Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

European Single Market: UK Withdrawal

Thursday 29 June 2023 · 2 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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Department recently assessed the potential effects of UK withdrawal from the European single market on business and trade.
  • The Minister emphasized the UK's ability to tailor regulation to support businesses and consumers post-Brexit.
  • The Minister dismissed concerns about trade barriers at Dover, citing increased trade overall and attributing worries to scaremongering.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Neale Hanvey
Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The question addresses concerns about the impact of leaving the EU single market on UK business and trade.

Question

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the UK's withdrawal from the European single market on business and trade.

Answer from Nusrat Ghani

Having regained our regulatory sovereignty now that we have left the European Union, we are now able to ensure that our regulation is tailored to the UK economy, supports our businesses and protects our consumers. Having left the single market, we can focus on UK trade with the world, where total trade is up 24%, so the answer to his question is that the effect is that total trade is up.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific effects on businesses and detailed analysis of trade impacts were not addressed.

How: Trade Is Up

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Q2 Neale Hanvey
Transport Business & Trade
Context

The MP highlights the congestion issues at Dover impacting trade and HGV miles from Scotland to the south-east, causing delays and increased costs for perishables.

Question

Resilient and effective routes to market are essential for trade. The congestion that is currently being experienced at Dover is a significant barrier to effective trade. We can add to that the HGV miles from Scotland to the south-east and the impact on the quantities carried, on perishables and on costs, never mind the environmental impact. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how we reintroduce direct links from Scotland to mainland Europe and ensure trade is friction-free from Scotland?

Answer from Nusrat Ghani

I do not think the hon. Member heard my answer: trade is up. The reality is that this scaremongering just has to stop. The scaremongering is basically a cover for petty nationalism, and I would ask him to be passionate about the market that matters, which is between Scotland and England.

Not addressed: The specific issues of congestion at Dover and reopening direct links from Scotland were not addressed. The answer instead criticized the questioner's concern as scaremongering and petty nationalism.

How: Scaremongering, Petty Nationalism

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