Key Facts

• The European Union (Future Relationship) Bill is being read for the second time.
• AstraZeneca has rolled out a new UK-made vaccine approved by the MHRA.
• The deal will increase Scottish fishermen’s share of cod stocks by 47% to 57% and haddock stocks by 70% to 84% in five and a half years.
• The free trade agreement is worth over £660 billion.
• British exporters will face zero tariffs and quotas when leaving the EU single market and customs union.
• The UK will fish about 130,000 tonnes more fish a year than currently.
• No jurisdiction for the European Court of Justice.
• EU law will no longer have any special status in the UK.
• Free trade agreement includes reciprocal commitments to prevent distortions of trade.
• The UK will regain control of its waters as an independent coastal state after 50 years.
• The UK's share of fish in its waters will increase from over half to around two-thirds during a five-and-a-half-year adjustment period.
• £100 million will be invested to modernise fishing fleets and the fish processing industry.
• Fifteen per cent. of the EU’s historic catch from UK waters will be returned to this country next year.
• Lindsay Hoyle has accepted a request for an additional statement on education return.
• The statement will take place in January, following a covid-19 update and preceding the business statement.
• The ballot for this additional statement is currently open.
• Keir Starmer states that voting against the deal would result in no deal.
• The debate is happening one day before the end of the transition period on Christmas eve.
• Businesses have had little time to prepare for new regulations due to uncertainty.
• The Brexit treaty will impose checks for farmers, manufacturers, customs, rules of origin, VAT, safety and security, plant and animal health.
• Services account for 80% of UK economic output.
• In 2019, EU databases such as the Schengen information system were accessed 600 million times by UK police.
• Lindsay Hoyle introduces a four-minute limit for Back Benchers.
• The announcement is made during the debate on the European Union (Future Relationship) Bill.
• The European Union (Future Relationship) Bill is under discussion.
• The bill represents a choice between accepting the current deal or voting against it.
• Voting against the deal equates to opting for no-deal Brexit according to some MPs.
• Scotland could lose access to a £16 billion export market worth £9 billion in GDP by 2030.
• Initial Scottish Government modelling estimates that leaving the European single market and customs union could cut Scotland’s GDP by around 6.1%.
• The deal leaves people in Scotland an estimated £1,600 poorer.
• The Institute for Public Policy Research warns that workers’ rights and environmental protections are at serious risk.
• The service sector, which constitutes 80% of the UK economy, has been left in limbo by the deal.
• Key fishing stocks such as cod, haddock, whiting, and saithe will have less access under the new deal than under the common fisheries policy.
• The SNP received 1,200,000 votes in the 2019 election.
• In 2014, there were 2 million votes against Scottish independence.
• Margaret Thatcher led significant debates to stay in the European Union in 1975.
• £660 billion deal allows for zero tariffs and quotas with EU.
• Fishing rights do not grant unlimited freedom as suggested by the Prime Minister.
• Agreement includes working parties, specialist committees and partnership councils.
• Northern Ireland will still be subject to some EU laws made in Brussels.
• VAT on second-hand cars in Northern Ireland will increase by 20% from January 1, 2021.
• The Prime Minister is credited for delivering the trade deal despite doomsayers' predictions.
• Iain Duncan Smith acknowledges his opposition to Maastricht and supports the deal as it brings back control of sovereignty to the UK.
• Jonathan Edwards argues that voting against the agreement will introduce extra bureaucracy and red tape.
• The Brexit Select Committee published a report on the agreement.
• The UK will have zero tariffs and zero quotas with the EU.
• The Turing scheme offers opportunities to 35,000 UK students worldwide.
• The UK has signed continuity agreements with 62 countries.
• Kevin Brennan understands the desire to move on from Brexit but argues against voting for a bad deal.
• The Government's approach to negotiations has been ideological, damaging culturally and economically.
• The Erasmus educational programme has ended, impacting young people's opportunities post-Brexit.
• Touring musicians lose work permit-free access across the EU, leading to over 200,000 petition signatures.
• The UK-EU trade agreement increases red tape with 23 new committees overseeing trade bureaucracy.
• An estimated £20 billion annual cost for British businesses due to new forms and customs officials.
• Welsh farmers face more export regulations compared to New Zealand under the deal.
• Police lose real-time access to European crime-fighting databases like Schengen II, used 600 million times annually.
• The trade agreement preserves tariff-free and quota-free trade worth over £660 billion.
• Sheep farmers will face tariffs of almost 50% without the deal, leading to relief this Christmas.
• The fishing industry gains 25% more fish worth £146 million for its fleet over five years.
• MP Ellie Reeves calls for restoring UK participation in Erasmus and securing cultural work permits.
• The UK will leave EU jurisdiction tomorrow after being in limbo since January 31st.
• A national opinion poll shows 55% of British public wanting MPs to vote for the deal, while only 15% do not.
• Welsh farmers selling lamb to the EU will face complex paperwork and new produce checks.
• About 140,000 jobs in Wales's manufacturing sectors could be hampered by disruption to cross-border supply chains.
• The Erasmus programme has been shut down for young people in Wales.
• The Bill is supported despite not going as far as desired in some areas.
• More work is needed on data adequacy arrangements for financial services.
• Extending mutual recognition of professional qualifications beyond lawyers is requested.
• Swift accession to the Lugano convention is recommended.
• There is a commitment to securing a deal for Gibraltar.
