68th Report - Defra's progress towards Brexit
- HC No.
- HC 1514
- Published
- 14 Nov 2018
- Items
- 0
- Response
- Response document linked Read government response ↗
Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee
Defra's progress towards Brexit inquiry
Status: Closed
Opened: 3 Sep 2018
Closed: 3 Sep 2018
1 report
Inquiry scope
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is one of the government departments most affected by Brexit: it is responsible for 55 out of the 319 EU-related work streams. However, the National Audit Office has found that Defra is running out of time to plan and create new services, negotiate export agreements with other countries, and deliver new legislation in the Parliamentary time available between now and March 2019. The NAO concludes that Defra is at high risk of not being ready for a ‘no-deal’ EU Exit – where the UK would leave the EU without an agreement. The Department has not met key milestones in areas that are crucial to the UK economy, which span exports of animals and animal products, valued at £7.6bn, and fishing activity in English waters, which contributes £682m to UK GDP. It also faces further challenges in areas outside its control such as the chemical industry, with exports valued at £17bn in 2017. The NAO’s report recognises that Defra has made progress in preparing for Brexit, particularly in the time available. However, despite securing £320m in EU Exit spending and recruiting over 1,300 staff, Defra is unlikely to deliver its original plans for a ‘no-deal’ exit. The report therefore calls on the Department to accelerate its plans for the withdrawal agreement and finalise its contingency plans for a ‘no-deal’ scenario. The Committee will explore the challenges that Defra has faced and the impact this has had on its original Brexit plans. It will also examine the key areas where Defra is not ready for a ‘no-deal’ exit and what can be done to accelerate planning in the time available before the UK leaves the EU. Submit written evidence If you wish to submit written evidence to this inquiry, the deadline to do so is Tuesday 9 October 2018.Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Oct 2018 | No witnesses recorded | View ↗ |
Correspondence
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| Published | Direction | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Jan 2019 | To committee | Letter from Clare Moriarty to Chair regarding Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affair's testing of the Department's EU Exit IT projects - dated 28.01.19 |
| 29 Jan 2019 | To committee | Letter from George Eustace MP to Meg Hillier regarding future fushing opportunities - dated 16.01.2019 |
| 13 Nov 2018 | — | Defra to Chair regarding Non-Disclosure Agreements - 31.10.2018 |