Supply chain chaos could ruin Christmas for some families, it was claimed, after a Tory minister failed to guarantee presents would not be stuck at ports.
The Treasury’s Helen Whately was challenged to confirm no presents would be missing from under trees this festive season due to HGV driver shortages.
It came as images emerged of towering piles of shipping containers stuck at Felixstowe, Sussex - the UK's biggest container port.
On Sunday, the port hit maximum capacity and had to turn ships away due to labour shortages
Diverted vessels were forced to unload at ports elsewhere, including Rotterdam, Antwerp and Bremerhaven, to be later transferred to smaller ships and transported to the UK.
The Government has extended a visa scheme for overseas lorry drivers to try and plug the shortfall, amid fears supermarkets and toy stores could face empty shelves and higher prices in the run up to December 25.
But Ms Whately could not say for sure festive gift supplies would not be hit.
Speaking in the Commons, Labour's shadow Treasury minister Bridget Phillipson said: “The run-up to the festive period is a busy and crucial time for many businesses.
“They simply cannot afford delays in getting goods to warehouses from our ports.
“Yet that is exactly what the logistics industry is warning that the shortage of HGV drivers is causing.
“Can the minister guarantee that no presents will be missing from under the tree this Christmas because of her Government’s complete failure to plan ahead?”
Ms Whately replied: “We are indeed taking steps to support the haulage sector where there is a long-running situation with vacancies for HGV drivers.
“The action we’ve taken includes making available 5,000 temporary visas for the short-term, increasing the number of tests available so there’s a greater capacity for new drivers to take tests, changing cabotage restrictions, funding improved facilities for drivers, and also we need to see in the longer-term both better pay and conditions for lorry drivers.”
The Department for Transport has announced a series of measures designed to tackle the supply chain problems, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last month insisting they will mean “Christmas will go ahead”.
