Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 23 November (HL183), whether the Common User Charge is being defined as a ‘tariff measure’ and therefore not included in its modelling of the inflationary impact of the Border Target Operating Model.

Alongside other measures that are likely to have an economic impact on international trade, estimates for relevant user charges and fees - including the Common User Charge - were included in the modelling of the inflationary impact of the Border Target Operating Model.

We calculated the inflationary impact over a 3 year period through the academically peer-reviewed food price inflation model as its full effect on consumer food prices will not be immediate. As such, we have no plans for a formal review of measures introduced through implementation of the Border Target Operating Model one year after introduction. We will review the Border Target Operating Model in line with the Magenta Book guidance on evaluation and further announcements will be made to Parliament as and when required. The Magenta Book guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e96cab9d3bf7f412b2264b1/HMT_Magenta_Book.pdf

We have not identified any differential impact on traffic flows, congestion and emissions that might be caused by different levels of user charges.