Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Ports: New Trading Arrangements

Thursday 25 March 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The port infrastructure fund grants 200 million to ports for border control facilities.
  • Portsmouth International Port has received 17 million from the government.
  • A review of facilities needed at border control posts will be undertaken.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Stephen Morgan Lab Portsmouth South
Brexit Business & Trade
Context

Since the end of the transition period, there has been a need for ports to adapt to new trading arrangements.

Question

What recent discussions have been had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of support for ports adapting to new trading arrangements since the end of the transition period?

Answer from Julia Lopez

The port infrastructure fund is granting £200 million of public funding to ports to build facilities required for border controls, which will now come into effect on 1 January 2022, while checks on live animals, low-risk plants and plant products will come in from 1 March next year. The delay to the introduction of controls announced this month allows more time for accreditation in operational testing of those facilities.

Answered
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Q2 Stephen Morgan Lab Portsmouth South
Brexit Business & Trade Environment
Context

Ministers are withholding vital funds needed for Portsmouth International Port to build post-Brexit livestock inspection points, while other inland sites have been fully funded by the Government.

Question

Ministers continue to withhold vital funds needed for Portsmouth International Port to build post-Brexit livestock inspection points, yet other inland sites have been fully funded by Government. The absence of this control post threatens trade worth £10 million per year to local authority-controlled ports. Can the Minister tell the House why she is picking winners when it comes to post-Brexit trade and whether she will deliver on the long overdue promise to explore alternative funding?

Answer from Julia Lopez

We are not picking winners on the issue of facilities. The port infrastructure fund is an investment that ports do not have to make themselves, and Portsmouth has received £17 million. A review of facilities needed at border control posts, including those for live animals, will be undertaken by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in advance of March next year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's specific ask about exploring alternative funding was not directly addressed.

How: We Are Not Picking Winners On The Issue Of Facilities.

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