European Union Entry/Exit System

Lord Jackson of Peterborough Excerpts

Wednesday 9th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

Indeed—we are very mindful of the fact that, done inelegantly and with the wrong result, this could affect business across the country generally, not merely in the south of England. The three juxtaposed controls are in the south of England, but they affect travellers and freight from all over the country. We are mindful of the effect on the economy as a whole; that is why the Government have worked so hard since they took office to check both that the arrangements in these places are adequate and that there is more capacity, as well as in collaboration with the European Union so that its end of this works as well as ours will.

[Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Con)]

My Lords, will the Minister consider exploring the viability of processing and charging facilities on the M20 in the Ashford area, away from the coast at Folkestone, Dover and Thanet, to ameliorate the problem with congestion on the coast?

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord for his suggestion. The juxtaposed portals work by having designated areas which are under the control of other sovereign nations. That would always require a lot of attention. The site in the Dover Western Docks was chosen after the Government took action to enable it to happen. We feel confident that it will work and that the authorities at Dover can sort out the difference between EU hauliers, who do not need to go through these checks, and hauliers from Great Britain, who do. It will depend on the dexterity of the Port of Dover, which needs to work hard to maintain its own business. What the noble Lord suggests is clever, but it would take a lot of doing, while the arrangements that we are putting in place must be there by the autumn.