Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of (a) the implications for his policies of the construction of Border Inspection Posts in Calais and Coquelles and (b) whether those posts will be operational by 31 October 2019.

When the UK leaves the EU certain products, such as live animals and animal by-products will be required to enter the EU via a border inspection post. The establishment of new or extended facilities at Calais, Dunkirk and Coquelles will mean that these types of products will continue to be able to trade using the short straits trading routes.

These facilities were approved for use if the UK left the EU at the end of March/beginning of April without a deal. The port authorities will need to resubmit for approval in a future no deal scenario.