Paul Blomfield MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Brexit and EU Negotiations, highlighting the lack of transparency over the Brexit negotiations, said:

“Coronavirus has rightly been the focus of all our energies for the last few weeks, and will continue to be the priority, but the Government has chosen to continue negotiations with the EU during this period. With that decision comes a responsibility to report to Parliament on their progress.

“So far Michael Gove, the Minister accountable for the negotiations, has failed to do so. Today is the first meeting of the specialised EU-UK committee on the Northern Ireland Protocol, and the second round of negotiations took place last week, but Gove has not made an oral statement to the House on this issue since February.

“He must urgently commit to updating the House in person after every subsequent round of negotiations and after every meeting of the Joint Committee.”