Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prepare for a "no deal" Brexit; and what impact the absence of a designated "no deal" Minister will have on such preparations.

We want our future relationship with the EU to be a deep and special partnership, taking in both economic and security cooperation. We are confident that a future partnership between the UK and EU is in the interests of both sides, so we approach these negotiations anticipating success. We do not want or expect a no deal outcome.

However, a responsible government should prepare for all potential outcomes, including the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached. That is exactly what we are doing across the whole of Government.

The Secretary of State for the Department for Exiting the European Union continues to be responsible for conducting negotiations in support of the Prime Minister and leading policy work to ensure a smooth exit from the EU. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Steve Baker, continues to support this work including remaining responsible for contingency planning.