Speeches by Hoare.

“By that, you mean direct mail order.”

“Could you just give us a word or two on your assessment of the progress of the horticulture working group, specifically with regards to trying to resolve outstanding issues in relation to the movement of plants GB to NI?”

“Can I probe? I entirely take the point about the disruption of the general election and the dust settling and so on, but how often has the working group met? I took away from your first answer to my question that it is intending to meet but has not.”

“It is a work of fiction, Gavin.”

“It is the incompetent competent authority.”

“Ms Murphy, this question may be specific to you. What, if any, have been the main benefits or challenges reported by consumers in Northern Ireland in relation to the framework?”

“Has there been any sort of rejigging of the supply chain in terms of transport logistics in order to try to ameliorate that?”

“On that wider point, you have mentioned HMRC and that slight change of approach. What are you picking up as the stock answer, if you will, from HMG? Is it, “We are having evolutionary discussions about the next steps with the EU so just bide your time,” or, “We going to pat our head and rub our tummies at the same time…”

“Rest assured that Northern Ireland is never forgotten about. Chair, can I turn to dual market access? Back in the day, many of us trumpeted this as a unique proposition which, if exploited and understood well, could deliver some significant benefit. Has business benefited from that dual access, or is it a process?”

“I have two short questions, both to Ms Pheasey. The first is on the plant health label scheme. The Committee will make some recommendations and observations back to Government, based on what we hear during these sessions. What two improvements would you like to see that would make it operate better?”

“Is that principally targeted to nurseries?”

“Inadvertently misleading.”

“When did he know?”

“I do not know how to break this to the Minister: I do not know if he realises this, but when the thousands of farmers come to Westminster, they do not come to thank him or the Secretary of State. Yesterday, we had the sustainable farming incentive announcement. Today, there is an announcement that there is to be no ext…”

“Can we explore those concerns a little bit? Are they concerns for the future? Are they concerns now? Are you able to identify certain strands where the concerns around availability are manifesting themselves, or where they fear they may?”

“With respect, it was not, because I actually jotted it down verbatim. The record will show that that is what you said.”

“I appreciate that. I am asking for your views on the principle.”

“Ms Kilpatrick and Mr Holder, I am not entirely sure it is fair or justifiable, in one breath, to welcome a greater degree of engagement from the Government in the evolution of their plans and consultation and then chastise them for not moving quickly enough. You can praise them for one, but do not damn them for the oth…”

“But it could be.”

“With respect, that is not what I said. I was referring back to what you had said and the direct quote is, “Nothing wrong with what we had before.” Is there just no merit in resting the determination of outstanding issues on the evidential thresholds before either court proceedings and/or an inquest, without having to h…”