Ministers ‘withholding key information from councils’

THE GOVERNMENT is withholding crucial information which would help councils prepare for Brexit, a senior local authority figure has warned.

Wakefield Council’s corporate director for business change, Gillian Connolly said that local authorities were struggling to get answers from Government departments about post-Brexit planning – with the UK’s exit from the bloc just 31 days away.

The warning came as pressure mounted on Theresa May to delay Brexit, after negotiations again failed to produce the concessions she needs to get Parliament’s support for the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

But speaking yesterday Mrs May insisted that it is “within our grasp” for Britain to leave the EU at the end of next month as planned.

Although the Government has once again delayed putting its Brexit deal before MPs in ‘meaningful vote’ until March 12, prompting accusations that Number Ten is running down the clock.

And yesterday Ms Connolly piled further pressure on Ministers when she said Wakefield Council was planning “without knowing what we are planning for”.

Speaking at an audit committee, she said there was “anxiety” among senior regional leaders about the Government’s responses to appeals to information and support.

This comes after warnings emerged last month over the pressure that a no-deal Brexit could pile on Hull and Humber’s ports, as traders looks for alternative options to Dover.

The area’s political leaders called on the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to provide more clarity on how disruption from any extra traffic through the ports could be minimised.

In a letter, the Humber forum – which bring together local authority chief executives and emergency service bosses – wrote: “The risks to the Yorkshire and Humber economy, the risks to the national economy relating to fuel deliveries to the North of England by road from Immingham, and the impact on emergency and wider public services and communities in the event of traffic disruption occurring that is not planned for, are very significant.”

Yesterday, Ms Connolly said: “I think the anxiety in West Yorkshire is more that there are now lots of meetings with government and lots of questions, but getting answers can be quite difficult.

“I think in Wakefield we’re taking a pragmatic approach that we’ll do what we can with what we’ve got.”