• The UK exports 80% of its fish catch into the EU.
• The UK imports 70% of its seafood consumption from elsewhere.
• Communities like Fleetwood voted to leave on promises about fishing regeneration.
• The UK will leave the European Union on New Year's Eve.
• The debate includes reflections on the battles fought by pro-Brexit groups.
• Northern Ireland voted to reject leaving the EU and continues to oppose the current deal.
• The UK has issues to address in Northern Ireland, fishing, and Gibraltar under the new treaty.
• Switzerland's experience with the EU shows how the bloc can use treaties against its interests.
• The deal includes a five-and-a-half-year window for EU access to UK fishing waters up to 12 miles from shore.
• £100 million is available from the Treasury to rebuild fishing infrastructure.
• MPs are urged to support the treaty in Division Lobbies.
• The UK will no longer have access to Europol, Eurojust, European arrest warrant, and EU databases like SIS II.
• The database was consulted over 600 million times by UK police forces in 2019.
• Tomorrow night the police and Border Force will remove access to details of 38,000 wanted suspects and criminals from the SIS II criminal database.
• Brine supports the Prime Minister's deal despite differences with the government.
• The deal does not protect UK passporting rights in EU financial services.
• Brine seeks clarification on what steps are needed post-deal for financial service firms.
• The UK is set to leave the European Union with a deal secured by the Prime Minister, avoiding a no-deal Brexit.
• SNP Members are voting against the deal despite previous statements supporting any deal over no deal.
• A 25% transfer of fishing quota from EU to UK fishermen will occur over five and a half years starting January 1st.
• £100 million investment in the fishing sector by the UK Government is planned.
• Conor Burns reflects on his opposition to the Maastricht treaty as a student.
• The statement celebrates Boris Johnson’s leadership in delivering Brexit.
• The speaker asserts that the UK's exit from the EU is a personal triumph for Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
• The UK is about to regain full independence over laws, money, trade, and borders.
• Zero tariffs on goods and zero quotas are part of the deal.
• Questions remain regarding rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary regulations, and access to services.
• Financial services equivalence with the EU will be closely monitored.
• The hard Brexit deal will damage the UK economy by 4.9%.
• Northern Ireland is excluded from the trade bloc under this deal.
• Scotland voted to remain in the EU in 2016, with 54% supporting a UK in the EU and 62% for the EU overall.
• Financial services are not covered in this deal but the City of London Corporation welcomes the joint declaration on financial services regulatory cooperation.
• The Brexit deal is seen as damaging and lacks explicit informed consent from the British people.
• Hinkley Point nuclear power station is cited as an example of EU cooperation success.
• EDF Energy has invested in training facilities for decommissioning, new build, and running existing Magnox stations across the UK.
• The Agriculture Act 2020 provides freedom to manage upland farming without immediate rewilding or additional difficulties.
• The statement criticizes past inefficiencies in government implementation and policy.
• Focus on rebuilding domestic industries such as fishing, biomedical, and manufacturing sectors.
• Concerns about the impact of the withdrawal agreement on Northern Ireland's sovereignty and its implications for Scotland.
• The Bill runs to 80 pages, with more than a thousand pages of agreement to be read alongside.
• Concerns are raised about Northern Ireland's challenges post-Brexit, security measures including SIS II, the European arrest warrant, and Europol.
• There is a £200 billion loss in wealth mentioned as an impact of Brexit.
• Sovereignty is central to the debate on Brexit.
• Transition period ends at 11:00 PM on New Year's Eve.
• Voting for the legislation avoids no-deal, which would be catastrophic for businesses and the creative industries in West Yorkshire.
• The creative industries contribute £111 billion to the UK economy.
• A petition regarding the issue has been signed by over 195,000 people.
• The UK will be worse off next week in every sphere.
• Some government members believe tests have been met despite failures in promises made by Brexiteers.
• There is a possibility of participating in the Horizon Europe programme but without influence over its future direction.
• The trade and co-operation agreement was concluded on Christmas Eve 2020.
• Sheep farmers in north Wales will continue exporting tariff-free to EU markets while exploring new global opportunities.
• Coastal communities are among the poorest in the UK, heavily impacted by Brexit promises not being fulfilled.
• Businesses have less than a week with two bank holidays to prepare for new trading relationships post-Brexit.
• The SNP argues that Scottish support for independence has been increasing in polls.
• Heather Wheeler highlights that Toyota exports more than 80% of cars made to Europe from her constituency.
• The trade deal includes no quotas for the automotive sector, a transition period of five and a half years for rules of origin, and no trade barriers.
• The transition period ends on December 30th.
• Over 80% of the UK economy is made up of services.
• The treaty has 1,246 pages.
• Tim Burgess criticized the deal's impact on cultural industries.
• Labour tabled seven amendments to address various issues.
• The agreement was concluded by Lord Frost's team and Michel Barnier's team.
• More people voted for Brexit than have ever voted on any proposition in British history.
• There are now 4 million EU citizens residing in the UK.
• The deal ensures tariff-free and quota-free access to the European market.
• The Northern Ireland protocol is acknowledged as imperfect but necessary.
• The SNP is voting for no deal despite previous opposition.
• Fish stocks have increased by 198% for North Sea hake, 188% for West of Scotland saithe, 54% for West of Scotland cod, and 297% for North Sea sole since leaving the common fisheries policy.
• The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is approved by the MHRA.