Thread by @YvetteCooperMP

Parliament has been cancelled for 5 weeks so our @CommonsHomeAffs formal evidence session on No Deal preparations cannot take place. So instead we are meeting informally - still taking public evidence from the Borders Inspectorate & the Freight Transport Assoc at 10am

Because of prorogation there’s no broadcast from this morning’s @CommonsHomeAffs but here’s some things we heard;

Border force already overstretched & no clarity about how many extra staff will be in place by October 31 (NAO says up to 2,000 needed)......

Freight Transport Association still waiting for clarity from Govt on important practical issues on borders & customs for 1 Nov if there’s no deal. Traders & hauliers won’t all be ready.....

Home Secretary’s pledge to end free movement overnight on October 31 has been abandoned as unworkable but not without causing huge anxiety for EU citizens living here in meantime

Government says there will be more criminal checks on EU citizens arriving after October 31 if there’s no deal - but no one can work out how as we won’t have access to the EU criminal databases

Lawyers told us new settled status scheme was “fast track to Windrush problems” as anyone without Temp Leave to Remain or Settled Status by December 2020, even if they’ve lived here years, will be here illegally & could face immigration enforcement by Home Office, employers, NHS

And we heard of families struggling to complete settled status scheme for elderly relatives living here...

Lots of questions on No Deal preparations for us to put to Home Office..... in 5 weeks time. By which time there will be just 3 weeks left.