Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Dominic Raab and Sandy Martin

Thursday 25th October 2018 Commons Chamber

[Sandy Martin (Ipswich) (Lab)]

7. What assessment he has made of the potential for UK border delays in the event that no deal is agreed for when the UK leaves the EU.

[The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Dominic Raab)]

The Government have published 106 technical notices addressing the no-deal scenario. We are striving for a good deal with our European Union partners, but we will be ready for all outcomes from the negotiations.

--- Later in debate ---

[Dominic Raab]

The hon. Lady is right to raise this issue, not least because Government and the pharmaceutical industry already liaise on stockpiling for far longer periods in other circumstances, including in relation to vaccines. We will keep it under review, but this is something the industry is used to doing and we are used to co-operating with it.

[Sandy Martin]

In September, the Borders Delivery Group reported that 11 of the 12 major projects to replace or change key IT systems were at risk of not being delivered on time or in a workable condition. Many of my constituents who work at the port of Felixstowe are at their wits’ end about how this is going to work. Can the Secretary of State tell us what is going to be done with those IT systems?

[Dominic Raab]

We had an extended Cabinet session last month. We looked at a whole range of action points right across the piece, including some of the IT issues to which the hon. Gentleman refers. We want to make sure we are in the best position to manage, avoid or mitigate any risk in a no-deal scenario, but of course we are striving for the best deal with our European partners.