Brexit plan will not be published until February, says David Davis
The government’s Brexit plan will not be published until February 2017, David Davis the Brexit secretary said on Wednesday.
Appearing before the Brexit select committee for the first time, Davis said he wanted to be as “open as we can be” without revealing the government’s hand, but there are a number of areas where there is still “work to be done” on the plan for leaving the European Union, such as on justice and home affairs.
“As soon as we can, once all of the research and policy is completed. It won’t be next month. The policy work is still under way, there are quite a few decisions still to be made.”
He said that his department is currently doing 57 studies, which cover 85% of the economy.
Prime Minister Theresa May said she would trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, which starts a two-year clock on formal negotiations with the EU, by the end of March.
Last week, MPs voted to keep to May’s timetable and for greater clarity on negotiations so they could scrutinise the plan before the clause is activated.
Davis said: "The reasons for setting the final possible date, 31 March were numerous but one of them was the determination to carry out all of the policy work first, consult properly and then bring something to Parliament. It won't be next month. The policy work is still under way and there are quite a few decisions that have to be made."
He also said that he wanted “maximum” access to the single market with “minimum disruption” to businesses in the UK and indicated that he was working on four outcomes relating to the customs union.
“The four I have in mind are inside the customs union: a ‘partially inside’ Turkish model, outside with a free trade agreement and a customs arrangement, and completely outside.”
Chancellor Philip Hammond previously said a transition deal would be “generally helpful”. Davis said a transitional arrangement means many things to different plan, while an implementation phase would be drawn up if it is “necessary”.