Oral Answers to Questions

Gavin Newlands Excerpts

Tuesday 16th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Patrick Grady (Glasgow North) (SNP)]

17. What assessment he has made of the effect on business growth in Scotland of the UK leaving the EU internal market.

[Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP)]

23. What assessment he has made of the effect on business growth in Scotland of the UK leaving the EU internal market.

[The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Greg Clark)]

Reaching a good agreement with the European Union will have a positive effect on business growth in Scotland and in every other part of the United Kingdom. In Green GB Week, it is important to highlight the huge clean growth opportunities in Scotland in a sector that supports tens of thousands of jobs and brings £11 billion into Scotland’s economy.

--- Later in debate ---

[Greg Clark]

The proposals have been warmly welcomed by businesses across the country, including in Scotland, because they would allow us to continue what are successful trading arrangements without frictions.

[Gavin Newlands]

In its Brexit risk assessment, Airbus said that if the UK left the EU without a deal, that

“would lead to severe disruption and interruption of UK production”

and

“would force Airbus to reconsider its investments in the UK, and its long-term footprint in the country”.

What steps is the Secretary of State, along with the wholly united Cabinet, taking to ensure that more firms do not depart Brexit Britain?

[Greg Clark]

We need to make sure that we have a negotiated deal along the lines of the proposals made in the White Paper that have been welcomed by the manufacturing industry in all parts of the UK.