Seaborne Freight Debate

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Department: Department for Transport

Seaborne Freight

Kevin Brennan Excerpts
Tuesday 8th January 2019

(5 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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I appreciate that the Scottish National party does not support Brexit and, indeed, would like to do everything it can to stop Brexit, but we will work to make sure that every part of the United Kingdom, including Scotland, is able to continue to trade freely around the world and gain from the benefits that will be achieved in this country in a post-Brexit world.

Kevin Brennan Portrait Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)
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I see no ships, but I do smell something fishy, and I think other colleagues do as well. Is the Secretary of State really saying to the House that the best choice for the contract was a company that cut and pasted its terms and conditions at the last minute from a fast-food company? Is his new Brexit mantra “A meal deal’s better than no deal”?

Lord Grayling Portrait Chris Grayling
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Of course, it is not a single contract. There are multiple contracts, of which 90% is going to two of the biggest cross-channel operators—something the Labour party appears to be completely ignoring. The fact is that we have chosen to give a small proportion of the business to a legitimate bid from a small start-up business, and I think that is something the Government should do more often, not less.