The Haulage Industry

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:32 pm on 6 July 2021.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 1:32, 6 July 2021

Well, the shortage of lorry drivers is a direct result of poor planning by the UK Tory Brexit Government. A major Welsh haulier firm based in my region has lost 50 drivers who were EU citizens as they did not meet the UK's new criteria for skilled worker visas. While we know more than ever lorry drivers are key workers, stocking our supermarkets, delivering our packages and keeping the economy moving, the shortage of drivers is already causing real issues in the agricultural sector, and unless the UK Government urgently gets to grips with this problem, we will see empty supermarket shelves sooner rather than later, especially in the rural and remote communities in my region. So, what discussions has the Welsh Government had with UK Ministers about the need to resolve the looming crisis, and what can we do here in Wales to mitigate the impact of Tory Brexit policy failure?