Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nigel Mills and Nigel Huddleston

Thursday 20th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Nigel Mills (Amber Valley) (Con)]

3. What progress his Department has made in engaging with businesses on the potential effect on their revenues of the UK leaving the EU.

[Nigel Huddleston (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)]

14. What progress his Department has made on engaging with the tourism industry on the potential effect on its revenues of the UK leaving the EU.

[The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Mr David Davis)]

Since the referendum, the Government have met companies from every sector of the British economy, including tourism, to discuss the risks and opportunities. I believe that as we build an ever more outward-facing, agile economy, with firms trading more widely across the world, there is enormous potential for the UK to be an even better place to do business. We are meeting representatives of business regularly, and the detailed analysis shared with us by many of them is informing the preparations for the negotiations.

On tourism specifically, foreign visitors contribute £22 billion to our economy, and the industry as a whole supports some 1.6 million jobs. A record 3.8 million people visited the UK in July. My right hon. Friend the Culture Secretary has met industry leaders to discuss our exit from the EU, and we debated this matter in Westminster Hall last week. As the Prime Minister has said, we are confident our exit presents opportunities for growth in tourism, and we will work closely with the industry to realise this.