Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

UK Ports: Prevention of Disruption over Christmas Period

Tuesday 7 December 2021 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government has set up a new Cabinet Committee on logistics to address supply chain issues and keep goods moving.
  • HMRC has temporarily extended drivers' hours, relaxed late-night delivery restrictions, and deployed Ministry of Defence driving examiners to increase capacity.
  • HMRC has held weekly meetings with strategic operators, conducted webinars for over 1,000 haulage businesses, and sent monthly emails to more than 14,000 hauliers on the next steps.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Chris Elmore Lab Bridgend
Transport Brexit
Context

The MP is concerned about the impact of new customs controls on port operations and the resulting delays for businesses.

Question

What recent steps has the Minister taken with HMRC to help prevent disruption at UK ports during the Christmas period?

Answer from Lucy Frazer

The Government's priority is to keep goods moving and avoid delays at the border. To ensure that, we have set up a new Cabinet Committee on logistics to deal with supply chain issues. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is supporting traders and hauliers to adjust to their new obligations following the end of the transition period.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not specify concrete steps or timeline for addressing port disruptions specifically during Christmas.

How: We Have Set Up A Cabinet Committee

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Q2 Chris Elmore Lab Bridgend
Business & Trade
Context

An importer in the MP's constituency has seen import times for EU wine increase from seven to nine days to 12 weeks due to new customs controls. This is causing significant problems, especially during Christmas.

Question

What will the Minister do to start tackling the issues around the delays in importing wine so that everyone can have a sensible tipple over the Christmas period?

Answer from Lucy Frazer

The hon. Member will know that it is important to have committees to work across Government, because the supply chain issues affect all Departments. We have temporarily extended drivers' hours, relaxed late-night delivery restrictions, and deployed the Ministry of Defence's driving examiners to increase HGV testing capacity.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer provides general actions but does not address wine import delays specifically.

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Q3 Mel Stride Con Central Devon
Business & Trade
Context

The Federation of Small Businesses has estimated that only one in four smaller companies is prepared for the changes coming on 1 January regarding import processes.

Question

Is she aware of the issue where just one in four smaller companies are actually prepared for the changes happening? If so, what action is she taking to address this?

Answer from Lucy Frazer

The Government and HMRC have taken significant action to ensure that hauliers and carriers are ready. HMRC has weekly meetings with strategic operators, conducted webinars for over 1,000 haulage businesses, and sends monthly emails to more than 14,000 hauliers on the next steps.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not address small business preparedness specifically.

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