Oral Answers to Questions

Paul Williams Excerpts
Thursday 6th December 2018

(5 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Paul Williams Portrait Dr Paul Williams (Stockton South) (Lab)
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T3. I welcome the Secretary of State to his post. The North East England chamber of commerce is briefing that, because this deal fails to nail down certainty, it threatens investment and jobs, and businesses in the north-east do not support it. Why is he asking this House to support a deal that will threaten my constituents’ jobs?

Steve Barclay Portrait Stephen Barclay
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If there is an outlier to which the hon. Gentleman refers—I always enjoyed our dealings in my previous ministerial role, given his health expertise—the overwhelming feedback we have received from business is its support for the deal and its desire to see the implementation period. Business does not want the uncertainty of crashing out, but it also does not want the uncertainty of a second referendum.