Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Bambos Charalambous and George Eustice

Thursday 21st January 2021 Commons Chamber

[George Eustice]

It is not unusual for the annual fishing negotiations to go into January. This year, there has obviously been the very special circumstance that the withdrawal agreement came late, but in 2014 access was suspended while negotiations with Norway continued through January. We would anticipate that these negotiations would conclude within the next couple of weeks, and then access for Arctic cod, should that be agreed, could be resumed.

[Bambos Charalambous (Enfield, Southgate) (Lab)]

What steps he has taken to prevent disruption to food (a) imports and (b) exports since the end of the transition period.

[Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)]

What steps he has taken to prevent disruption to food (a) imports and (b) exports since the end of the transition period.

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (George Eustice)]

We have engaged extensively with industry to support trader readiness for new requirements for exporting to the EU. For those importing to the UK, we established a phased approach to border controls for the first period of 2021. We have supported exporters as they familiarise themselves with new processes around export health certificates and customs declarations, and we have liaised closely with EU states, such as France, that are also getting used to new processes at the border. Finally, we have worked closely with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport to ensure the rapid deployment of the covid-19 testing measures required by France.

[Bambos Charalambous]

Further to that, may I ask the Secretary of State what measures the Government are taking to prevent more border disruption and costly delays for food and drink exporters when the volumes of trade start to pick up again in the coming weeks? What assessment has he made of the impact on jobs if there are delays and disruption at the border?

[George Eustice]

The sector that has had greatest difficulty in these first few weeks has been the fishing sector, principally because it is a very time-critical, perishable product, but there are also some smaller businesses selling smaller consignments in mixed, grouped loads. Overall, the system is working well. We are issuing around 150 export health certificates per day. The volume of lorries through the short straits is back up to around 6,000 to 7,000 per day—still some way short of normal levels, but nevertheless it continues to grow.