Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU customs union on levels of employment.

As the Prime Minister has made clear, the Government is aiming to secure the best outcome for the UK as a whole. As I stated to the hon. Member in the debate on 2 November 2016, no decisions have yet been taken, but we are analysing the impacts of different scenarios in negotiations. That analysis is ongoing. We are determined to build a national consensus around our negotiating position and are listening and talking to as many organisations, companies and institutions as possible to do this. The Government wants to give UK companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the Single Market – and let European businesses do the same here. The Department for Exiting the European Union, working with officials across government, continues to undertake wide-ranging data analysis looking at over 50 sectors as well as cross-cutting regulatory issues. The Department is also engaging widely with representatives from sectors. This work will inform the UK's position for the upcoming negotiations with our EU partners.