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<p>28 NDAs relating to Brexit Preparations have been signed between DfT and its stakeholders
since July 2016.</p><p> </p><p>Government Departments continue to engage with a wide
range of businesses to understand their priorities and issues as we leave the European
Union, both to inform our negotiating position, and our preparations in the unlikely
event of there being no deal.</p><p> </p><p>Departments can make use of non-disclosure
agreements (NDAs) when structuring their engagements on preparations for leaving the
EU, which is a crucial component of planning. It is for departments to determine the
manner in which engagement with stakeholders takes place. Given the sensitive nature
of some discussions, there may be limited circumstances in which departments have
used NDAs to enable those conversations, thereby reaching more stakeholders than would
otherwise be the case.</p><p> </p><p>NDAs are also a common component of contractual
arrangements that are used to protect commercial considerations of the parties involved
or to protect sensitives around the development of Government policy.</p><p> </p><p>It
is entirely normal practice to use such agreements and they are therefore sometimes
necessary for Government departments that are responsible for managing their preparations
for leaving the EU.</p>
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