When it came to Brexit, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy worked flat out in the run up to 31 October 2019 to help businesses get ready for leaving the EU in the event that there was no agreed deal.

Our Brexit Readiness team did this in many varied ways:

• we set up a £10M Business Readiness Fund that supported 124 Business Representative Organisations and trade associations to provide advice to their business sectors

• we held 30 face to face business events over five weeks as well as weekly online advice surgeries and business roundtables across the UK 

• I personally went to Belfast, Aberdeen, Cardiff and Manchester to host nine business roundtables and meet with over 250 different businesses, as well as contributing to the daily Brexit cabinet committee meetings

• we completed plans to support the Single Electricity Market between RoI and NI, as well as creating a help desk and financial support mechanisms for SMEs to be launched in the event of a no deal Brexit

• In total BEIS gave specific, tailored advice to more than 5,000 businesses all over the UK, either face to face or online, in the run up to October 31.

 Since the Withdrawal Agreement was passed, my team in BEIS has focussed on setting out some of the UK’s negotiating positions for a new trade deal with the EU, including on level playing field, on regulatory standards, on nuclear cooperation, on scientific collaboration and has also been working hard with businesses to ensure their views are taken into account in the negotiations.