Committee must investigate impact of Kent border on food exports
Scottish Greens Highlands and Islands MSP John Finnie has called on the Conservative Convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy Committee to call UK Ministers before it to explain how chaotic Brexit plans will impact Scotland’s food producers.
In a letter to Sir Edward Mountain, Mr Finnie highlights recent reports that queues of 7,000 port-bound trucks could be delayed for up to two days in Kent, where hauliers would require a Kent Access Permit to enter, and the need for the committee to understand the impact this would have on Scotland’s food exporters.
John Finnie MSP said:
“We’ve heard this week that hauliers will require Kent passports to join queues of 7,000 lorries which could be delayed for two days because of the Tory’s chaotic post-Brexit plans.
“The Westminster Government’s casual acknowledgement of the delays for trucks in Kent adds to the worry for exporters of Scottish produce, including valuable, time-sensitive sea food exports from the Highlands and Islands, who were already facing uncertainty before this latest calamity was revealed.
“The Scottish Parliament has a duty to understand the problems that our constituents will face as a direct result of the UK Government’s self-inflicted mayhem. It’s vital that UK Ministers are brought before the committee urgently to explain what consideration they have given to Scotland’s valuable food producers and how they will ameliorate the undoubted chaos that will result at the end of the transition period because of their plans.”