Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the oral evidence of the Permanent Secretary of HMRC of 23 May and 5 June 2018 to the Treasury Committee, whether he had seen prior to the publication of the estimated figures of £17 billion to £20 billion for the cost of the maximum facilitation model in a letter to that Committee on 5 June 2018 (a) submissions and (b) briefing papers on those figures; and what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of those estimates.

The Government is undertaking a wide range of cross-Whitehall analysis in support of all aspects of our EU exit negotiations and preparations.

In assessing the options for the UK's future customs relationship, the Government will be guided by what delivers the greatest advantage to the UK and by our strategic objectives:

• Keeping trade with the EU as frictionless as possible;

• Avoiding a ‘hard border’ between Northern Ireland and Ireland;

• Establishing an independent international trade policy.
  
  

We have been clear the Government will not provide an ongoing commentary on internal analytical work that is being carried out within Government.