No-Deal Brexit: Cross-channel Freight

Debate between Chris Grayling and Wayne David

Thursday 2nd May 2019 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

My hon. Friend makes a very good point. It underlines one of the things that makes the business community much more concerned by a Corbyn Government than by Brexit, because Labour Members not only do not understand business—they hate business and do not believe that the Government should work with business. We hear time and again how dismissive they are of business, and this is just another example.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

Do the Government’s interesting U-turns reflect a change in their attitude and policy towards Brexit itself?

[Chris Grayling]

Our policy has been consistent from the start: we want to leave the European Union with a deal. We will continue to work to do so but will make appropriate plans for all eventualities.

EU Exit Preparations: Ferry Contracts

Debate between Chris Grayling and Wayne David

Tuesday 5th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for Transport (Chris Grayling)]

As I have explained to the House on several occasions, the Government entered into contracts with ferry operators to provide additional ferry capacity and services into the UK as part of no-deal contingency planning. However, as we have heard clearly this afternoon, the reality is that the SNP does not believe in preparing for no deal. Even though the hon. Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Alan Brown) accepts that it is a possibility, a risk and a danger, he does not support us in preparing for the risk of a no-deal exit—[Interruption.] The Labour Front-Bench team say, “Take it off the table,” but we can only take no deal off the table by reversing Brexit or agreeing a deal. The reality is that Labour and the SNP have spent week after week trying to prevent a deal, voting against the deal and trying to disrupt the process of getting towards a deal. Frankly, they are acting in anything but the national interest in doing so. We, however, have been acting in the national interest in preparing for all eventualities.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

If the Secretary of State really believes that no deal should be an option, why on earth did the Government not begin preparations sooner?

[Chris Grayling]

We have been preparing for a no-deal exit for months and months. There was a particular reason, as I will set out in a moment, for this particular procurement at this particular time, but my Department has been working for months to prepare for the risk of no deal. That can be seen in the new international aviation agreements, in Kent, where we have put in alternative resilience systems to the deeply disruptive Operation Stack, and in many other things.

Seaborne Freight

Debate between Chris Grayling and Wayne David

Monday 11th February 2019 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

I do not think that Opposition Members are listening at all to what I have said. The agreements were all in place and ready to be signed, but the reality is that, at this moment, Arklow took a step back and did not want to continue. We had commitment now, a month ago and at Christmas time that Arklow was backing this proposal, but to be on the safe side—to be sure—we set up a contractual structure that meant that the taxpayer had no exposure unless the service was delivered. That was the right thing to do.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

Last month, the Secretary of State said to this House:

“We contracted with Seaborne Freight because the service it proposes represents a sensible contingency”—[Official Report, 8 January 2019; Vol. 652, c. 190.]

Given what we now know and with the benefit of hindsight, will the Secretary of State have the humility to come to the Dispatch Box and say sorry?

[Chris Grayling]

It was a sensible contingency. If we require that capacity now, we will have to use longer routes through the North sea, when it would be better to go from Ramsgate to Ostend. We have the resources, facilities and capacity available to deal with what we have identified as the needs of organisations such as the NHS.

Seaborne Freight

Debate between Chris Grayling and Wayne David

Tuesday 8th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

The common transit convention is the international agreement by which trade flows across multiple countries. It has already been announced that in leaving the European Union the United Kingdom will remain part of that convention, which will play a significant part in ensuring that trade flows freely in all situations. None the less, we need to make sure that we cannot get blockages at key ports, and that is what we are working to do.

[Wayne David (Caerphilly) (Lab)]

In the interests of transparency, will the Secretary of State indicate to the House which companies were considered for the contracts?

[Chris Grayling]

We received three compliant bids, all of which we judged acceptable and accepted. Two of them were from major operators that will provide around 90% of the capacity, plus there was this small additional contract. Should we choose to return to the market, there is also potential interest in the provision of extra capacity. I hope we will not need that, because I hope that we will have a proper deal come next week.