If that is the case, the cus…”

“I know it is, but I would draw your attention to the references I made to “Safeguarding the Union” only a few hours ago, because it is an important part of the restoration package. We are working very hard on a number of fronts. Although there are difficulties from time to time, as I also mentioned this morning—I menti…”

“I am indeed. I mentioned it at least twice, and maybe three times, in the debate that you and I were in earlier today.”

“It is a practical problem. If we come to the conclusion, and can persuade the EU, that there is no other way for these medicines to be available, we both have a problem, and farmers and vets have a problem in Northern Ireland, so what are we going to do about it? In the end, the EU moved on human medicines when we were…”

“As it so happens, the Veterinary Medicines Working Group is meeting again on Thursday, I think, this week. What is the process that we are engaged in? It is to understand what are, when all other steps have been taken, the medicines that otherwise will not be available, because there has—well, there has not been an arg…”

“We do, yes.”

“The European Union has to decide a mandate for any such negotiations. The difference between this Government and the last is that the last Government said, “The deal we have is perfect. It does not need to be improved upon”. We have arrived and said, “We can do better than this”. Given the challenges in respect of the …”

“You may call it a bargain, and who am I to disagree?”