Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement on the risks to life.

The Government has agreed the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Commission, which includes an implementation period that will run from March 2019 until December 2020. During this time, the supply of medicines will remain unchanged. As a responsible Government, however, we continue to prepare proportionately for all scenarios, including ‘no deal’.

Along with other Government departments, the Department has stepped up its planning for a ‘no deal’ scenario. We have robust plans in place to protect patient safety and healthcare provision. We are confident that if everyone does what they should do, patients will continue to receive high-quality care unhindered, and the supply of medicines and other medical supplies will be uninterrupted in the event of exiting the EU without a deal.