Recommendation 15

Although government told us about the good progress that it has made in putting in place the systems, infrastructure and staff required for the introduction of import controls, we note that government still needs to deliver further changes.43 For example, Defra still needs to ensure that the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS), which is used by traders to notify Defra of the movement of SPS goods into Great Britain from the EU, can speak to HMRC’s Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) for moving goods through UK customs.44 Defra told us that this work is on track and that, if not, there are also other contingencies and workarounds it will have in place.45 Departments expressed confidence in their ability to put in place the required infrastructure and staffing for full import controls.46 However, Defra noted that there were some risks around port health authorities’ ability to bring in the necessary staff, including vets.47 We note that some government infrastructure will not be complete when full import controls are introduced and departments will have to operate interim arrangements. For example, the facility for checks at Dover White Cliffs will not be ready until at least December 2022 and the inland site to be used for SPS checks in South West Wales will, if it goes ahead, not be complete until 2023.48