Asked by: Mark Field (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the preparedness of the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) to replace the EU’s Trade Control and Expert System; and what discussions she has had with representatives of port health authorities on contingency planning for IPAFFS after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
The Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) was ready for use in advance of the last withdrawal date of 12 April. Since then, work on IPAFFS has continued to further develop and stabilise the system, improving the user experience and increasing functionalities for imports from countries outside the EU.
IPAFFS is currently available for businesses to register and begin familiarising themselves with the system. Businesses importing goods from outside the EU are able to use the system from Day 1. IPAFFS replicates the same functionality as the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) currently used by importers to notify authorities about imports of animal products, high-risk food and feed from non-EU countries.
For an interim period, businesses importing goods from the EU will follow a separate process whilst this functionality is built into IPAFFS.
As part of our programme’s nationwide business readiness activities we have been engaging with businesses, stakeholders and users of IPAFFS (including Port Health Authorities) to ensure they can familiarise themselves with the system ahead of 31 October.
The current IPAFFS contingency process is mostly unchanged from the one proposed for the previous departure date in March and follows a similar process to that used by TRACES if it were to stop working today. The National Clearance Hub has accepted the contingency as workable.
Asked by: Mark Field (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether UK ports will be required to undertake sanitary and phytosanitary controls of high-risk food and feed from the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
The process for importing feed and food from the EU to the UK will not change after Brexit. There will be no additional controls or checks. Full guidance has been published on Gov.uk and this includes new arrangements for the notification only of certain imports.
Options for a new, long term imports regime for animals and animal products are under consideration. The sanitary and phytosanitary conditions for trade between the UK and the EU will also be a matter for negotiation as part of our Future Relationship with the EU.
Asked by: Mark Field (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to tackle (a) declining rates of childhood vaccination and (b) anti-vaccine misinformation.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is working with Public Health England (PHE), NHS England and NHS Improvement and other stakeholders to deliver a comprehensive vaccine and immunisation strategy this autumn. The strategy will set out a clear vision for maintaining and developing England’s world-leading immunisation programme over the next 10 years and beyond.
Actions planned or underway to increase the uptake of childhood vaccination include:
- Strengthening the role of local immunisation coordinators – healthcare professionals that promote vaccine uptake, particularly in under-served groups, by supporting areas with low uptake and tailoring specific local interventions to under-vaccinated communities;
- Updating NHS.uk to ensure availability of National Health Service-approved, evidence-based and trusted advice on vaccines; and
- A review of general practitioner vaccinations and immunisation standards, funding, and procurement to incentivise improved immunisation coverage.
Asked by: Mark Field (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether UK ports will be required to undertake sanitary and phytosanitary controls on high risk food and feed from the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement; and how long such controls are expected to be in place.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Mark Field (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the preparedness of the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS) to replace the EU’s Trade Control and Expert System; and what discussions the Government has had with representatives of port health authorities on contingency planning for IPAFFS after the UK has left the EU.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Mark Field (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government has plans to implement EU Official Control Regulation 2017/625 on the application of food and feed law, rules on animal health and welfare, plant health and plant protection products.
Answered by George Eustice
The new Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625 will apply in EU member states from 14 December 2019.
How and when the UK implements this Regulation will depend on our departure from the EU. If we leave the EU with a deal, there is likely to be an implementation period until at least 31 December 2020. During this period, EU law will apply including the Official Controls Regulation. The UK will therefore need to implement this new Regulation at the same time as EU member states on 14 December 2019.
In a no-deal situation, the UK will be able to choose whether and when to apply these measures as the Regulation will not apply automatically to the UK. However, UK exporters to the EU will have to meet the import requirements that apply to imports from third countries.
Asked by: Mark Field (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether live animal consignments designated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) or non-CITES will be permitted to enter the UK using (a) the Port of Dover (b) Eurotunnel, (c) Harwich and (d) Portsmouth.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Mark Field (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle (a) falling rates of childhood vaccination and (b) anti-vaccine misinformation.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Mark Field (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the capacity of UK Border Force to manage high risk food and feed that does not enter through a Border Inspection Post or Designated Point of Entry in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a withdrawal agreement.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Third country high-risk food and feed consignments transiting the European Union destined for the United Kingdom will need to enter the UK at ports with the required facilities, such as Border Inspection Posts (BIP) and Designated Points of Entry (DPE) to undertake required controls. Following detailed analysis to determine the possible number of such transits, there is sufficient existing capacity at UK ports with those facilities to undertake all relevant import controls.
The importation of high-risk feed and foods that are not pre-notified to a port with a BIP or DPE or enter a port without a BIP or DPE are illegal imports and as such are subject to Border Force control.
Asked by: Mark Field (Conservative - Cities of London and Westminster)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what (a) financial and (b) logistical support (i) has been and (ii) will be provided to port operators and port health authorities for potential changes in (A) throughput and (B) volume of trade at UK border control posts after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Department for Transport has put in place £30M of funding for ports, Local Resilience Forums, and road & rail links.
Financial support is provided for sixteen ports across England who will receive a share of funding to help their preparations for Brexit on 31 October and beyond. The successful bidders of the £10m Port Infrastructure Resilience and Connectivity (PIRC) competition offers ports up to £1m each to deliver important infrastructure upgrades to help keep traffic and trade flowing smoothly across the border.
The fund PIRC is part of a wider £30m government package to support ports across England to operate efficiently post-Brexit. DfT is providing up to £5m to four Local Resilience Forums (LRF) outside Kent with the highest volumes of accompanied road freight traffic with EU ports. A further £15m will go towards the development of longer-term projects to boost road and rail links to ports.
Arrangements and support for Port Health and border operations are a matter for the responsible Government Departments.