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  • Agenda item
  • Agenda item

    Motion for Time Limited Debate

    Kent, the Customs Union and Free Flowing Trade

     

    Proposed by Mr Hook and seconded by Mr Bird

     

    “This Council notes:

     

    1.     The high importance of cross Channel trade for Kent’s economy, a major part of which is around 11,000 lorries travelling through Dover and other Kent Ports, to or from other member states of the European Union;

    2.     The observations made by the Chancellor of Exchequer to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee on 12 September that Dover “operates as a flow-through port and volumes of trade at Dover could not be accommodated if goods had to be held for inspection even, I suspect, if they were held for minutes, it would still impede the operation of the port.”

    3.     The finding that a lorry from within the EU typically takes 2 minutes to clear Customs at Dover and a lorry from outside the EU takes 20 minutes.

    4.     Whenever there is a problem with the free flow of freight through Dover and other Kent ports, serious disruption results to the travel and lives of residents all over the county.

     

    This Council therefore believes that it is essential to the economic and social well-being of the people of Kent for our county to continue to enjoy free flowing trade across the Channel, at least as seamlessly as present due to the UK’s membership of the Single Market and Customs Union.

     

    This Council calls for:

     

    a.      The UK government to take all necessary steps to ensure the continued free flow of cross channel freight between Kent and continental Europe, at least as seamlessly as present;

    b.     Parliament to consider all legal possibilities for Kent and the UK outside the EU, including retaining membership of the Single Market and/or Customs Union;

    c.      The Leader to write to the Prime Minister and Kent MPs setting out the action requested in this motion.”

     

    Minutes:

    (1)       Mr Hook moved and Mr Bird seconded the following motion:

     

    “This Council notes:

     

    1.    The high importance of cross Channel trade for Kent’s economy, a major part of which is around 11,000 lorries travelling through Dover and other Kent Ports, to or from other member states of the European Union;

    2.    The observations made by the Chancellor of Exchequer to the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee on 12 September that Dover “operates as a flow-through port and volumes of trade at Dover could not be accommodated if goods had to be held for inspection even, I suspect, if they were held for minutes, it would still impede the operation of the port.”

    3.    The finding that a lorry from within the EU typically takes 2 minutes to clear Customs at Dover and a lorry from outside the EU takes 20 minutes.

    4.    Whenever there is a problem with the free flow of freight through Dover and other Kent ports, serious disruption results to the travel and lives of residents all over the county.

     

    This Council therefore believes that it is essential to the economic and social well-being of the people of Kent for our county to continue to enjoy free flowing trade across the Channel, at least as seamlessly as present due to the UK’s membership of the Single Market and Customs Union.

     

    This Council calls for:

     

    a.    The UK government to take all necessary steps to ensure the continued free flow of cross channel freight between Kent and continental Europe, at least as seamlessly as present;

    b.    Parliament to consider all legal possibilities for Kent and the UK outside the EU, including retaining membership of the Single Market and/or Customs Union;

    c.     The Leader to write to the Prime Minister and Kent MPs setting out the action requested in this motion.”

     

    (2)       Mr Dance proposed and Mr Holden seconded the following amendment:

     

    “This Council notes that several thousand lorries a day travel through Dover and other Kent ports and handling that traffic is an important industry within the county, notwithstanding that the vast majority pass straight through without adding to Kent’s economy.

    The Council also notes that it has worked, and will continue to work, to maintain the free flow of that trade given the damage to the economic and social well-being of the people of Kent when Operation Stack has been invoked because of disruption on the French side.

    Consequently, this Council expresses its support for the government’s present negotiating position for a Brexit deal which we hope will see a continuation of the seamless flow of cross-Channel freight in the interests of the people of Kent, the country and our European partners.”

