Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effects of the EU's Common External Tariff on the patterns of freight transport in the UK.

The Government has not undertaken a historical analysis of this particular effect. Indeed it would be difficult to separate out the effects of the common customs tariff from the effects of other developments in the economy, such as more complex supply chains and online retail.

As part of its preparations for leaving the EU, the Government is considering the full range of implications for transport, including those arising from the customs regime applying after exit.