A leading parliamentary committee has said in a new report that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has no effective system of oversight for biosecurity border controls.
UK-EU Trade: Towards a Resilient Border Strategy argues that failures in this area present real threats to the health of UK animals and plants and consequently to the viability of the UK’s agricultural and horticultural sector.
Highlighting problems at the Short Straits, the report notes that the Defra Committee received specific and repeated concerns that the unique location of Sevington inland Border Control Post (BCP), 22 miles away from the Port of Dover, provides opportunities for exploitation by criminals.
It also lists flawed IT systems and data gaps as being among the causes of weak enforcement.
Committee Chairman, Alistair Carmichael, said: “Our report describes the numerous problems and inadequacies which are making it impossible for the designated authorities to do their job. These problems arise from a failure by successive Governments to appreciate the gravity of the threat, listen to stakeholders, address problems in real time and to understand that even in a time of scarcity these operations must be adequately funded.”
While the report mentions a high level of compliance by traders, it points out that companies are dissatisfied with the current enforcement regime because of their concerns over value for money, inspection standards and biosecurity.
The Committee was also told of problems for inland local authorities, which have responsibility for control of imports that have passed border posts. MPs heard that local authorities have not received the necessary funding, staffing or system access to enable them to carry out these responsibilities.
