Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the four Point-class sealift ships will be used to transport urgent cargoes of medicines, short shelf life products, or other essential goods.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is supporting the Department for Transport (DfT) in developing contingency plans for the movement of Category 1 goods, from the EU to the UK, in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Category 1 goods are defined as 'those essential for the preservation of human and animal welfare and national security'. DfT is procuring, on behalf of the rest of Government, freight capacity from the commercial market and remains on track to provide the required capacity from 31 October 2019, but it is right to prepare for all eventualities. MOD has therefore been requested to make available one of its freight vessels for use from 31 October 2019 should it be necessary. This vessel is one of the four Point Class Strategic Roll-on-Roll-off vessels (SRR), which are operated by Foreland Shipping Limited under a MOD contract. If this contingency plan is utilised, the intention is to import the Category 1 goods the SRR carries through Marchwood Port, using the MOD contract with the port operator Solent Gateway Limited.