Recommendations & Conclusions
10 items
7
Recommendation
3rd report - Biosecurity at the border:…
Rejected
Defra must consult on a permanent personal import policy for the EU by April 2026. It should prioritise safeguarding British farms and should be straightforward enough to be understood by travellers and to be enforced. The current temporary ban on most meat and dairy imports should not be lifted until …
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Defra must consult on a permanent personal import policy for the EU by April 2026. It should prioritise safeguarding British farms and should be straightforward enough to be understood by travellers and to be enforced. The current temporary ban on most meat and dairy imports should not be lifted until a permanent policy has been introduced. (Recommendation, Paragraph 29)
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to consult on a permanent personal import policy for the EU, stating they have no current plans to do so due to the deferral of personal import rules until 2027 and the implications of the SPS Agreement.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
12
Recommendation
3rd report - Biosecurity at the border:…
Rejected
There is currently no identifiable or effective ownership of the issue of illegal meat imports. Responsibility is so fragmented across agencies that outdated, inefficient ways of working have been allowed to persist and the scale of the crisis has been able to escalate to an intolerable degree. This is an …
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There is currently no identifiable or effective ownership of the issue of illegal meat imports. Responsibility is so fragmented across agencies that outdated, inefficient ways of working have been allowed to persist and the scale of the crisis has been able to escalate to an intolerable degree. This is an issue that is in desperate need of focussed, energised leadership and personal accountability. (Conclusion, Paragraph 43)
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Government response AI summary
The Government does not accept the recommendation to establish a bespoke taskforce, believing adequate oversight can be achieved through existing routes.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
13
Recommendation
3rd report - Biosecurity at the border:…
Rejected
A taskforce for illegal imports of animal products should be established by November 2025, led by the Minister for Biosecurity, to provide oversight of the strategy’s design and implementation and to drive improvements. The taskforce should at least include the Chief Veterinary Officer; representatives from the Animal and Plant Health …
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A taskforce for illegal imports of animal products should be established by November 2025, led by the Minister for Biosecurity, to provide oversight of the strategy’s design and implementation and to drive improvements. The taskforce should at least include the Chief Veterinary Officer; representatives from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland including the National Food Crime Unit and Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit, and Border Force; and local government representation such as port health authority leaders, the Association of Port Health Authorities, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and the Local Government Association. The taskforce must have credibility with all stakeholder groups and should spend time with operational teams. The taskforce should report annually and refine the strategic approach to tackling meat smuggling as required. (Recommendation, Paragraph 43)
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects establishing a taskforce for illegal imports, deeming it disproportionate in the immediate short term. They intend to focus on a revised strategic approach for the Short Straits with existing partners and may revisit the recommendation later.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
19
Recommendation
3rd report - Biosecurity at the border:…
Rejected
Defra must deliver a plan to immediately start fining and prosecuting repeat offenders and those who are attempting to smuggle significant amounts of animal products. (Recommendation, Paragraph 46) The Port of Dover
Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation for a Defra-led plan to fine and prosecute offenders, stating that enforcement powers do not sit with Defra. They encourage enforcement authorities to use existing sanctions and will work with relevant agencies to consider options to enhance enforcement at the …
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
4
Recommendation
4th Report - UK-EU trade: towards a res…
Rejected
In the review proposed above, Defra should work with relevant Government departments and non-departmental delivery partners to assess the scale and nature of intentional non-compliance and outline the steps it will take to address this. These lessons should also be applied to any future UK-EU trading arrangements. (Recommendation, Paragraph 10)
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In the review proposed above, Defra should work with relevant Government departments and non-departmental delivery partners to assess the scale and nature of intentional non-compliance and outline the steps it will take to address this. These lessons should also be applied to any future UK-EU trading arrangements. (Recommendation, Paragraph 10)
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects conducting the proposed review to assess intentional non-compliance, but agrees with the principle of investigating and addressing such issues, citing existing departmental actions and capabilities.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
20
Conclusion
4th Report - UK-EU trade: towards a res…
