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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 21 December 2024
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Displaying 1830 contributions

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Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 5 December 2024

Stephen Kerr

You mentioned the mutual recognition agreement with Canada. Does it give you hope that the EU might be open to such an agreement, given the fact that prior to our leaving the EU, we had mutual recognition with it? Does it give you hope?

My daughter-in-law studied at the Glasgow School of Art as part of the seven years that she studied to be an architect. There is no doubt about the veracity and the quality of the qualifications. Are you optimistic that mutual recognition appears to be achievable?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 5 December 2024

Stephen Kerr

Can you think of any reasons why that would not be achievable?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 5 December 2024

Stephen Kerr

Good point. The UK recognises European qualifications—

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 5 December 2024

Stephen Kerr

Okay. That is very interesting.

Joseph Maguire, I have one question for you, which is on data flows. When we left the EU, it was thought that we would have massive disruption in data flows, data processing centres and all the rest of it. What is your experience? What is the anecdotal experience with regards to that ability to exchange information across borders with the EU?

10:30  

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 5 December 2024

Stephen Kerr

This is a hugely important aspect for the running of any economy now. Data is the oil, as it were, of the 21st century in this respect. Since we left the EU, has the exchange of information and data flows between us and the EU been impeded in, for example, the field that you are in—academia?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 5 December 2024

Stephen Kerr

I was interested to hear what Ben Addy alluded to in his earlier comments. You said that you had EU staff working with you and now you do not have any. Why? Presumably they were here before we left the EU and they had all the same rights afterwards. Why did they decide to go home?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 5 December 2024

Stephen Kerr

Is that now, or was that the case before we left the EU? Was it rare before as well?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 5 December 2024

Stephen Kerr

It has always been a reality, of course, in any given economic structure that small organisations with fewer resources will find things a bit more difficult.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 5 December 2024

Stephen Kerr

That is the give-and-take of trade generally, but the key point that I am trying to get to is whether there been major disruption in the flow of data and information in your particular field. I do not want to lead the witness, because that is against all the protocols, but I do not hear any obstacles. It seems to have gone better than everyone thought that it would.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee [Draft]

Review of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement

Meeting date: 5 December 2024

Stephen Kerr

There are no legal impediments, though?