Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium responded to today's Brexit technical notices:

"Businesses can only plan based on the facts and securing a deal with the EU is essential to provide certainty and to protect UK consumers. Our food supply chain in particular is fragile and based on just in time principles, ensuring efficiency and economies of scale, bringing huge benefits to the British shopper.

"Any delays caused by increased red tape will have a serious impact on over one-third of our food imports. The Government's technical notices demonstrate the facts of a No-Deal Brexit - reduced availability and higher prices of food and medicine, increased delays and red tape at borders, and a VAT bombshell for consumers and businesses.

"EU and UK negotiating teams must deliver a Withdrawal Agreement in the coming weeks to avoid the severe consequences that would result from a cliff edge scenario next March."

The Minister's speech on no deal planning is available here

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