     

    (3)       Following the debate the Chairman put the amendment set out in paragraph (2) above to the vote and the voting was as follows:

     

    For (55)

    Mrs A Allen, Mr M Angell, Mr P Barrington-King, Mr P Bartlett, Mrs C Bell, Mrs P Beresford, Mrs R Binks Mr T Bond, Mr D Butler,  Miss S Carey,  Mr P Carter, Mrs S Chandler, Mr N Chard, Mrs P Cole, Mr N Collor, Mr A Cook, Mr G Cooke, Mr P Cooper, Mrs M Crabtree, Mr M Dance, Mrs L Game, Mrs S Gent, Mr G Gibbens, Mr R Gough, Ms S Hamilton, Mr M Hill, Mr T Hills, Mrs S Hohler, Mr S Holden, Mr P Homewood, Mr E Hotson, Mr J Kite, Mr P Lake, Mr R Long,  Mr S Manion, Mr A Marsh, Ms  D Marsh, Mr J McInroy, Mr P Messenger, Mr D Monk, Mr D Murphy, Mr M Northey, Mr P Oakford, Mr J Ozog, Mr D Pascoe, Mr M Payne, Mrs S Prendergast, Miss C Rankin, Mr H Rayner, Mr A Ridgers, Mr C Simkins, Mr J Simmonds, Mrs P Stockell, Mr I Thomas, Mr J Wright.

    Against (13)

    Mr R Bird, Mr I Chittenden, Ms K Constantine, Mrs T Dean, Mr T Dhesi, Mr D Farrell, Mr P Harman, Mr A Hook, Mr G Koowaree, Mr B Lewis, Ida Linfield, Dr L Sullivan, Mr  M Whybrow.

     

    Amendment carried

     

    (4)       The Chairman put the substantive motion set out in paragraph (2) above to the vote and the voting was as follows:

     

    For (54)

    Mrs A Allen, Mr M Angell, Mr P Barrington-King, Mr P Bartlett, Mrs C Bell, Mrs P Beresford, Mrs R Binks, Mr T Bond, Mr D Butler,  Miss S Carey,  Mr P Carter, Mrs S Chandler, Mr N Chard, Mrs P Cole, Mr N Collor, Mr A Cook, Mr G Cooke, Mr P Cooper, Mrs M Crabtree, Mr M Dance, Mrs S Gent, Mr R Gough, Ms S Hamilton, Mr P Harman, Mr M Hill, Mr T Hills, Mrs S Hohler, Mr S Holden, Mr P Homewood, Mr E Hotson, Mr J Kite, Mr P Lake, Mr R Long,  Mr S Manion, Mr A Marsh, Ms D Marsh, Mr J McInroy, Mr D Monk, Mr D Murphy, Mr M Northey, Mr P Oakford, Mr J Ozog, Mr D Pascoe, Mr M Payne, Mrs S Prendergast, Miss C Rankin, Mr H Rayner, Mr A Ridgers, Mr C Simkins, Mr J Simmonds, Mrs P Stockell, Mr I Thomas, Mr M Whiting, Mr J Wright.

    Against (12)

    Mr R Bird, Mr I Chittenden, Ms K Constantine, Mrs T Dean, Mr T Dhesi, Mr D Farrell, Mr A Hook, Mr G Koowaree, Mr B Lewis, Ida Linfield, Dr L Sullivan, Mr  M Whybrow.

     

    Motion carried

    (5)       RESOLVED that:

    (a)       this Council notes that several thousand lorries a day travel through Dover and other Kent ports and handling that traffic is an important industry within the county, notwithstanding that the vast majority pass straight through without adding to Kent’s economy;

    (b)       the Council also notes that it has worked, and will continue to work, to maintain the free flow of that trade given the damage to the economic and social well-being of the people of Kent when Operation Stack has been invoked because of disruption on the French side;

    (c)        consequently, this Council expresses its support for the government’s present negotiating position for a Brexit deal which we hope will see a continuation of the seamless flow of cross-Channel freight in the interests of the people of Kent, the country and our European partners.