Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate she has made of the (a) level of decline in the availability of global freight services and (b) the effect of that decline on costs to UK exporters; and if she will make a statement.

The Government recognises that freight operators and their workforce (including all those working in supply chains) are vital to the continued flow of critical goods. Freight is currently moving effectively across borders into and out of the UK, but Covid-19 continues to present significant risks and we are working across Government and the devolved administrations, with industry, to mitigate and manage these risks.

The Government continues to engage with UK exporters to understand the challenges that they are facing as a result of Covid-19, that affect their ability to trade with countries. To assist exporting businesses through these challenging times, the Government has announced an unprecedented package of measures which include the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), business rate holidays and the newly launched Bounce Back loans. In addition to this, UK Export Finance (UKEF) is providing support to exporting businesses facing disruptions through export finance and insurance.