Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Hammond Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd October 2019 Commons Chamber

[Mark Pawsey (Rugby) (Con)]

13. What recent steps the Government have taken to ensure that (a) businesses and (b) the public are prepared for the UK leaving the EU.

[Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon) (Ind)]

14. What support the Government plan to provide for small businesses in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

[The Minister without Portfolio (James Cleverly)]

Making sure that business and the public are ready for Brexit is a priority of the Government. That is why the Prime Minister negotiated with the EU a new withdrawal agreement that will end the uncertainty, secure an implementation period and ensure we leave with a business-friendly deal. Yesterday, the House backed the Prime Minister’s deal but voted to delay Brexit and extend uncertainty for business and citizens alike. As the EU has not responded to Parliament’s letter, the only responsible course of action now is to accelerate preparations for a no-deal outcome. The Government’s EU Exit Operations Committee is now meeting seven days a week. We will maintain our public information campaign, and Ministers and officials will continue to meet businesses of all sizes to provide advice and guidance, building on the thousands of business and other stakeholder engagements already recorded.

--- Later in debate ---

[James Cleverly]

The Government have always made it clear that our preferred option is to leave with a deal. We could have done that in a timely manner had this House not voted for delay, but until we have certainty, the only credible and reasonable thing for businesses to do is to continue to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.

[Stephen Hammond]

I recently visited a number of small companies in my constituency who welcome Government advice, but say that much of it is vague and non-specific. Will my right hon. Friend ask his civil servants to ensure advice is more specific?

[James Cleverly]

I will pass on my hon. Friend’s comments to our officials. I am very proud to say that the preparing for Brexit page on the gov.uk website is the page with the highest traffic, but there is always more we can do to ensure that specific information is passed on to businesses. I will ensure that that is passed on to our officials.