Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with those sectors potentially most affected by the greatest increase in transitional tariffs in the event that the UK moves onto World Trade Organisation rules after the UK leaves the EU.

We want tariff-free trade with Europe, and for cross-border trade to be as frictionless as possible. Officials across Government are carrying out a programme of sectoral and regulatory analysis, looking in detail at over 50 sectors as well as cross-cutting regulatory issues, to identify the key factors for UK businesses and the labour force that will affect our negotiations with the EU.

This ongoing analysis has been supplemented by a wide-ranging programme of engagement undertaken by the Department, speaking to a significant number of organisations and individuals, to establish their priorities and understand their concerns.