Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the efficiency of IT infrastructure at UK ports; and what plans they have to support improvements in IT infrastructure at UK ports in time for Brexit.

The efficiency of operational IT infrastructure is a commercial matter for each port. HMG has however assessed cyber security at several key ports. In addition, we have published guidance for industry as a whole. The Network and Information Systems Regulations, which came into force in May 2018, have placed mandatory cyber security requirements on the most critical UK operators.

HMRC and Border Force are familiar with the IT arrangements in relation to the CHIEF system, and its successor, CDS, for handling border control declarations.