NICOLA Sturgeon has warned of fresh food shortages after Christmas amid the ongoing chaos at ports in the south of England.
The First Minister raised the concerns as she updated Holryood this afternoon on the pandemic and set out further measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, including a more highly infectious strain.
Some 40 countries around the world have closed their borders to the UK as they try to stop the mutant virus - found to account for a spike in cases in London and the south east - taking hold.
Sturgeon told MSPs that "by far the most serious impact" of the international restrictions now placed on the UK derives from the closure of the UK/French border to accompanied freight.
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"I took part in a Cobra meeting on this issue yesterday and also chaired our own resilience committee. I will join Cobra again later this afternoon," she said.
"The situation is serious, urgent and, for our food exporters, rapidly deteriorating.
"It needs the UK government to reach agreement with France, without delay, to get freight moving again. There is no time to lose."
She added: "I want to stress at the outset that we have no concerns about medicine supplies at this stage.
"And we have no immediate concerns about food supplies. Supermarkets are well stocked. And so there is absolutely no need for anyone to buy more than planned.
"Of course, if the situation is not resolved in the next day or so, we may start to see pressure on some fresh produce after Christmas - but that is not a concern right now and I hope it will not arise at all."
Empty shelves at a supermarket in Leamington Spa, England today.
She went on to say that "the immediate concern" is the impact on Scotland's food exporters, especially our seafood sector.
"This is the peak time of year for seafood exports and the Christmas export trade is now almost certainly lost. This is devastating for our world class seafood businesses and they need our support," she said.
"We are liaising with the sector on the need for immediate financial support and I also raised the issue of compensation at Cobra yesterday.
"However, what the sector needs most of all is for the UK Government and France to agree a protocol to get freight moving again without delay.
"If that doesn’t happen almost immediately, the sector stands to lose its New Year export trade too.
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"I very much hope a protocol will be agreed between the UK and France today, - indeed that we may even get movement during this statement - but that is not yet certain.
"And what is even less certain is how long any agreement it will then take to put any agreement into operation."
She said the Scottish Government is pressing the UK Government to give this issue the utmost priority and was ready to help in any way it could.
She added: "Since any solution is likely to include mass testing of freight drivers, that includes a willingness, if the terms of the agreement allow, to provide testing facilities for our sector here in Scotland."
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