Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which a 21 month transition period will be sufficient to deal with structural changes in (1) customs, (2) immigration, and (3) the creation of new regulatory agencies.

The UK and EU negotiating teams have reached another important milestone in the Brexit process by agreeing the terms of a time-limited implementation period, ending on 31st December 2020.

The agreement, which has been endorsed by the March European Council, will give businesses and citizens the time they need to put in place the new arrangements required, as the terms of our future partnership become clearer.

All departments continue to work at pace to prepare and implement plans to deliver the changes needed at the end of this period.

During the implementation period the UK will be in a continued close association with the EU Customs Union. This will ensure a smooth exit and minimise disruption for businesses. HMRC are confident that they are on track to deliver the functioning customs, VAT and excise regimes the UK will need once it leaves the EU.

During this period EU citizens will be free to come to live, work and visit the UK, but will have to register after three months of residence. This is an important step towards regaining full control of our borders. This will enable the Home Office to grant settled status to the over 3 million EU citizens who are current residents, as well putting in place a straightforward system for the registration and documentation of new arrivals.

The Home Office has already invested £60 million in 2017/18, is planning to recruit an additional 1,500 staff across the immigration, borders and citizenship system, and is well advanced in the development of a new scheme to give EU citizens currently here the right to stay after exit.

In most cases we anticipate that repatriated EU regulatory functions can be absorbed by departments and existing public bodies. Prior to any decisions on establishing new UK-level bodies, the Government will always look to minimise disruption and costs, which will include considering alternative options. We will continue to plan for a range of scenarios and be ready to take any necessary steps to ensure that we are ready for exit day.