Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the ability of ferry companies to resume their services of increasing the number of people being tested for covid-19 on arrival at ports.

The Government has worked closely with all parts of the maritime sector, including Portsmouth International Port, to ensure that ferry services can continue to operate throughout the pandemic. We have provided guidance to both ports and ferry companies on safe operating practices to address the risks of Covid-19.

The Government is actively working on the practicalities of using testing to release people from self-isolation earlier than 14 days. Officials across the Government are working with health experts with the aim of cutting the self-isolation period without adding to infection risk or infringing on our overall NHS test capacity. The Secretary of State for Transport has committed to updating the House on testing of international arrivals in the coming weeks.