There will be food and gifts at Christmas, says Transport Secretary Grant Shapps

The Transport Secretary said Christmas is not at risk from consumer shortages and there will be food and gifts.
Speaking on Times Radio, Grant Shapps said: “Unfortunately, unlike last year where there was a genuine question about whether we’ll be able to see friends and family and it was very restricted, that’s not the case this yearSpeaking on Times Radio, Grant Shapps said: “Unfortunately, unlike last year where there was a genuine question about whether we’ll be able to see friends and family and it was very restricted, that’s not the case this year
Speaking on Times Radio, Grant Shapps said: “Unfortunately, unlike last year where there was a genuine question about whether we’ll be able to see friends and family and it was very restricted, that’s not the case this year

Speaking on Times Radio, Grant Shapps said: “Unfortunately, unlike last year where there was a genuine question about whether we’ll be able to see friends and family and it was very restricted, that’s not the case this year

“Christmas will go ahead, we’ll be able to see our friends and families. There will be food, there will be gifts.

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“I do know that the entire world has a squeeze on its supply chain. That’s because we’re all coming out of this very long period of coronavirus, and the UK economy, perhaps particularly because we’ve got an expanding economy, the fastest growing in the G7, means that there are particular stresses and strains.

“But we’re taking a whole range of measures, including one that I’m announcing today about the way that lorry drivers from abroad pick up and drop things off, the so called cabotage rules.

“And under our changes that will mean that they can, in an unlimited way by Christmas, pick up and drop off goods within this country within a 14-day period.”

Tim Morris, head of the Major Ports Group, which represents operators, said that despite the Government saying the supply chain crisis is getting better, we should not “fool ourselves”.

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He told Sky News: “This week has seen improvements in what we call stack levels, so the amount of containers, for example, sat on the ground. But let’s not fool ourselves.

“It has been an extraordinarily busy 12 months now.

“And what we’ve seen over the last week, fortnight, have been some of the UK supply chain congestion issues sort of matching up and catching ports… between surging global demand and shipping and very congested inland here in the UK.”

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