Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

EU Withdrawal: Impact on Businesses

Thursday 7 March 2024 · 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 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK has secured free trade deals with 73 countries since leaving the EU, accounting for 1.1 trillion of UK trade in 2022.
  • Immingham port, in Brigg and Immingham constituency, is the largest UK port by tonnage and vital for trade with the EU and the world.
  • Businesses continue to face difficulties with the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, with issues often stemming from individual member countries rather than the agreement itself.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Martin Vickers Con Brigg and Immingham
Brexit Business & Trade
Context

Since Brexit, there have been ongoing debates about its impact on trade.

Question

What assessment she has made of the impact of the UK's withdrawal from the EU on businesses?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

Since we left the EU, we have used our new freedoms to secure free trade deals with 73 countries, including EU partners, and that accounted for £1.1 trillion of UK trade in 2022. We have simplified import tariffs to lower costs for businesses and households. We plan to remove over 50% of inherited EU regulations by 2026. Our reforms to employment laws could save UK businesses up to £1 billion a year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not directly address the impact on businesses since leaving the EU, focused more on future plans and benefits.

How: Under Review, Not Specific

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Q2 Martin Vickers Con Brigg and Immingham
Brexit Energy Business & Trade
Context

The port of Immingham handles a large volume of cargo annually and is vital for renewable energy.

Question

Measured by tonnage, the port of Immingham in my constituency is the largest port in the country, with almost 50 million tonnes of cargo each year. It is also a vital part of the renewable energy sector. If my right hon. Friend were able to visit at some time, she would be able to see that for herself.

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

As ever, my hon. Friend is a great advocate for his Cleethorpes constituency. He is right that Immingham is the No. 1 port in terms of tonnage and is vital to our trade with the EU and the rest of the world. If our diaries allow, I or one of my Ministers will be delighted to visit and see at first hand the vital role Immingham plays in the transition to renewable energy.

Answered
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Q3 Kirsten Oswald SNP
Business & Trade
Context

A survey found that 97% of businesses continued to face difficulties with the TCA three years after its introduction.

Question

In December, the British Chambers of Commerce found that a staggering 97% of surveyed businesses continued to face difficulties using the trade and co-operation agreement. Despite the TCA being introduced over three years ago, businesses are still struggling to deal with the added headache that the regulations have created. How many years is it anticipated that these issues will take to resolve?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

I thank the hon. Lady for her question. Many of the issues that businesses have been raising with us are specific not to the TCA but to member countries. That is why Ministers and I, along with officials, go to all these countries, and we have removed many of the market access barriers, which are not specific to the TCA.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide an estimated timeframe for resolving business difficulties.

How: Under Review, Not Specific

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Q4 Tan Dhesi Lab Slough
Brexit
Context

A recent Financial Times report showed a significant decline in UK trade volumes since the EU referendum.

Question

This week, the Financial Times reported the most significant decline in UK trade volumes since 1997. With a 7.4% drop in trade since 2018 and exports down by 12.4%, how has 14 years of Conservative rule prepared British businesses for their despair around extra red tape and the chaos unleashed by this Tory hard Brexit policy?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

I think the hon. Gentleman has just time-travelled from 2018 or 2019—it has been a long time since I have heard the phrase “hard Brexit”. He will of course know that we left the European Union with a deal, so he needs to catch up with what has actually happened.

Not addressed: Did not address the question about preparation for business despair and extra red tape.

How: Time-Travelled, Catch Up

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