Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 23 November 2023 (HL180), whether they have undertaken an assessment of whether the Sevington border facility will have the required capacity for physical checks from 30 April 2024.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs carefully reviewed the provision of Border Control Post (BCP) facilities in Kent. It is the UK Government’s intention that SPS checks on goods arriving through the short straits should be undertaken at Sevington Inland BCP. This will ensure protection of the nation’s biosecurity and reduce import burdens for trade whilst also managing operating costs.

A key part of the review was consideration of the required capacity needed for SPS checks in Kent. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs is confident that Sevington BCP has sufficient capacity to handle the volume of expected checks at the Short Straits, as set out in the Border Operating Model, with robust, dynamic, and effective operational measures ready to call upon if needed.