Select committee: Transport Committee
Conclusion 25
First Report - Road freight supply chain
Published 1 Jun 2022
Paragraph 82
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Road freight supply chain All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The introduction of the EU’s new Entry/Exit system later in 2022 threatens to cause further confusion, disruption, and delay at the UK’s border, particularly at the Port of Dover. The Minister stressed that other Departments were primarily responsible for the management of the UK’s borders. We recognise the division of departmental responsibility, but managing disruption will be the responsibility of the Department for Transport. It is crucial the Government gets a grip of this issue and engages urgently not just with the European Commission but with its counterparts in France and Ireland whose trade could also be disrupted if a solution cannot be found.
From: Transport Committee, First Report - Road freight supply chain (HC 162), paragraph 82, 1 June 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 30 September 2022 (deadline 1 August 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government welcomes the report and sets out 33 measures on the HGV driver shortage, noting most recommendations while agreeing that more freight should move to rail and water and that industry has more to do to attract and retain talent.
- On driver training costs, the Government "notes this recommendation" and says the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence review report will be published "in due course", with its conclusions "taken forward to public consultation".
- On lorry parking, it does "not at this stage intend to set up a Government-Industry taskforce". It is launching a £32.5M matched-funding grant "later this year", with the National Lorry Parking Survey to be published "early in 2023".
- On the Supply Chain Levy, the Government "notes this recommendation" and states that "taxes are a matter for HM Treasury and all taxes are kept under review".
- On modal shift, the Government "agrees that more freight should be taken from the road and on to rail and water". It refers to a rail freight growth target on which it "will consult on shortly".