Exchange Rates

(asked on 7th January 2019) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effects of Brexit uncertainty on exchange rate volatility; and what assessment, if any, they have made of the impact of such volatility on business planning in the UK manufacturing sector.


Answered by
Lord Bates Portrait
Lord Bates
This question was answered on 21st January 2019

Her Majesty’s Government continues to monitor the effects of Brexit uncertainty on exchange rate volatility. Recent financial market movements have been driven by a combination of global events as well as domestic developments.

Overall, uncertainty is a key concern of businesses, including those in the manufacturing sector, as evidenced in recent manufacturing focussed business surveys. Furthermore, the Agent’s survey on EU withdrawal preparation from the Bank of England recorded that around 35% of respondents in manufacturing had already made some change to their business plans since the referendum with a further 25-30% expecting to adjust their business plans by end-March 2019.

Delivering the settlement negotiated with the EU remains our top priority. The Government will continue to take steps to provide businesses with information for a range of scenarios. These include HMRC publishing a ‘Partnership Pack’ to help businesses prepare for changes at the UK border and the publication of 106 technical notices to help businesses prepare for a ‘no deal’ scenario. The Government has also launched a public information campaign to ensure that citizens and businesses are well informed about how Brexit will affect them and the practical steps they will need to take.

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