Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Sarah Pochin Excerpts
Thursday 10th July 2025

(1 day, 14 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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The Minister for the Cabinet Office was asked—
Sarah Pochin Portrait Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) (Reform)
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1. What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the new trading relationship with the EU.

Desmond Swayne Portrait Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)
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15. What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the new UK-EU trading relationship.

Sarah Pochin Portrait Sarah Pochin
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In 1973, the UK joined the European Economic Community, which later became the European Union. Given this week’s visit by the French President and this Government’s desire for closer co-operation with the EU, will the Minister confirm that no new or existing trade deal will lead to this country rejoining the EU through the back door?

Nick Thomas-Symonds Portrait Nick Thomas-Symonds
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That is absolutely not the case. What we have with the European Union is a new deal that the supermarkets say has put a downward pressure on prices, and which Octopus Energy says will bring the cost of energy down. I am surprised to hear that Reform is against that, but since it has welcomed Liz Truss’s party chairman as a new member today, perhaps it is no surprise that Reform takes that view.