Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the debate on Port Examination Codes of Practice and National Security Determinations Guidance Regulations 2020 on 10 July (HL Deb, cols 1327–46), whether they plan for those regulations to apply to the proposed Free Ports which are intended to be established from 2021.

The powers under Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 or Schedule 3 to the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 may only be used to examine goods at the following locations: a port (as defined at paragraph 1(3) of Schedule 7); at premises operated by a sea cargo agent or an air cargo agent; at a temporary storage facility; or at a location designated by the Secretary of State. The government consultation on Freeports closed on Monday 13th July. Any UK Freeport model will ensure that the UK’s high standards with respect to security will not be compromised.