Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of an (a) earned recognition and (b) trusted trader imports system for the UK’s professional tree and plant growers.

Great Britain's plant health regime is risk-based, and the history of compliance of specific trades (where the trade is the combination of a specific commodity from a specific origin) is a significant factor in determining biosecurity risk. Defra has recently consulted on a revised system of import inspection frequencies, to reflect better the level of biosecurity risk associated with particular categories of commodities. Taking account of views expressed by stakeholders, new arrangements will be implemented from July 2022 and will be kept under review to determine any future changes required.

While the biosecurity risk of imported goods is largely trade based, there are areas where trader considerations may also play a role. Defra are currently exploring future options in relation to the Target Operating Model, including the possibility of trusted trader arrangements for plant health imports. Any proposal will be consulted thoroughly with stakeholders.