Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Trade with European Countries

Thursday 9 February 2023 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Wera Hobhouse questioned the minister about the struggles UK firms face with the new post-Brexit export system and the economic costs of Brexit.
  • The minister emphasized looking at the opportunities of leaving the EU rather than focusing on past issues and highlighted the need to work on reducing trade barriers.
  • Desmond Swayne pointed out that while exports from Britain to Germany have decreased, other countries' exports to Germany have increased over the past three years.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath
Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The MP noted a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce indicating more than half of firms are struggling with the new post-Brexit export system. The Office for National Statistics reports that Brexit costs the UK economy £1 million per hour and that the UK economy has not recovered as well as other countries post-COVID.

Question

More than half of firms surveyed by the British Chambers of Commerce are struggling with the new post-Brexit export system. The Office for National Statistics reports that Brexit costs the economy £1 million per hour, and the UK economy has not recovered as well as other countries post-covid. What plans does the Minister have to reduce trade barriers and EU border bureaucracy, which have hugely increased since Brexit?

Answer from Nigel Huddleston

As I said earlier, I hope that we can look at the opportunities of leaving the EU as well as trying to fight past battles. There are a host of opportunities; for example, I do not think that the EU had a particularly proud record on services around the globe. We are opening up services for many companies, which under the EU we were to a very large degree constrained in doing. We have huge resources for supporting businesses. Trade with the EU has been growing considerably, and we will do everything we can to support further growth.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific plans to reduce trade barriers and EU border bureaucracy were not provided

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Q2 Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath
Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The MP questioned the impact of barriers on EU trade, suggesting they have had a greater effect on UK-EU trade compared to the opposite.

Question

These barriers have had a greater impact on EU trade than on the UK. When does the Minister anticipate the EU will wake up to what is in our mutual interest?

Answer from Nigel Huddleston

My right hon. Friend makes a perfectly good point. Our agreement with the EU is one of the most thorough and comprehensive trade agreements, but we need to work further. We are constantly looking at opportunities—country by country, industry subsector by subsector—to open up more trade by reducing the barriers. These are barriers that also existed when we were in the EU.

Partly answered

Not addressed: A specific timeline for EU recognition of mutual interests was not given

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Q3 Desmond Swayne Con New Forest West
Business & Trade
Context

The MP highlighted a trend where UK exports to Germany are down by more than 10% compared to other countries, raising concerns about the poor deal negotiated with the EU.

Question

Over the past three years, according to the latest German trade figures, exports to Germany are up by almost a third from the US, by almost a quarter from the rest of the EU and by more than 10% from China, yet exports from Britain to Germany are down. Everybody else's exports are up; Britain's are down. Is it a lack of support to our exporters to Germany, is it the poor deal that the Conservative party negotiated with the EU, or does the Minister blame British business for the situation, as one of last year's Prime Ministers once did?

Answer from Nigel Huddleston

Again, all I have to say is that I have much greater confidence in British industries taking advantage of opportunities, not only in the EU but around the world. I wish others in this Chamber shared that optimism and confidence in British business.

Not addressed: The decline in UK exports to Germany was not addressed directly

How: Changing Subject, Criticising Question

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Q4 Gareth Thomas Labour (Co-op) Harrow West
Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The MP questioned the government's response to firms struggling with new export systems since Brexit, referencing economic costs and comparative recovery rates.

Question

More than half of firms surveyed by the British Chambers of Commerce are struggling with the new post-Brexit export system. The Office for National Statistics reports that Brexit costs the economy £1 million per hour, and the UK economy has not recovered as well as other countries post-covid. What plans does the Minister have to reduce trade barriers and EU border bureaucracy, which have hugely increased since Brexit?

Answer from Nigel Huddleston

As I said earlier, I hope that we can look at the opportunities of leaving the EU as well as trying to fight past battles. There are a host of opportunities; for example, I do not think that the EU had a particularly proud record on services around the globe. We are opening up services for many companies, which under the EU we were to a very large degree constrained in doing. We have huge resources for supporting businesses. Trade with the EU has been growing considerably, and we will do everything we can to support further growth.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific plans addressing post-Brexit export challenges were not provided

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