Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the price of cattle and sheep products of the UK leaving the EU.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is in everyone’s interests to secure a good deal with the EU and that is exactly what we are committed to do. The Government recognises the concerns of stakeholders and is determined to get the best deal for the UK in our negotiations to leave the EU, including for our globally recognised beef and sheep sectors.
As any responsible government would, we are preparing for all outcomes including the possibility of no deal. Extensive work to prepare for a ‘no deal’ scenario is under way to ensure the country continues to operate as smoothly as possible from the day we leave.
We are in close contact with the beef and sheep sectors to understand and anticipate the effects on the sector of the UK leaving the EU without a trade deal. Significant work is already underway to ensure that UK exporters can maintain access to EU markets after March 2019. We are conducting rigorous analysis of the full range of UK-EU trade scenarios on UK agriculture (including the beef and sheep sectors) as part of our planning.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Chesterton (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they are providing to (1) UK residents, and (2) medical organisations about how to access medicines from the EU in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford
It is a priority of the Department to ensure patients continue to have access to medicines as we leave the European Union, in all exit scenarios.
While a Withdrawal Agreement has been agreed between Government and the European Commission, as a responsible Government, we continue to prepare proportionately for all scenarios, including the outcome that we leave the European Union without a deal in March 2019.
The Department has issued guidance on 7 December 2018 to all National Health Service trusts, pharmacies and general practices informing them of our plans for ensuring continuity of supply of medicines and advising them that they can expect to be able to continue accessing medicines through their existing supply routes in the event of a ‘no deal’ EU exit on 29 March 2019. This guidance explained how hospitals, general practitioners and community pharmacies throughout the UK do not need to take any steps to stockpile additional medicines, beyond their business as usual stock levels. There is also no need for clinicians to write longer NHS prescriptions. A copy of the Department’s letter of 7 December to the NHS in England is attached.
NHS England and the devolved administrations have also communicated similar messages to the front line and patients have also been advised not to stockpile medicines. Unnecessary local stockpiling would increase pressure on the medicines supply chain and could lead to avoidable shortages and subsequent risks to patients.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-EU family members would be allowed to accompany an EU citizen under the planned arrangements for EU citizens migrating to the UK after 29 March 2019 in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
European Temporary Leave to Remain will only apply if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. It will enable EU citizens who arrive in the UK after EU exit to live, work and study in the UK for a temporary period. It will also allow them to be accompanied or joined by their close family members (their spouse, civil partner, partner, and dependent child under 18) who are third country nationals. There will no limit to the number of dependent children who may accompany or join the EU citizen.
Information about the application fee for European Temporary Leave to Remain will be made available in due course.
Asked by: David Drew (Labour (Co-op) - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on (a) the poultry meat sector and (b) the cost of British poultry meat products in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is in everyone’s interests to secure a good deal with the EU and that is exactly what we are committed to doing. The Government recognises the concerns of stakeholders and is determined to get the best deal for the UK in our negotiations on leaving the EU, including for our world-leading poultry sector.
Whilst preparing for all outcomes, as any responsible Government would, we are also preparing for the possibility of ‘no deal’. Extensive work to prepare for a ‘no deal’ scenario is under way to ensure the country continues to operate as smoothly as possible from the day we leave.
We are in close contact with the poultry sector to understand and anticipate the effects on the sector of the UK leaving the EU without a deal. Significant work is already underway to ensure that UK exporters can maintain access to EU markets after March 2019. We are conducting rigorous analysis of the full range of UK-EU trade scenarios on UK agriculture (including the poultry sector) as part of our planning.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2019 to Question 207550 on Ministry of Defence: Brexit, how much of the £25 million allocated to his Department for Brexit preparations in 2018-19 and 2019-20 has been allocated to preparing for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton
Her Majesty’s Treasury has allocated over £4.2 billion of additional funding to departments and the Devolved Administrations for EU exit preparations so far. This breaks down as:
(https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-12-18/HCWS1205/)
Asked by: Catherine McKinnell (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether EU nationals undertaking an apprenticeship in the UK will be able to complete their apprenticeship in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
Answered by Anne Milton
We have agreed to protect the rights of EU citizens in the UK in both a deal and no deal scenario. Should the UK leave the EU without a deal, EU nationals living in the UK before 29 March 2019 will be able to remain in the UK and work, study, and access benefits and services, including education, training and appretniceships, on broadly the same terms as now. They will need to apply to stay in the UK, through the EU Settlement Scheme, if they are planning to continue living in the UK after 2020. They would need to make an application by 29 March 2020.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that patients who are prescribed Naproxen continue to be able to receive that medication in the event of (a) the UK leaving the EU on 29 March 2019 and (b) the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
The Government is working to ensure that patients can expect the same continuity of supply of medicines that they currently experience as a member of the European Union after we leave. Therefore, as a responsible Government, we continue to prepare for all scenarios including leaving without any deal.
We understand that Naproxen is vitally important to many people in this country. Our contingency plans include sensible mitigations for medicines that come to the United Kingdom from or via the EU. We have received very good engagement from industry who share our aims of ensuring continuity of medicines supply for patients is maintained, and that companies are able to cope with any potential delays at the border that may arise in the short term in the event of a ‘no deal’ EU exit.
