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

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the costs incurred by private sector organisations in preparing for the cancelled EU fruit and vegetable import checks under the Border Target Operating Model.

Work to bring forward the end to fruit and vegetable easements (i.e. implementing BTOM checks on fruit and veg) paused earlier this year reflecting the decision not to implement the full BTOM check regime in the context of an SPS agreement with the EU. Accordingly, analysis of the business impacts of the BTOM checks on fruit and veg paused earlier this year and finalised cost impacts are not available.