Government department spends £100 million on extra ferries in case of no-deal Brexit

A Government department has spent more than £100 million on ferries to ease potential problems in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has signed contracts worth a total £107.7 million with French firm Brittany Ferries, Danish company DFDS and the UK’s Seaborne for extra crossings hoped to ease pressure on Dover.

The additional crossings are understood to be the equivalent of around 10% of the current traffic on the Dover Strait and will see ports in Poole, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Immingham and Felixstowe used.

The move comes as documents outlining the deals say increased border checks in UK ports in the event of a no-deal Brexit could “cause delivery of critical goods to be delayed”.

The contracts were not put out to tender as the DfT said it was a “situation of extreme urgency” brought about by “unforeseeable events”.

The contract with DFDS is worth £47.3 million, Seaborne Freight was given a £13.8 million deal and the contract with Brittany Ferries is worth £46.6 million.

Brittany Ferries is adding 19 return sailings to three routes between the UK and France. More sailings will travel between Roscoff and Plymouth, Cherbourg and Poole, and Le Havre and Portsmouth, representing a 50% increase on its current schedule.

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Brittany Ferries chief executive Christophe Mathieu said: “Our priority is to prepare for a no-deal Brexit and to create additional capacity. By increasing the number of rotations on routes like Le Havre – Portsmouth we will be able to meet the Department for Transport’s Brexit requirement.

“We will also work hard to minimise impact on existing Brittany Ferries freight customers and passengers, although there may be some changes to some sailing times, for which we apologise in advance.”

A spokesman for the DfT said: “This significant extra capacity is a small but important element of the Department for Transport’s no-deal Brexit planning.

“While remaining committed to working to ensure a deal is reached successfully, the department is helping ensure the rest of Government are fully prepared for a range of scenarios, including a particular focus on a potential no-deal and to mitigate the impact of any Brexit outcome on all transport modes.”