Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is providing to help maritime businesses adapt to the end of the transition period.

We have provided extensive guidance for maritime and other businesses on the Government’s www.gov.uk/transition website enabling them to make the necessary preparations to adapt to the new rules following the end of the Transition Period. The Government has engaged closely with stakeholders leading up to and following the end of the Transition Period. The Department for Transport continues to engage frequently with maritime stakeholders, including through workshops and bilateral engagements.

On top of this, the Department has taken a number of steps to assist maritime businesses through transition. This includes playing an important role in delivering £200 million in Government grants to British ports through the Port Infrastructure Fund. The fund will help British ports build and enhance border controls infrastructure, enabling them to receive EU goods effectively and in line with the new Border Operating Model. Government is also spending a further £270 million on inland facilities to benefit those ports which cannot build on-site.

The Department also procured additional freight capacity on a temporary basis to help mitigate any potential disruption to the supply of critical goods due to new border procedures.