Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which parts of the Government’s plan for European Social Fund grants in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal (a) have and (b) have not been implemented.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, the Government has guaranteed Horizon 2020, European Territorial Co-Operation, European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund funding due to UK organisations, in line with the Technical Notices published on these issues. BEIS and other delivery organisations have well-developed contingency plans to implement this guarantee, if required. I refer the hon. Member to the technical notices published by the government on the guarantee, and the funds covered by it, for further details.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which parts of the Government’s plan for European Territorial Cooperation funding in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal (a) have and (b) have not been implemented.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, the Government has guaranteed Horizon 2020, European Territorial Co-Operation, European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund funding due to UK organisations, in line with the Technical Notices published on these issues. BEIS and other delivery organisations have well-developed contingency plans to implement this guarantee, if required. I refer the hon. Member to the technical notices published by the government on the guarantee, and the funds covered by it, for further details.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which parts of the Government’s plan for Horizon 2020 funding in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal (a) have and (b) have not been implemented.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, the Government has guaranteed Horizon 2020, European Territorial Co-Operation, European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund funding due to UK organisations, in line with the Technical Notices published on these issues. BEIS and other delivery organisations have well-developed contingency plans to implement this guarantee, if required. I refer the hon. Member to the technical notices published by the government on the guarantee, and the funds covered by it, for further details.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether businesses will be able to move skilled workers between UK and EU premises in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and what the rules governing that movement will be.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
The Government remains committed to reaching an agreement with the EU before the 31 October 2019. The Government has confirmed that the EU Settlement Scheme will continue to operate whether the UK leaves the EU with or without a negotiated deal. This ensures that the rights of EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK before it leaves the EU will be protected in every outcome.
In the event that a deal is not agreed with the EU, arrangements for EEA and Swiss citizens arriving for three months or less after free movement ends will not look any different. To stay longer than three months during the transitional period, newly arrived EEA and Swiss citizens will need to apply for permission. Subject to identity and criminality checks, they will be granted European Temporary Leave to Remain for a further 36 months.
If they wish to stay in the UK for longer than the 36 months, they will then need to qualify and apply under the future skills-based immigration system.
The Government published a White Paper on the future system on 18 December 2018. This committed to maintaining a route for intra-company transfers to allow companies easily to transfer existing employees from an overseas branch to their UK office. UK-based multi-national businesses will also be able to continue moving their skilled staff to the EU through the pro-visions set out in the EU’s Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the means of (a) resolution and (b) redress will be for a UK company in dispute with an EU company in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK will be leaving the EU on the 31 October - whatever the circumstances. We would, of course, prefer to leave with a deal and we will work in an energetic and determined way to get that better deal. But if that is not possible we will have to leave with no deal, and we are turbocharging our all necessary preparations to do so.
In a no deal scenario, UK businesses will continue to be able to seek dispute resolution and redress through national courts, including those of Member States where they have jurisdiction. The route of redress and dispute resolution will depend on the particular facts of the case. Courts will continue to process relevant cases in line with their normal management of business, and relevant legislation.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :
To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when will companies know which (a) regulator will be overseeing their business and (b) which rules will they will need to follow from the day after the UK leaves the EU; and whether the Government plans to charge businesses for the creation of new regulatory agencies in the UK in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by James Duddridge
We must leave the EU on October 31 whatever the circumstances. To do otherwise would cause a catastrophic loss of confidence in our political system. We still wish to leave with a deal if we can and hope the EU will negotiate accordingly.
No decision has been reached on our future relationship with the EU's agencies and bodies after we have left. We are considering very carefully a range of options. In most cases we anticipate that repatriated EU functions can be absorbed by existing UK departments and existing public bodies. The EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 will preserve the laws that we have made to implement our EU obligations and convert EU law which applies directly to the UK before exit. It will ensure that there is a functioning statute book on day one of exit providing certainty for business in a no deal scenario.
Prior to any decisions on establishing new UK-level bodies, the Government always looks to minimise disruption and costs, which includes considering alternative options, such as the use of existing public bodies.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what parts of the Government’s plan for getting an exemption from maritime security notifications in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.
Answered by Grant Shapps - Secretary of State for Defence
Earlier this year my officials progressed a Statutory Instrument through Parliament which ensures that the UK’s existing regulatory regime for ship and port security will continue to function effectively after EU Exit.
The Statutory Instrument will enter into force on the day on which the UK leaves the EU. This Statutory Instrument includes provisions which enable the Government to continue to issue pre-arrival notification (PAN) exemptions to operators of vessels travelling on scheduled services from the EU into the UK after our withdrawal from the EU, even in a no deal scenario.
Vessels travelling from the UK into the EU following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU will need to provide the necessary pre-arrival security information for scheduled routes. Government has communicated widely with operators and has provided advice to them about the change. This was done in the form of a technical notice which can be found here;
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what parts of the Government’s plan for recognition of seafarer certificates of competency in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.
Answered by Grant Shapps - Secretary of State for Defence
The Government has taken forward the actions identified in the notice on seafarer certificates published in September 2018. We have introduced the Merchant Shipping (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The regulations correct deficiencies in domestic legislation that would otherwise have existed as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. This enables continued recognition of seafarer qualifications from EU and EEA countries.
Before the original date of 29 March for UK’s departure from the EU, the Government lobbied Member States to initiate the process of recognising UK certificates following the well-established EU process for recognising certificates from third countries.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what parts of the Government’s plan for travelling in the Common Travel Area in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.
Answered by Seema Kennedy
In the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal, there will be no practical changes to the UK’s approach to immigration on journeys within the CTA. As now there will be no routine immigration controls on journeys from within the CTA to the UK; with no immigration controls whatsoever on the Northern Ireland – Ireland land border.
Further information is set out in the UK Government publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/travelling-in-the-common-travel-area-if-theres-no-brexit-deal/travelling-within-the-common-travel-area-and-the-associated-rights-of-british-and-irish-citizens-if-there-is-no-brexit-deal
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by his Department, what parts of the plan for providing services including those of a qualified professional in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal the requirements for how professional qualifications will be recognised and services will be regulated will change. The guidance on providing services including those of a qualified professional if there's no Brexit deal sets the future arrangements for how these areas will work in a ‘no deal scenario’.
The Statutory Instruments referenced in this guidance have now been made:
1) The Recognition of Professional Qualifications (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
2) The Provision of Services (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018.
This, along with other sector-specific legislation, means that recognition decisions awarded to EEA and Swiss professionals before exit day will be protected, and a new system for recognition of professional qualifications will come into force on exit day in a no deal scenario, giving certainty to professionals, business and public services.
In respect of the provision of services, the amending legislation ensures that we will be compliant with the UK’s services commitments under WTO rules in a ‘no deal’.