(Adds details on border investment)
LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - Britain will spend 705 million
pounds ($890 million) on border infrastructure to help keep
trade flowing after its transition deal with the European Union
expires at the end of the year, Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove
said on Sunday.
The funding includes 470 million pounds to build port and
inland infrastructure, including in the south-east of England to
serve major freight crossings to France.
"There will be specific pieces of infrastructure that we put
in place in order to smooth the flow of traffic," Gove told the
BBC's Andrew Marr.
Britain, which is still in talks with the European Union
about a post-Brexit trade deal, said it would shortly set out in
detail how the British-EU border would operate.
Gove's cabinet colleague International Trade Secretary Liz
Truss, in a leaked letter published by Business Insider, voiced
concerns about legal challenges to the border proposals and the
risk that ports will not be ready in time.
Asked whether Britain's borders would be ready and secure by
the end of the year, Gove said he thought they would be.
"I am absolutely certain that everything that we do is
compliant with the law, indeed is designed to ensure that we can
not just comply with the law and keep people safe, but also
facilitate trade as well," he said.
Gove said there had been "movement" in the negotiations
between Britain and the EU about a post-transition trade deal.
"There are hopeful signs, but I wouldn't want to be
over-enthusiastic," he said.
The border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the
United Kingdom, and EU member Ireland will be subject to
specific guidance.
"We will be saying more about how we are going to implement
the Northern Ireland protocol later this month," Gove said.
($1 = 0.7925 pounds)
(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Catherine Evans)