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.

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.