Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what steps the Government plans to take on a cross-departmental basis to protect and extend (a) workers' rights, (b) environmental protections, (c) human rights, (d) consumer rights and (e) financial regulation during and after the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

The Prime Minister has firmly committed not to roll back workers’ and consumers’ rights. The Repeal Bill will ensure that those rights that derive from EU law will continue to be available in domestic law, giving certainty and continuity to employees and employers alike, and creating stability in which the UK can grow and thrive. We do not need to be part of the EU, nor bound by EU legislation, to have strong protections for workers.

The decision to leave the EU means we now have a unique opportunity to design a set of policies to drive environmental improvement, tailored to the needs of our country that has a powerful and permanent impact – ensuring a healthy environment and strong economy – and delivering on our commitment to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.

We will be seeking a bold and ambitious free trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union. This should be of greater scope and ambition than any such agreement before it so that it covers sectors crucial to our linked economies such as financial services.This will require detailed technical talks, but - as the UK is an existing EU Member State - both sides start with aligned regulatory frameworks and standards.