A secret government report warning of food, fuel and drug shortages under a no-deal Brexit is out of date, Michael Gove has said.

The cabinet minister in charge of co-ordinating Whitehall preparations for Britain to leave the EU on 31 October insisted it was an "old document" that only looked at "what the very, very worst situation would be".

He admitted there "will be some bumps in the road, some element of disruption in the event of no-deal" but added since it was first published preparations have been stepped up.

'We are going to leave the EU on 31 October'

The dossier on preparations - codenamed Operation Yellowhammer by the Cabinet Office - was revealed by The Sunday Times, and detailed the "most likely aftershocks" of leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement in fewer than 80 days.

"[It] offers a rare glimpse into the covert planning being carried out by the government to avert a catastrophic collapse in the nation's infrastructure," the newspaper reported.


"The file, marked 'official-sensitive' requiring security clearance on a 'need to know' basis is remarkable because it gives the most comprehensive assessment of the UK's readiness for a no-deal Brexit."

It quoted a senior Whitehall source saying: "This is not project fear - this is the most realistic assessment of what the public face with no-deal. These are likely, basic, reasonable scenarios - not the worst case."

But Mr Gove, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, directly disputed that allegation.

He said on Sunday: "It's certainly the case there will be some bumps in the road, some element of disruption in the event of no-deal.

"But the document that has appeared in the Sunday Times was an attempt in the past to work out what the very, very worst situation would be, so we could take steps to mitigate that.

"And we have taken steps, not just to deal with some of the risks, but also to make sure that our economy and our country are better placed than ever to leave the EU on 31 October."

EU 'won't suffer from no deal as much as UK'

What did the Operation Yellowhammer report predict?

Three-month "meltdown" at British ports because 85% of lorries using the main Channel crossings "may not be ready"

A hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will be likely

Shortages of food and medicine

Petrol import tariffs "inadvertently" leading to the closure of two oil refineries

Protests across the UK could "require significant amounts of police resources"

Gibraltar facing up to four hour delays at the border with Spain for "at least a few months"

A Number 10 source pointed the finger of blame at an unnamed former minister, saying it was "from when ministers were blocking what needed to be done to get ready to leave and the funds were not available".

Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the references to the territory's no-deal planning were "out of date" and based on "planning for worst case scenarios which the government has already dealt with".

PM accuses MPs of conspiring to block Brexit

Energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng - who attends cabinet - also dismissed a rise in "scaremongering" about no-deal.

"A lot of people are playing into project fear and all the rest of it," he told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to take Britain out of the EU "do or die" on 31 October.

He is in a stand-off with Brussels, demanding they renegotiate the withdrawal agreement struck with his predecessor Theresa May, a request it has refused.

Tobias Ellwood, a Tory MP who worked on Operation Yellowhammer as a defence minister until July, said Britain was "far better prepared" today for no-deal under Boris Johnson's premiership compared to Theresa May's, but added: "I still don't think it is the objective of any sane person in Britain."

More than 100 MPs have urged the prime minister to immediately recall parliament from its over five-week summer recess and let it sit permanently until Brexit happens.

Corbyn told to drop 'ego' as temporary PM plan rejected

Tory former ministers Dominic Grieve and Guto Bebb were among the signatories of the request in a letter sent this weekend which claims a "creeping and disturbing populism" is taking over his discourse with the EU.

The Westminster leaders of the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, Change UK, and the Green Party's Caroline Lucas also backed the call, along with several Labour MPs.

They wrote: "Since the Second World War, parliament has been recalled multiple times in every decade for a wide range of political, security and economic reasons...

"We face a national emergency, and parliament must be recalled now in August and sit permanently until 31 October, so that the voices of the people can be heard, and that there can be proper scrutiny of your government.

"A true democrat should not fear such scrutiny. The question is whether you are one."

Mr Johnson is planning to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on a trip to both countries later this week.

Downing Street briefed he will tell them MPs can no longer block an automatic no-deal on Halloween, but played down them spending much time discussing Brexit.