Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what financial support the Government plans to make available to SMEs to assist them in preparing for and meeting the costs of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
We want a future relationship that is broader in scope than any other between the EU and a third country and one that reflects the UK and EU’s shared history and values, close ties, and unique starting point.
We know that SMEs want certainty as soon as possible on what will happen next and how it may impact them. This is why we are pleased to welcome agreement on the terms of an implementation period, which will protect economic and regulatory cooperation and ensure there is no sudden change as we build our future partnership with the EU.
We will continue to publish all relevant material on gov.uk. Businesses can register to get information on the progress of negotiations direct to their inbox by signing up to the DExEU stakeholder bulletin.
In addition, we will continue to listen to businesses up and down the country through our regular engagements.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to introduce a Brexit loan scheme, similar to that made available by the Irish Government, to help SMEs meet the costs of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
We want a future relationship that is broader in scope than any other between the EU and a third country and one that reflects the UK and EU’s shared history and values, close ties, and unique starting point.
We know that SMEs want certainty as soon as possible on what will happen next and how it may impact them. This is why we are pleased to welcome agreement on the terms of an implementation period, which will protect economic and regulatory cooperation and ensure there is no sudden change as we build our future partnership with the EU.
We will continue to publish all relevant material on gov.uk. Businesses can register to get information on the progress of negotiations direct to their inbox by signing up to the DExEU stakeholder bulletin.
In addition, we will continue to listen to businesses up and down the country through our regular engagements.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government plans to write to all trade associations on issuing guidance to their members on planning for the UK leaving the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government is engaging widely with its stakeholders, including trade associations, to help businesses to plan for all scenarios including a ‘no deal’ EU exit. We have published over 70 technical notices describing the changes businesses and citizens could need to make in a ‘no deal’ scenario. We have worked closely with stakeholders including many trade associations as part of this process.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to Written Statement HCWS540, how much of that funding he has allocated to (a) programmes, (b) administration and (c) staffing in his Department.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
As set out in Written Statement HCWS540, HMT allocated BEIS a supplementary £185.1m for EU exit work in the financial year 2018/19. Of this total allocation, £106.7m has been budgeted for programme and capital spend. £78.4m has been budgeted as administration spend, of which £57.3m has been budgeted for staff within BEIS. BEIS will keep these budgets under review over the course of the financial year.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many businesses have informed his Department that they will relocate their business operations outside the UK in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
Business decisions on investment reflect a range of factors. The department is aware through regular engagement with businesses that they are concerned to ensure that future trade with the European Union remains as frictionless as possible; and that many have contingency arrangements in the unlikely event of no deal, supported by the Technical Notices that the UK Government has published.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of leaving the EU in accordance with (a) the proposals set out in the Government’s White Paper and (b) a no-deal scenario.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
In the financial year 2018/19, HMT allocated BEIS a supplementary £185.1m for EU exit work. As the negotiations continue, BEIS will reassess its requirements accordingly. Like other departments, BEIS will be invited to bid for 2019/20 EU exit funding from HMT later in the year with details of timings and process to be announced in due course.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the cost to the public purse has been of his Department hiring additional staff to cover issues related to the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
In the financial year 2017/18, HM Treasury allocated nearly £300m across a number of departments from the Reserve - BEIS received £35.1m of this funding, of which the majority related to staff costs.
In the financial year 2018/19, HMT allocated BEIS a supplementary £185.1m for EU exit work, of which £57.3m has been identified for staff. BEIS will keep these costs under review over the course of the current financial year.
As the negotiations continue, BEIS will reassess its requirements accordingly. Like other departments, BEIS will be invited to bid for 2019/20 EU exit funding from HMT later in the year with details of timings and process to be announced in due course.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the Government has done to ensure in negotiations with the European Commission that conformity assessments on products conducted by a UK body continue to be sufficient for the product to be sold on the EU market after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The Government recognises the valuable work undertaken by UK bodies in ensuring that products placed on the market have been through suitable conformity assessment. As part of negotiations on the Withdrawal Agreement, we have agreed with the EU that goods placed on the market before the end of the implementation period may freely circulate on both UK and EU markets and that compliance activity for these goods, such as conformity assessment, is recognised by both parties.
On 12th July the Government published a White Paper, which sets out a clear proposal for our future relationship with the EU. This includes a proposal for a free trade area between the UK and the EU and the maintenance of a common rulebook for goods, supported by arrangements covering all relevant compliance activity, such as conformity assessment. This would provide for frictionless trade at the border. Negotiations are ongoing, and we will continue to engage with UK stakeholders to understand and represent their concerns as we develop our negotiating position.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many times Ministers of his Department have met with representatives of the British Chamber of Commerce since the 23 June 2016.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
Details of Ministers’ meetings with external organisations are published quarterly on the Gov.UK website:
Information from April to June 2018 will be published in due course.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is a key stakeholder for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and meet frequently with the Secretary of State and the other ministers. He holds weekly meetings with five major stakeholders – the BCC, the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), EEF and the Institute of Directors (IoD) to discuss issues that are affecting their members and businesses more generally. The BCC is also a member of the SME Advisory Board.
Other ministers and officials at all levels from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have had numerous meetings with the British Chambers of Commerce and continue to do so.
Asked by: Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat - Carshalton and Wallington)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the extent to which (a) increased (i) levels of administration and (ii) costs will be incurred and (b) visas will be required to undertake business travel between the UK and the EU after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by Andrew Griffiths
The Government continues to undertake a comprehensive programme of analysis in support of our EU exit negotiations and preparations. The Government has confirmed that when we bring forward the vote on the final deal, we will ensure that Parliament is presented with the appropriate analysis to make an informed decision.
The Government has been clear that free movement will end as we leave the EU. We will seek to negotiate an appropriate labour mobility framework with the EU to ensure UK nationals can continue to travel to the EU for business purposes, and vice versa.