In August 2018, the Department wrote to pharmaceutical companies asking them to stockpile six weeks additional supply of all prescription-only and pharmacy medicines which enter the UK from, or via, the EU or European Economic Area (EEA) over and above their business as usual stocks by 29 March 2019, to ensure that the supply of all medicines to patients, including Naproxen, is not disrupted.
Additionally, in December 2018, we wrote to all pharmaceutical companies that supply prescription-only medicines and pharmacy medicines to the UK that come from, or via, the EU or EEA, as well as UK manufacturers of medicines currently using the short-Straits crossings into Dover and Folkestone, to inform them of the Government’s updated reasonable worst-case scenario border disruption planning assumptions. We will continue to work closely with these companies in order to ensure continuity of supply of all medicines to patients is maintained.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money his Department has allocated for preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal to date; how much of that funding has been made by way of ministerial direction; and for what functions that funding has been allocated.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
At Autumn Budget 2017, HM Treasury made an additional £3 billion of funding available over the next two years – £1.5 billion in each year – so that departments and the devolved administrations can continue to prepare effectively for European Union exit.
That is in addition to the £700 million previously made available to prepare for EU exit at Autumn Budget 2016.
In the Spring Statement on 13 March 2018, my Rt. hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss MP) laid a Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, setting out the full Departmental allocations of the £1.5 billion for 2018/19.
HM Treasury approved £21.1 million of funding for the Department of Health and Social Care’s preparations for EU exit in 2018/19, including planning for ‘no deal’. Spend against this allocation for 2018/19 will be included in the 2018/19 financial accounts in due course.
The Autumn Budget 2018 confirmed an additional £500 million of cross-Government funding for 2019/20, meaning the Government will have invested over £4 billion in preparing for EU exit since 2016. This funding will help departments manage pressures and contingencies arising from EU exit preparations which fall in the 2019/20 financial year, as well as ensuring that the United Kingdom is prepared to seize the opportunities available when we leave the EU. The Department of Health and Social Care has been allocated £50 million from this budget, as set out in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1205, laid before Parliament on the 19 December 2018.
No written ministerial direction for expenditure on contingency planning for ‘no deal’ has been sought by the Accounting Officer for the Department.
The Department is preparing for all eventualities and the resources available to support preparations are kept under constant review.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the UK remains a world leader for the treatment of rare diseases after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The Government is committed to the safe and effective regulation of medicines in the United Kingdom; ensuring patients and the public have fast access to new, innovative medicines, including medicines for rare diseases.
The agreement of an implementation period will ensure that access to medicines continues, and patient safety is maintained, in both the UK and European Union markets. Beyond that, the Political Declaration sets out a plan for a free trade area for goods, underpinned by deep regulatory co-operation, as well as a joint commitment to explore close cooperation with the European Medicines Agency.
The Government also continues to prepare for the unlikely outcome that we leave the EU without any deal in March 2019. The Department has been engaging with all pharmaceutical companies that supply the United Kingdom with pharmacy or prescription-only medicines from, or via, the EU/European Economic Area, on their contingency plans in the event of a no deal EU Exit.
Whatever the exit scenario, we will work to ensure that the UK will remain a world leader for the treatment of rare diseases after the UK leaves the EU, that UK patients are able to access the best and most innovative medicines including medicines for rare diseases and that their safety is protected. The UK life sciences industry has much to offer in creating, developing, trialing and commercialising medicines that will benefit UK patients and strengthen the ability of the UK to compete internationally.
Asked by: Luciana Berger (Liberal Democrat - Liverpool, Wavertree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of contingency plans made by his Department (a) to date and (b) until 29 March 2019 in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
We do not want or expect a no deal scenario. However, it is the duty of a responsible Government to continue to prepare for a range of potential outcomes, including the unlikely event of no deal. Extensive work to prepare for a no deal scenario, including contingency planning, has been under way for over two years and we are taking necessary steps to ensure the country continues to operate smoothly from the day we leave.
At Autumn Budget 2017, HM Treasury made an additional £3 billion of funding available over the next two years – £1.5 billion in each year – so that Departments and the devolved administrations can continue to prepare effectively for European Union exit.
That is in addition to the £700 million previously made available to prepare for EU exit at Autumn Budget 2016.
In the Spring Statement on 13 March 2018, my Rt. hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss) laid a Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, setting out the full Departmental allocations of the £1.5 billion for 2018/19. HM Treasury approved £21.1 million of funding for the Department of Health and Social Care preparations for EU exit in 2018/19. The Department is preparing for all eventualities and the resources available to support preparations are kept under constant review.
The Autumn Budget 2018 confirmed an additional £500 million of cross-Government EU exit funding for 2019/20, meaning the Government will have invested over £4 billion in preparing for EU exit since 2016.
This funding will help Departments manage pressures and contingencies arising from EU exit preparations which fall in the 2019/20 financial year, as well as ensuring that the United Kingdom is prepared to seize the opportunities available when the UK leaves the EU.