Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the devolved administrations on the level of potential disruption to UK supply chains over the Christmas 2021 period as a result of the heavy goods vehicle driver shortage.

Ministers and officials engage regularly with representatives of the devolved administrations on a wide range of topics including the availability of HGV drivers. Most recently, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department for Transport, Baroness Vere of Norbiton met with Ministers from the devolved administrations to discuss the HGV driver shortage on 9 December 2021.

The Government has implemented 32 specific interventions to date to help alleviate the existing HGV driver shortages. Recent assessments by industry bodies suggest that the shortfall in drivers is starting to ease.