Department of Health and Social Care: Brexit
(asked on 17th December 2018) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of contingency plans made by his Department (a) to date and (b) until 29 March 2019 in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
We do not want or expect a no deal scenario. However, it is the duty of a responsible Government to continue to prepare for a range of potential outcomes, including the unlikely event of no deal. Extensive work to prepare for a no deal scenario, including contingency planning, has been under way for over two years and we are taking necessary steps to ensure the country continues to operate smoothly from the day we leave.
At Autumn Budget 2017, HM Treasury made an additional £3 billion of funding available over the next two years – £1.5 billion in each year – so that Departments and the devolved administrations can continue to prepare effectively for European Union exit.
That is in addition to the £700 million previously made available to prepare for EU exit at Autumn Budget 2016.
In the Spring Statement on 13 March 2018, my Rt. hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss) laid a Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, setting out the full Departmental allocations of the £1.5 billion for 2018/19. HM Treasury approved £21.1 million of funding for the Department of Health and Social Care preparations for EU exit in 2018/19. The Department is preparing for all eventualities and the resources available to support preparations are kept under constant review.
The Autumn Budget 2018 confirmed an additional £500 million of cross-Government EU exit funding for 2019/20, meaning the Government will have invested over £4 billion in preparing for EU exit since 2016.
This funding will help Departments manage pressures and contingencies arising from EU exit preparations which fall in the 2019/20 financial year, as well as ensuring that the United Kingdom is prepared to seize the opportunities available when the UK leaves the EU.