Oral Answers to Questions

Anna McMorrin Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Bambos Charalambous (Enfield, Southgate) (Lab)]

8. What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the time being taken to legislate on the UK leaving the EU.

[Anna McMorrin (Cardiff North) (Lab)]

14. What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of the time being taken to legislate on the UK leaving the EU.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Alun Cairns)]

The agreement reached between the UK Government and the Welsh Government on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill will ensure that we exit from the EU with the certainty and continuity that businesses and communities across Wales have called for.

[Alun Cairns]

I am grateful that the hon. Gentleman is looking at the opportunities that leaving the European Union provides. Obviously, exports from Wales to the rest of the world are expanding at a much quicker rate than exports to the European Union, which demonstrates that businesses are already looking to those new opportunities, and more Members are looking to those opportunities as we have them.

[Anna McMorrin]

My constituent Damian Harris owns a cycle shop in Cardiff North but is struggling because of the uncertainty caused by Brexit. Twenty-nine of the 30 bikes he stocks come from the EU and, at the very least, he needs a customs union to have any sort of viable future. We are now hearing that 60 Tory MPs are plotting to sink their own Government to force the Prime Minister to abandon any form of customs arrangement. Will the Secretary of State guarantee that he will work with the Welsh Government and speak up against that decision? A low-skilled workforce and—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We are grateful for the hon. Lady’s thoughts but, unfortunately, one has to take account of the situation in the Chamber. The question needed to be a bit shorter.