Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on the processing time of freight at Portsmouth International port.

Government departments have been working to design customs and other control arrangements at the UK border in a way which ensures goods can continue to flow into the country, and will not be delayed by additional controls and checks. Transitional simplified procedures, which were announced on 5 February, will contribute to ensuring smooth inbound flow at ro-ro ports including Portsmouth.

Officials have also engaged specifically with Portsmouth International Port to gain an understanding of the operations, including peak flows; and of the impacts of various EU exit scenarios on processing of freight traffic, with a view to supporting detailed local operational and resilience planning. However, the Department is not expecting the strategic road network to be disrupted.