Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what reasons were given to Portsmouth Port for the decision to grant £17.1 million for the development of the border infrastructure required as a result of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement; what additional sources of funding (1) Portsmouth Port, and (2) other ports in a similar situation, are being directed to; why ports are not being granted the full amount estimated to be required for such infrastructure; whether they plan to fund the specialist facilities hosted at Portsmouth Port for trade in animals for breeding purposes; and if so, how.

The Port Infrastructure Fund received 53 applications from a range of sea ports, rail facilities and airports. Of the 53 ports that applied to the Fund, 41 were successful in their application and a total of £200M has been provisionally allocated. 12 ports were not considered eligible or were unsuccessful at assessment phase.

It is a commercial decision for ports as to whether to provide these facilities. In normal circumstances, ports would be expected to fund such facilities themselves. However - in recognition of the unique circumstances of EU Exit, and the tight timescales for putting infrastructure in place - Government made £470m of funding available for new border infrastructure, with up to £200m available to ports through the Port Infrastructure Fund.

Ports will need to consider the scope of their infrastructure projects now that their funding allocations have been made - they may choose to scale back on the facilities they are building, or they may choose to provide additional funding themselves. This is a commercial decision for ports.

Any decisions on future funding for specialist facilities would be announced in the usual way.