European Union (Withdrawal) Bill — House of Commons, 2018-01-16
Topic: International Affairs
Michael John Gapes (Labour, Centre-left): I actually think, in the case of Anguilla, it is because the Government have never even thought about it. Only now are issues like this coming up to bite them. We could have had an impact assessment on Anguilla. It would be nice to know whether there was such a thing; I suspect not. The Government did not give any consideration to these issues when they triggered article 50, so they probably did not even consider that In "Anguilla & Brexit: Britain’s Forgotten EU Border", which was published last summer, the Government of Anguilla call for four things. First, they want a "Common travel area between Saint Martin and Anguilla", and state that "protocol 22 of the EU Treaties…provides that the UK and another EU member state…may continue to make arrangements between themselves for the free movement of people within the CTA." The same model is adopted for Ireland because of the historical relationships. A common travel area would be a way to prevent an economic and social disaster for Anguilla. In practice, it would mean free movement of nationals of the French and Dutch St Martin and Sint Maarten, and Anguilla, between those islands with a "frictionless border without the need for passport control." It would also allow visitors flying into St Martin from any country in the world to go to Anguilla easily as tourists Secondly, the Government of Anguilla call for a customs union in the region "with European countries, territories and municipalités in the eastern Caribbean." There has been a lot of talk about customs unions. I do not wish to repeat the debate that we have already had, as this issue will come back, but a customs union between the European Union territories in the region, the other countries in the region and the overseas territories of the United Kingdom could be really helpful in the Caribbean. Anguilla imports oil and other essential materials that it cannot exist without. It also exports fresh produce, which is predominantly sold to St Martin. There is therefore a real need for some kind of customs relationship that avoids tariffs and barriers Thirdly, the Government of Anguilla call for a "Continued relationship between the UK and EU for the purposes of international development", as well as, "Continued membership of the Overseas Countries and Territories Association of the European Union of Anguilla with full access to European Development Funds and support" Now, that may come at a cost. Are the British Government prepared to pay that cost in the negotiations? If they do not there will, as I have already suggested, be a major impact on the Anguillan economy and future development Fourthly and finally, the Government of Anguilla are looking to "Stronger ties between Anguilla and Britain" This country has neglected our overseas territories for far too long. We do not give them the status that overseas territories have in France or the Netherlands. There is a wider issue that is not just about Anguilla and on which the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs may well comment after we have completed our current inquiry: we need a better ongoing relationship with these small communities of 15,000 people whose association with the United Kingdom goes back to the 17th century—longer, as I pointed out at the beginning, than the association of Gibraltar with the United Kingdom.