More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Details of Kent’s ‘no-deal’ Brexit contingency plans are finally expected to be made public next week - but some of the measures will be kept under wraps.
With the Brexit deadline looming and a crucial vote taking place at Westminster on Tuesday, the publication of the measures are expected to reveal more about the steps councils and the emergency services will take to mitigate against disruption and delay.
While some of these are already known about - such as Operation Brock - other steps that could come into play have not been made public.
The contingency plans are being overseen by the Kent Resilience Forum, representing 100 different organisations and headed by Kent County Council.
It has been criticised for not being transparent enough and until recently its website made no mention of Brexit.
Opposition parties say the forum should have a “full disclosure” policy.
Cllr Rob Bird, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group at KCC, said: “The Government has been far too secretive about the impact of a no-deal Brexit and its preparations for far too long. With a potential no-deal Brexit just a few days away, people need to be told what to expect now. Any further procrastination would be wholly irresponsible.”
"The Government has been far too secretive about the impact of a no-deal Brexit and its preparations for far too long..." Cllr Rob Bird
Green county councillor Martin Whybrow said: “It is essential that there is full disclosure about preparations. That information should be made readily available by councils but, at the very least, it must be provided in response to Freedom of Information requests.”
A report this week warned the amount of money Kent County Council may have to spend on preparing for Brexit was likely to fall well short of what government has offered so far.
KCC says it would face significant costs as a result of a no-deal Brexit and “early indications are that required KCC spend will be significantly in excess of the [government] allocation.”
The report also says that “given the challenges and decisions that may be faced”, it may be necessary for the authority to issue a statutory notice warning that it is breaching its lawful obligations.
