News and Views

Welcome to the latest in a series of business readiness bulletins, aimed at keeping trade associations, business representative bodies and business intermediaries up to date on the latest information and guidance for business on the UK exiting the EU.

The objective of this Bulletin is to signpost you to tools and resources to help you and your members prepare for the UK’s Exit from the EU.

EU Exit Business Readiness Forum

The next Forum will take place at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on Thursday 8 August, with remote participation available via WebEx. Invites with further details will be sent to relevant organisations under a separate cover in due course.

We would really like to hear from you if there is anything in particular that you would find useful for our upcoming forum, please share your thoughts with us via sed@beis.gov.uk.

Recent Announcements

Workforce and People

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs state if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, there may be changes that affect fisheries business. Update – to employing seasonal workers, and access to waters: The fisheries sector and preparing for EU Exit.

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs state if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, there may be changes that affect private, official or abattoir veterinarians. Update – to the ‘Your employees’ section: The veterinary sector and preparing for EU Exit.

Home Office have provided information for EU citizens applying to the EU Settlement Scheme. Update – added a hyperlink to the ‘View and prove your rights in the UK’ checking service page: EU Settlement Scheme: view and prove your rights in the UK.

Regulations and Standards

NEW – Department of Health and Social Care have published a letter to suppliers giving an update on ensuring a continued supply of medicines and medical products if the UK leaves the EU with no deal: Medicines and medical products: continuity of supply update.

Importing and Exporting

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs state that if the UK leaves the EU without a Brexit deal, there will be changes that affect food and drink business. Update – to guidance on trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland, trade, tariffs and employment: The food and drink sector and preparing for EU Exit.

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs state that if the UK leaves the EU without a Brexit deal, there may be changes that affect arable, livestock or horticulture farming business. Update – added content on trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland, updated trade, tariff and employment sections: The farming sector and preparing for EU Exit.

NEW – Department of Health and Social Care have announced plans to launch procurement exercises to secure freight capacity if the UK leaves the EU with no deal: Medicines and medical products supply: government updates no-deal Brexit plans.

Department of Health and Social Care have provided guidance for marketing authorisation holders in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Update – information about a response template being sent to marketing authorisation holders in July 2019: Medicines Supply Contingency Planning Programme.

Department of Health and Social Care have provided guidance if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, people should be reassured and have confidence in the government’s plans for continuity of medicines supply. Update – ‘batch testing and clinical trials’ section to include content published previously on the guidance page ‘Batch testing medicines if there’s no Brexit deal’ about human medicines imported to the UK, and human medicines manufactured in a country on the MHRA’s Qualified Person list. Also added information on the continuation of these arrangements: Businesses supplying medicines and medical devices – what to expect on day one of a ‘no deal’ scenario.

Department of Health and Social Care have provided guidance for industry and organisations involved in health and care about contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit. Update – added a letter to suppliers of medicines and medical products giving an update on ensuring a continued supply of medicines and medical products if the UK leaves the EU with no deal: Planning for a possible no-deal EU Exit: information for the health and care sector.

Other

NEW – Department for Exiting the European Union have formed a Business and Trade Union Alternative Arrangements Advisory Group. The group will ensure work on alternative arrangements to help replace the Northern Irish backstop by the end of 2020 is informed by the views of those trading within the island of Ireland and across the Irish Sea: Business group established to look at Brexit backstop alternatives.

Department for Exiting the European Union has set out its objectives and how to deliver them. Update – 2019 plan has been added: Department for Exiting the European Union single departmental plan.

Business Support

Triage Tool

GOV.UK has an online tool to help businesses prepare for the UK leaving the EU. Businesses can use the Triage Tool to find out:

• what their business may need to do to prepare for the UK leaving the EU
• what’s changing in their sector
• information on specific rules and regulations

Businesses will need to answer 7 simple questions to get guidance relevant to their business.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – Sector Primers

These sector primers aim to bring together on one webpage the top 3 – 5 issues for each sector and provide guidance. The primers link through to more detailed material elsewhere on GOV.UK. A final batch have now been published, please could you pass on to stakeholders and ask them to cascade through their networks. The sectors covered are:

• Aerospace: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-aerospace-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Automotive: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-automotive-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Chemicals: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-chemicals-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Construction and Housing: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-construction-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Consumer Goods: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-consumer-goods-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Electricity incl. Renewables: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-electricity-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Electronics, Machinery & Parts: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-electronics-machinery-and-parts-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Gas Markets: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/gas-markets-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Life Sciences Sector: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-life-sciences-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Mining and Non-metal Manufacturing: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mining-the-manufacturing-of-non-metals-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Nuclear Sector: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-nuclear-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Oil and Gas Production: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/oil-and-gas-production-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Parcel Delivery Services: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/parcel-delivery-services-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Professional & Business Services: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-professional-and-business-services-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Research & Innovation: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-science-research-and-innovation-sector-and-preparing-for-a-no-deal-eu-exit
• Retail: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-retail-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Space Sector: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-space-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Steel: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/steel-and-other-metal-manufacturing-and-preparing-for-eu-exit

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Sector Primers

• Fisheries Sector: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-fisheries-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Food and Drink Sector: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-food-and-drink-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Farming Sector: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-farming-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit
• Veterinary Sector: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-veterinary-sector-and-preparing-for-eu-exit

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

DCMS have issued new guidance on what to expect on day one of a ‘no deal’ scenario if you’re a creative business, small arts organisation or sports organisation that currently travels only to the EU, such as:

• touring professional choir
• touring chamber orchestra
• touring string quartet
• small touring ballet company
• small touring theatre company
• school football team
• amateur sports team
• pop or rock band

Check what you need to do.

EU Exit: Business Intelligence and Engagement Team

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Email: sed@beis.gov.uk