Rejected
Industry has expressed dissatisfaction with the current system of SPS checks on plants and plant products conducted at inland Border Control Posts (BCPs), citing concerns around value for money, inspection standards, and biosecurity. While a future SPS agreement with the EU may significantly reduce or remove the need for such …
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Industry has expressed dissatisfaction with the current system of SPS checks on plants and plant products conducted at inland Border Control Posts (BCPs), citing concerns around value for money, inspection standards, and biosecurity. While a future SPS agreement with the EU may significantly reduce or remove the need for such checks, improvements to the current system are necessary to rebuild industry trust and ensure continued compliance and biosecurity in the interim. The competing demands for APHA plant inspectors across BCPs and Control Points, restricts the availability of inspections at CPs, industry’s preferred location, at the time consignments arrive. Reintroducing Place of Destination (PoD) inspections for a limited number of consignments could ease pressure on the system and improve inspector availability at CPs without requiring a significant expansion of the workforce. (Conclusion, Paragraph 35)
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects reintroducing Place of Destination (PoD) inspections, stating the scheme was temporary, concluded in April 2024, and did not meet necessary biosecurity standards or legislative requirements for permanent facilities.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
14
Conclusion
5th Report - UK-EU agritrade: making an…
Rejected
The Government and EU leadership broadly support reaching an SPS agreement, and it is currently feasible that the June 2027 ambition can be met. However, the Government must consider what will happen if negotiations take longer or ultimately fail, ensuring that day-to-day functions such as biosecurity, border operations, and regulatory …
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The Government and EU leadership broadly support reaching an SPS agreement, and it is currently feasible that the June 2027 ambition can be met. However, the Government must consider what will happen if negotiations take longer or ultimately fail, ensuring that day-to-day functions such as biosecurity, border operations, and regulatory oversight continue uninterrupted. While some degree of regulatory inertia is inevitable, it must be kept to a minimum. (Conclusion, Paragraph 45)
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation, stating that negotiations are underway and current border and biosecurity measures will remain in place until a deal is reached or negotiations fail.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
15
Recommendation
5th Report - UK-EU agritrade: making an…
Rejected
The Government should set out, in response to this report, its contingency plans for the SPS negotiations, recognising that an SPS agreement is not guaranteed. These should set out how core functions such as biosecurity, border operations, and regulatory oversight will continue if negotiations take longer or fail, and how …
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The Government should set out, in response to this report, its contingency plans for the SPS negotiations, recognising that an SPS agreement is not guaranteed. These should set out how core functions such as biosecurity, border operations, and regulatory oversight will continue if negotiations take longer or fail, and how reprioritisation of resources will be managed to avoid undermining critical work. (Recommendation, Paragraph 46) UK-wide approach
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Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation, stating that negotiations are underway and current border and biosecurity measures will remain in place until a deal is reached or negotiations fail.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
16
Conclusion
5th Report - UK-EU agritrade: making an…
Rejected
The Committee did not receive a clear or satisfactory explanation of how the Government intends to address UK internal market issues created by the England only Precision Breeding Act. (Conclusion, Paragraph 51)
Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation and says that Defra officials have regularly engaged devolved governments on the Precision Breeding Act, implementing Regulations and SPS negotiations related to precision breeding, and will continue to do so.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
17
Recommendation
5th Report - UK-EU agritrade: making an…
Rejected
In response to this report, the Government should provide the Committee with a clear, time bound strategy for addressing market barriers to trade within the UK, including structured engagement with devolved governments and options for mutual recognition, common frameworks or targeted legislative changes to ensure that supply chains can function …
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In response to this report, the Government should provide the Committee with a clear, time bound strategy for addressing market barriers to trade within the UK, including structured engagement with devolved governments and options for mutual recognition, common frameworks or targeted legislative changes to ensure that supply chains can function effectively. (Recommendation, Paragraph 52)
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Government response AI summary
The government does not accept the recommendation, stating that negotiations with the EU on an SPS Agreement are underway and Defra officials have regularly engaged devolved governments.
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Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs