Yesterday the President of the Policy & Resources Committee, alongside the Chief Ministers from Jersey and the Isle of Man, appeared before the House of Lords European Union Committee to discuss the impact of the EU exit on the Crown Dependencies.
The EU Committee of the House of Lords is a special committee that scrutinises the UK Government's policies and actions in respect of the EU. The purpose of the Committee's inquiry is to examine the following issues:
- the reaction in the Crown Dependencies to the UK's referendum on EU membership;
- the Crown Dependencies' existing relationship with the EU, and how this will be affected by Brexit;
- the risks and opportunities that Brexit will present for the islands;
- what relationship the Crown Dependencies will seek to have with the EU post-Brexit;
- the structures for communicating the islands' concerns and priorities to the UK Government during exit negotiations.
Deputy St Pier said:
"The EU Committee meeting provided a valuable opportunity as part of the islands' wider engagement with UK Parliament to ensure that the impacts of a UK exit on the islands are well understood. I welcomed the opportunity once again to reiterate to another audience the responsibility which the UK Government has on behalf of the Crown to represent our interests. So I was pleased to hear the Chairman, Lord Boswell, recognise the importance of properly understanding and safeguarding the position of the Crown Dependencies as the UK leaves the EU. It is encouraging that he and his Committee are interested in the issues impacting us. Our engagement with UK Parliament will continue alongside our close working with the UK Government in the coming months and years."
