The government has been urged to guarantee that £250m the government allocated for the construction of a huge lorry park off the M20 will be retained for any new project.

The government announced last week that it would not be contesting a Judicial Review challenging the plan for Stanford but would begin to search for another site - possibly in the same location - to cope with Operation Stack.

That decision has raised the question of what will happen to the money now an alternative is being sought but is unlikely to be in place until 2019.

Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mel Stride to confirm “the £250 million allocated by the government in the autumn statement two years ago for the provision of an Operation Stack relief lorry park on the M20 is still in place.”

“The Department for Transport has unfortunately had to withdraw its plans for that lorry park because of a judicial review but it intends to go back into the planning process with new plans.

"My constituents would benefit from knowing that the funds allocated to that project are still there.”

Mr Stride, speaking in Parliament yesterday, said he would write to Mr Collins on the matter but would not go further.

The worst case of Operation Stack was when it had to be used in 32 out of 40 days from June to August 2015.

This was due to constant port blockades by French strikers and illegal immigrants based in Calais repeatedly disrupting Channel Tunnel services.

The daily cost to the UK economy was estimated at £250 million.

Meanwhile, the Dover MP Charlie Elphicke - currently suspended from his party - urged the minister to ensure that Dover and other ports were prepared to deal with having to make customs checks after Brexit.

He said: “Does he agree that it is really important for the channel ports that parking facilities and resilience are built in off the M20 so that whatever eventuality arrives with respect to needing to do checks - whether for animal health or customs purposes - we have the right kind of infrastructure and facilities in place on day one?”