Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many projects his Department has put on hold due to the requirements of planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

The Government’s policy is for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union with a negotiated deal. Individual Departments are responsible for briefing businesses and other interested parties about contingency planning for all eventualities, and the Cabinet Office is co-ordinating contingency planning across Whitehall. Departments are continually looking at and reviewing workforce plans, reprioritising and assessing changing needs. We expect our ‘no deal’ plans will not be required, but will prepare responsibly to ensure the smoothest exit in all outcomes.