Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of leaving the European Court of Justice on small businesses with a specialism in medical devices and who use that Court to resolve disputes.

In leaving the European Union, we will bring about an end to the direct jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the United Kingdom. The UK Government's future partnership paper sets out the UK’s position on enforcement and reviews examples of mechanisms for resolving disputes in international agreements. It states that as part of the deep and special partnership we seek with the EU, it is in the interests of both the UK and the EU that: the rights and obligations agreed between us can be relied upon and enforced by individuals and businesses; and where disputes arise between the UK and the EU on the application or interpretation of these obligations, those disputes can be resolved efficiently and effectively.

The Government's top priority for life sciences during the negotiations is to protect the safety of patients and ensure the integrity of cross-European public health systems. The Government will seek a mutually beneficial future partnership between the UK and EU that is in the interests of both sides, which builds on the convergence between our regulatory systems and gives business the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets.