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<p>Defra consulted with industry stakeholders on which commodities should be prioritised
in the event of severe traffic disruption for those travelling via the Short Straits.</p><p>
</p><p>Three criteria were identified to inform that decision, two of which had to
be met for prioritisation of any commodity to be agreed:</p><p> </p><p>i) The goods
are highly perishable and will lose most of or all their value within five days or
less;</p><p>ii) The ‘perishable’ goods concerned are live animals and would give rise
to animal welfare concerns if not moved in a timely manner and;</p><p>iii) The goods
would give rise to a disproportionate economic impact on a geographical area of the
UK.</p><p> </p><p>Meat and dairy products did not meet two out of the three criteria
set out above and were therefore not identified as prioritised commodities. We did
consider whether a number of perishable commodities beyond those identified could
be added to the list of those being prioritised. However, there is an additional capacity
issue with respect to the numbers of vehicles and the overall traffic management in
Kent, which if exceeded would put at risk the feasibility of the wider prioritisation
contingency plan.</p><p> </p><p>On the issue of prioritising goods at ports, the prioritisation
contingency described above focuses on the journey to port within the Kent strategic
road network, specifically the M20. Defra and other Government departments are working
intensively with the relevant ports to minimise further delays at those locations.</p>
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