Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that the introduction of import controls does not result in lengthy administrative processes for businesses.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) has been designed with traders and consumers at the forefront. Our global risk-based approach harnesses data and technology to help reduce administrative burden for businesses. Further, most fruit and vegetables are currently treated as low risk and will not require any additional paperwork or checks. A limited number of meat and dairy products have been categorised as medium-risk. For these, simplified and streamlined certification is available.
Through the BTOM, we are piloting world-first Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Trusted Trader schemes. These will allow businesses, including some SMEs, to utilise their own processes to provide us with the assurance normally achieved through border controls, reducing administrative burden, time and costs. Further pilots that allow some traders to be approved to carry out their own checks at point of destination are now being rolled out.
Central to our support for businesses is our commitment to deliver a Single Trade Window (STW) with a further milestone this autumn. When fully operational, the STW will provide one digital gateway for users, where they can provide all the data once that is needed to fulfil their border obligations.
We continue to explore new ways to harness technology and streamline trade. Through the Ecosystem of Trust pilots, which developed theoretical models for ‘frictionless’ trade, the government partnered with industry to test new approaches to the use of technology and data at the border. These new approaches are now being taken forward via what we are calling “Border Trade Demonstrators” - aimed at improving border processes through better information sharing and improved governance.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that trade relations with EU member states are not disrupted as a result of new import controls.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)
The Government has undertaken extensive engagement with EU Member States to reduce any risk of disruption to trade as a result of the new requirements. This included Ministerial engagement in the joint UK / EU Domestic Advisory Group session at the start of January 2024, enabling EU trade associations to engage directly on their outstanding queries ahead of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) implementation.
We continue with official level engagement with trading partners across the EU, including official visits to Belgium (by myself), the Netherlands, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Poland and Germany in 2023 and 2024. The Chief Veterinary Officer has also engaged with counterparts across the EU in order to resolve issues such as ensuring availability of translated Export Health Certificates.
Prior to the second BTOM milestone of 30 April 2024, officials worked with EU-based businesses to conduct robust operational testing. We have and will continue to work with the European Commission, individual EU Member States and trade bodies through established fora, webinars, business-to-government and commodity-specific sessions. We are always keen to seek feedback to address any concerns.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to expedite the negotiation and ratification of trade deals benefiting the food and agricultural sector.
Answered by Lord Offord of Garvel
The Government is securing improved market access for the food and agricultural sector, through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) but also the targeted removal of individual market access barriers in key international markets.
The Department for Business and Trade are working hard to secure new, or improved, FTAs with a range of important trade partners around the world. Work also continues to ratify the agreements we have signed, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which should come into force later this year.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that (1) border infrastructure is fully prepared, and (2) there are sufficient staff in place, to handle the increased controls on food and agricultural products starting from 30 April.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
The Government has worked with port and airport operators, traders, Port Health Authorities and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to make sure we have the right infrastructure, systems and resources in place.
This has culminated in recent months with an extensive period of operational testing. Collaborating with several ports, Port Health Authorities, APHA and traders, we have used these tests to identify and resolve any remaining operational issues.
We are confident that Border Control Posts infrastructure has sufficient capacity and capability to handle the volume of checks expected under the Border Target Operating Model. We are confident our systems are robust, dynamic, and effective, and we are confident inspection authorities are appropriately staffed and trained.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the new border import controls being introduced on 30 April will impact food safety standards between the UK and EU; and if so, how.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) introduces proportionate controls that will protect the agri-food sector and public health.
The implementation of controls on EU goods does not change the safety standards of imported food. It has reduced the risk of plant and animal pests and diseases reaching GB and potentially causing significant disruption to domestic production, as well as assuring the safety of all imported food.
The UK’s agri-food exports depend on our reputation for high regulatory standards, and the BTOM will provide our export markets with assurance that we are taking appropriate steps to protect our biosecurity, so that our exports will not present an increased risk to our trade partners’ biosecurity.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to mitigate potential supply chain disruptions, and (2) to ensure the uninterrupted flow of essential food items, when new border import controls are introduced on 30 April.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
We do not expect food shortages. The resilience and reliability of food supply chains is a key objective of the Government as set out in last year’s Government Food Strategy. In implementing this new control regime for the first time on EU imports, we will carefully monitor the range of potential risks, including those that may impact food supply-chains.
The three-month period from 31 January 2024 has allowed businesses time to familiarise themselves with the new requirements before full implementation on 30 April 2024. We are adopting a carefully calibrated approach to enforcement of the new controls that minimises the risk of disrupting trade flows, with an emphasis on educating and supporting businesses to comply.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the introduction of import controls on 30 April does not result in significant delays or backlogs at the border.
Answered by Lord Douglas-Miller
DEFRA will gradually increase changes in controlled stages to balance biosecurity risk and maintain trade flows whilst minimising disruption at the border.
This will allow the level of goods inspected at the border to be operationally manageable over the introductory stages.
Current check rates applied to rest of world consignments will be maintained, or set to agreed BTOM levels, and will not be impacted by this incremental approach.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible involvement of EVE Energy in the West Midlands Gigafactory and of the criteria that were used in the selection process.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Lainston
We are determined to ensure the UK remains one of the best locations in the world for automotive manufacturing as we transition to electric vehicles, while ensuring taxpayer money is used responsibly and provides best-value. It would not be appropriate to comment on speculation or the commercial affairs of private companies.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Overseas Territories are permitted to negotiate their own free trade agreements with third countries.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
In international law the Overseas Territories (OTs) are not sovereign states in their own right and have no separate international legal personality. As such, they cannot enter into international agreements directly (including Free Trade Agreements), unless expressly authorised to do so by the UK Government under an entrustment. Agreements entered into by the UK may provide for their application to the OTs, or be extended to the OTs at a later date.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with railway operators to avoid disruption such as occurred on 26 February on trains to Gatwick; what discussions they have held with airlines regarding compensation for those who may miss their flights as a result of rail disruption; and what steps they will take to avoid such scenarios in future.
Answered by Lord Davies of Gower - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Unfortunately, Govia Thameslink Railway services were very heavily disrupted on the morning of 26 February by a number of Network Rail infrastructure incidents across the Sussex area.
Network Rail, which is the organisation responsible for rail infrastructure, continues to work closely with train operators to improve how the industry responds to unplanned disruption. The Department monitors operational performance closely and engages with the rail industry at all levels which includes regular meetings on punctuality and reliability with both Network Rail and representatives from the train operators.
Train operators do not offer compensation to passengers for missed flights and as such there have been no discussions between the Department and airlines on this matter. The Department would urge passengers to use the Delay Repay scheme for compensation on their rail journey and consider other claims using their own travel insurance.