Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Elliott of Whitburn Bay Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Dominic Raab]

I will certainly pass on my hon. Friend’s point directly to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and other Ministers, and will see what more can be done in the neighbourhood that he talks about. The reality is that some businesses and high streets are suffering, partly because of online competition, and partly because of consumer trends. We need to make sure that we boost high streets and businesses, and in particular the small businesses in this country that have created over 80% of new jobs. All that will be put at risk, frankly, by the damaging and counter-productive policies that the shadow Chancellor has come up with this week.

[Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central) (Lab)]

Q13. Many of my constituents in Sunderland who voted leave are contacting me, as they are petrified of a crash-out, no-deal Brexit coming on top of years of hardship caused by Tory austerity. Will the Secretary of State confirm that the Government will obey the law and request an extension to article 50, so that people in Sunderland can avoid the double whammy of a no-deal Brexit on top of Tory austerity?

[Dominic Raab]

I have to say to the hon. Lady that of course we will adhere to the law, but the Prime Minister has been clear that we must leave by the end of October in order to maintain public trust in our democracy and avoid the public feeling that parliamentarians and politicians do not listen to what they have said. If she wants to avoid a no-deal Brexit, get behind the Government in securing a deal that all sides can support.