FISHGUARD and Pembroke Dock ports could be threatened by Brexit unless proper planning is put in place a National Assembly Committee warns.

The External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee has found that many Welsh ports lack the appropriate infrastructure and physical capacity to accommodate new border controls and customs after Britain exits the European Union.

It warns of lengthy delays, traffic tailbacks and disruption to freight supply chains.

Committee chairman David Rees AM, said: “Welsh ports directly support 18,400 jobs, and many more besides. At the moment, Holyhead and Fishguard both work on the premise of seamless travel from one side of the Irish Sea to the other for goods and people. We learned that many Welsh ports lack the physical capacity to accommodate new customs and border checks, which could have an unwelcome effect including increased delays and congestion.

“We also know that there are fears in the industry that a future soft border in Northern Ireland, whilst a harder border exists across the Irish Sea, could pose a risk to Welsh ports as traffic may re-route to ports in England and Scotland. This would have a serious economic impact in Wales, and it is vital that the Welsh Government works with the UK Government to ensure that our ports and our industries aren’t unfairly disadvantaged by Brexit.”

The report written by the committee states that Fishguard port had developed and grown since the competition of the Single Market in 1993, aided by “seamless travel from one side of the Irish Sea to the other” and any delays would have an unwelcome impact.

The committee also raised concerns that the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Ken Skates AM, has been slow to seek meetings with his Irish counterparts and other EU member states on the issue of Welsh ports.

In 2015, of the more than 750,000 lorries carried along the central corridor to Dublin, 50 per cent passed through Holyhead. A further 100,000 lorries were carried on the southern corridor, with two-thirds passing through Pembroke and one-third through Fishguard

Other recommendations to the Welsh Government include: that it continues to press the UK Government to ensure that Welsh ports are not unfairly disadvantaged by a ‘softer border’ arrangement between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland which could lead to freight traffic being re-routed to ports in England and Scotland via Northern Ireland; that it seeks clarity from the UK Government on the cost of any new IT-led customs arrangements post Brexit and how it expects this to be funded; and that it begins detailed contingency planning for Welsh ports for the various scenarios that Wales could face at the end of the Article 50 notice period and that this is reflected in the upcoming Ports Strategy.