Quotes from David Lidington

Open and fair competition within free markets encourages innovation, meaning fresh perspectives can be applied. The private sector also brings skills and knowledge to bear on what can often be complex issues.

Our competitors outside Europe are manufacturing goods cheaper and better. Through innovation, other countries are producing new products which we do not make yet, but which we could.

Most of us have embraced digital technology, and depend on it more and more in our daily lives, both at home and at work.

Having spent six years as Europe Minister, I am in no doubt about the technical challenge Brexit presents lawmakers.

The work of the CSSF and Prosperity Fund is guided by the National Security Council. As chair of the National Security Council Sub-Committee that oversees both funds, I am working to ensure that they are accountable and measurable against their intended objectives.

We think it is possible to get the benefits of a customs union but still have the flexibility for the U.K. to pursue an independent trade policy on top of that with other countries outside the E.U.

Wildlife crime goes well beyond just a threat to endangered species but also has impacts on our society, economy and security. It undermines efforts to uphold the rule of law, acts as an agent for corruption, creates a barrier to development and fuels global instability.

The illegal wildlife trade has an unacceptable human cost for those who have lived for centuries in harmony with wildlife.

Many people might wonder why conserving wildlife should be considered so important when there are wider issues of global and national interest, such as conflict and poverty to worry about. The answer is because these issues are interlinked.

In a world of competing conflicts and challenges, the U.K.'s investment in global security, and a willingness to trial new approaches and respond to emerging threats, is an important part of standing up for our values.

Cyber attacks are not going away.

The E.U. Withdrawal Bill fulfils an absolutely essential role in delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit.

While the E.U. Withdrawal Act ensures that Brexit will work for all the devolved nations and our U.K. devolution settlements, the special requirements of Northern Ireland, which uniquely shares a land border with another E.U. member state, present a more formidable challenge.

When Theresa May asked me to resolve policy disagreements between ministers, my power to do that depended on the fact that I was acting on her behalf with her delegated authority.

As the Chair of the National Security Council Sub-Committee overseeing the CSSF and Prosperity Fund, I am proud of what it has achieved in tackling instability and preventing conflicts that threaten U.K. interests.

Every European country faces threats which ignore national frontiers: pandemics, climate change, terrorism and organised crime.

The public is interested in the service it receives, not the mechanism that delivers it.

Government has learned a lot from the business world - and I hope that some companies will recognise they can learn from each other, too.

In countries that lack a longstanding and entrenched commitment to the rule of law, it can be hard to recruit, train and keep prosecutors and judges who are both independent and effective, even in the face of attempted intimidation or corruption.

If we could end the old fashioned idea that feeling down is something to be ashamed of, something that you shouldn't burden others with, we would make our society a much happier and healthier place.

I agree with those who say that democracies need to work together more effectively to stand up for the liberal democratic model that China is increasingly challenging. It's important for there to be an alliance of democracies.

The threat from cyber criminals and nation states continues to grow. So we need to forge closer partnerships with industry, academia and civil society, and develop the profession to create a more diverse workforce.

The Foreign Office works hard to remind people of local laws and customs as often they can be very different to British law.

Sometimes getting something off your chest to someone else is an important step in coping - so you know that you're not alone, you're not failing, and that it is perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed or sad at times. Everybody does.