Oral Answers to Questions

Wayne David Excerpts

Wednesday 4th September 2019 Commons Chamber

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

2. What recent economic assessment he has made of the potential effect on Wales of the implementation of the withdrawal agreement.

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

10. What recent economic assessment he has made of the potential effect on Wales of the implementation of the withdrawal agreement.

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

The best outcome for Wales and the Welsh economy is that the UK leaves the European Union in an orderly manner with a deal. We will continue to work with energy and determination to make sure that that happens. However, the UK will be leaving the European Union on 31 October.

[Wayne David]

Given that 90% of Welsh lamb is exported to other countries in the European Union, does the Secretary of State still believe that, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, a viable alternative market will be Japan?

[Alun Cairns]

The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. I met the Farmers Union of Wales yesterday, and I will be meeting NFU Cymru quite soon. The Japanese market is a new market that opened in January. It is wholly separate from the free trade agreement that the European Union has with Japan, so there has been lots of misreporting that the hon. Gentleman fails to recognise and understand. However, his constituency voted to leave the European Union—why is he trying to stop the process?