UK-EU relations ‘bumpy for a time’, David Frost says – follow live

Asked about the Northern Ireland protocol, Lord Frost told MPs: “There is the risk of gaps opening up in regulation between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The important thing is to make sure the protocol operates in a balanced and pragmatic way, which takes account of the real conditions.

“We saw an example of this over the weekend of the kind of problems that can be generated, whereby it was clear despite I think a little bit of dust thrown in the eyes by the EU, it was clear that they’re asserting their right to regulate cancer drugs in Northern Ireland, rather than the UK doing that – and that sort of thing is going to be a problem if we can’t find pragmatic ways through it that protect our UK national health service.”

Listing looming post-Brexit reforms contained within various upcoming bills, David Frost told MPs on the European Scrutiny Committee: “I think I have a role in making sure that what we put before parliament is genuinely reforming, genuinely consistent with deregulation and the spirit of Brexit, and goes forward on that basis.”

Discussing his main objectives as chief Brexit negotiator, Lord Frost listed the Northern Ireland Protocol (which he said is “clearly a very live issue”) and “getting the overall relationship, subject to that, off to a decent footing” – adding: “I think it will be a bit bumpy for a time.”

He said his third objective was to identify opportunities and “things we can do differently”, adding: “That’s what’s going to make the biggest difference to our economic success going forward.”

The House of Commons commission has said that, from today, a total of 64 MPs will be able to speak in the Chamber following a review of social distancing measures – nearly double the previous number.

The changes include seven marked seats in the under galleries beyond the Bar of the House which have had new microphones installed to enable this, the commission said.

Politicians must continue wearing face coverings when seated in the Chamber – and the commission also agreed that MPs should be encouraged to take part in lateral flow testing twice a week.

Options for a drop-in testing facility close to the Chamber are currently being investigated with a view to being introduced next week, in addition to the Attlee Suite in PCH. The House will also be providing testing kits for those who are unable to access testing on the estate to enable colleagues to test themselves at home.

Irish Taoiseach Michael Martin has said he did not get an immediate sense from his meeting with British counterpart Boris Johnson that London wants to rewrite Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trading arrangements, Reuters reports.

Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE reported on Monday that the Irish government is increasingly concerned that London wants to completely rewrite the Northern Ireland section of its deal to leave the European Union.

Asked about the report, Mr Martin told an online event: “We were very clear and are very clear that this is an international agreement, commitments have been made and it needs to be worked and the processes that are in it need to be worked also.”

In other news, our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports that Rishi Sunak is withholding support for Joe Biden’s minimum global business tax rate ahead of discussions about the issue at the G7.

The new US president is pushing for a 21 per cent rate as part of a plan to crack down on tax avoidance by multinational companies like Amazon – but the UK is resisting the proposal, set to be discussed at a meeting of the global powers in Cornwall, with officials reportedly believing that Mr Biden’s plans would disproportionately benefit the US.

A spokesperson for Boris Johnson has said that the UK is urging the EU to take a “risk-based approach” to the post-Brexit rules governing trade with Northern Ireland, stressing that solutions should be found rapidly.

“We remain committed to working through the issues with the EU and we hope they will show common sense and take a risk based approach,” he told reporters.

Downing Street defended the traffic light system used for international travel despite questions over the status of “amber list” nations.

There are no longer any restrictions on leaving England to travel internationally, but people have been told not to travel to red or amber list states.

Asked why it was not illegal to go to amber list destinations, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “Our advice is that no one should be travelling to amber countries, that’s in the interests of public health.

“There may be unavoidable, essential reasons for which people still have to travel to amber list countries, that’s why the rules are there.”

The spokesman added: “It’s right to have this three-tiered approach because there are some limited circumstances where – for unavoidable work reasons, for example – it’s necessary to travel to these amber list countries where we know there are concerns but we don’t have specific instances of variants of concern that we would want to place an outright ban on.”