§ Lord Pearson of Rannochasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the written Answer by Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 3 April (WA 112), whether they consider that, even without negotiating a free trade agreement with the European Union, no jobs or very few jobs would be permanently lost if the United Kingdom were to leave the European Union. [HL1724]
§ Lord Sainsbury of TurvilleA decision to withdraw from the European Union would change the planning assumptions of many overseas companies which regard the UK as a natural entry point into the EU market. This would not only impact on the UK's attractiveness for new inward investment, but also on the retention of existing investment, especially European HQ operations.