9 January 2018
Jonathan Djanogly backs efforts to secure continuity in government procurement post-Brexit

Speaking in a debate on the Second Reading of the Trade Bill, Jonathan Djanogly backs a clause which aims to ensure continuity with regard to the GPA, or government procurement agreement, post-Brexit, as we will have to rejoin the GPA in our own right, rather than as a member of the EU.

Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon) (Con)

I totally support my right hon. Friend’s aims in clause 1 and the need for us to re-engage with the GPA. The clause also shows how vital it is that we leave the EU with agreements in place, rather than just falling off a cliff. We are not a member of the GPA through our membership of the EU, and we will have to rejoin in our own right—in the same way as we will have to re-engage with our schedules, which we have through the EU rather than in our own right.

Dr Fox

As a doctor, I have never thought that falling off a cliff is sensible. It is certainly clear that it is beneficial to the UK to have a number of agreements in place, which is why we have introduced the legislation—to provide maximal continuity and security. That is the whole point of the legislation. My hon. Friend is correct that we will have to do the same exercise with our schedules in Geneva, but if I may make one slight correction, we are already an independent member of the WTO in our own right and we simply operate our schedules through the EU. We are not a member of the WTO by virtue of our membership of the EU in the same way as we are with the GPA.

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