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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 August 2025
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Displaying 2406 contributions

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Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

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

Meeting date: 13 March 2025

Stephen Kerr

Okay—that was very helpful. You have been a very good witness and I wish that we could have had longer with you, but there we go. I had better let someone else speak.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

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

Meeting date: 13 March 2025

Stephen Kerr

In your paper, you say something very interesting, which is kind of tangential to what we are talking about, about the word “reset”. We have been using that word a lot—in fact, the UK Labour Government has been using it as well—and it obviously carries a lot of heavy meaning. However, you clearly say:

“The term ‘reset’ is ill-defined and widely rejected in EU circles.”

Do talk a bit more about that.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

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

Meeting date: 13 March 2025

Stephen Kerr

I think, from your observation, that Humpty Dumpty was probably a politician, and we all know what happened to Humpty Dumpty. [Laughter.] That is very relevant.

In the same paragraph of your submission to which I referred, you talk about

“opportunities for cooperation in new areas”.

Having read the evidence in the committee papers and listened to you this morning, I am still not sure exactly what that co-operation would look like. Patrick Harvie’s questions and your answers have been very instructive, but I am not entirely sure what it would look like. I refer to what Professor Basiri said about the role that the UK might play in the US and EU approach. Do you have any insight?

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

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

Meeting date: 13 March 2025

Stephen Kerr

Given the nature of the EU, and its insistence that we lock ourselves in to its regulatory approach, it would probably expect us to abide by the European Artificial Intelligence Act 2024, which you referred to. You have not talked about that in the most positive light, in regard to how we can take the most advantage of AI and also protect ourselves from its dangers. You said that we want to be at the cutting edge, as opposed to taking the EU approach, which seems to be having a stifling effect, if I understood correctly.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

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

Meeting date: 13 March 2025

Stephen Kerr

Going back to the geopolitics of the moment, any restriction on American-owned businesses is seen as an affront by certain people who are in power in Washington.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

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

Meeting date: 13 March 2025

Stephen Kerr

Professor Schaffer, you are very strong on the point that this issue is separate from the TCA.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

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

Meeting date: 13 March 2025

Stephen Kerr

If you take your RSE hat off, do you have a different personal view? I would be interested to hear it.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

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

Meeting date: 13 March 2025

Stephen Kerr

It is 500 million.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

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

Meeting date: 13 March 2025

Stephen Kerr

Strange things happen in Paisley.

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee

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

Meeting date: 13 March 2025

Stephen Kerr

Are you talking about wage rates?