Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 12 March 2024 to Question 13303, whether he plans to lay the statutory instruments required to enable the border target operating model under the affirmative or negative parliamentary procedure.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The following SIs required by the Border Target Operating Model have now been laid, and are listed along with the parliamentary procedure by which they were laid:
PH/050: Negative
PH/055: Negative
OFC/016: Affirmative
PH/040: Affirmative
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 April 2024 to Question 20051 Import Controls: Fees and Charges, whether consignments from the EU (a) inspected at Sevington border control post and (b) subject to the Border Target Operating Model which do not pass through any border control post other than Sevington will be liable for charges levied by the Government other than the Common User Charge.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Details of Animal and Plant Health Agency inspection fees can be found on Gov.uk. For Port Health Authorities (PHA) inspection fees, traders should contact the PHA in question; many PHAs list their charges on their websites.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 May to Question 24028 on Import Controls: Disease Control, if he will publish a list of all impact assessments related to the Border Target Operating Model.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Analysis has been produced to support relevant legislation in accordance with the Better Regulation Framework. Any further impact assessments required under the Better Regulation Framework will be published on legislation.gov.uk.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many physical inspections were carried out at the Sevington Border Control Post since 30 April 2024 by hour.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our checks are intelligence-led and based on biosecurity risk. It would be inappropriate for us to set out operational details like the inspection details. Traders should continue to follow the published guidance which sets out BTOM inspection rates.
DEFRA will gradually increase changes in controlled stages to balance biosecurity risk and maintain trade flows whilst minimising disruption at the border.
This will allow the level of goods inspected at the border to be operationally manageable over the introductory stages.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many hours the Automatic Licence Verification System at the Sevington Border Control Point has been out of operation for since 30 April 2024.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
A power outage at a privately owned data centre that Defra uses affected several Defra digital services last weekend. One of the services impacted was the Automatic Licence Verification System, which is used to validate and exchange information with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
This service was not available between 07:46 11 May and 20:50 14 May. This amounts to 85 hours and 4 minutes. Business Continuity Plans were implemented as soon as the disruption to the service was identified.
There have been no significant delays to border checks and we continue to protect our high standards of biosecurity in the UK through effective monitoring across all imports.
We have contingency arrangements in place for clearance of affected vehicles and consignments at the border, working alongside HMRC and Border Force.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to make an estimate of the (a) number and (b) proportion of consignments transiting through Control Points that average more than two inspections a day between 19:00 and 07:00 hours.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Our checks are intelligence-led and based on biosecurity risk. It would be inappropriate for us to set out operational details like the inspection details. Traders should continue to follow the published guidance which sets out BTOM inspection rates.
DEFRA will gradually increase changes in controlled stages to balance biosecurity risk and maintain trade flows whilst minimising disruption at the border.
This will allow the level of goods inspected at the border to be operationally manageable over the introductory stages.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the cost to the public purse was for the administration of the Import of products, animals, food and feed system in each year since 2019.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Operating Costs for the IPAFFS Service for each year since 2019 are as follows:
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of applicants to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy were rejected and subsequently appealed that decision as of 20 May 2024; and whether the Government has made an assessment of the adequacy of those figures in comparison with asylum applications through other routes.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
As of 20 May 2024, 6,324 applicants to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme have used the right to seek a review of the eligibility decision that is set out in published policy. This represents approximately 7% of those found initially ineligible.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is only responsible for administering the ARAP scheme and is therefore unable to provide a comparison with appeals lodged in relation to asylum applications in the UK.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that patients taking pancreatic enzymes continue to receive them.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are aware of supply issues with three pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies: Creon 10000 gastro-resistant capsules; Creon 25000 gastro-resistant capsules; and Nutrizym 22 gastro-resistant capsules. We understand that these are due to limited availability of active pharmaceutical ingredients, and manufacturing constraints in producing the volumes required to meet demand. The Department has issued guidance to healthcare professionals regarding treatment of patients while there is a disruption to the supply of these pancreatic enzyme replacement therapies. We are having regular conversations with the suppliers of these products, to ask that they expedite deliveries and increase production forecasts, and to confirm that they are taking action to address the root causes of the issues, to ensure continuity of supply. We are also working with specialist importers to source unlicensed imports from abroad.
Whilst we can’t always prevent supply issues, we have a range of well-established tools and processes to mitigate risks to patients. These include close and regular engagement with suppliers, use of alternative strengths or forms of a medicine to allow patients to remain on the same product, expediting regulatory procedures, sourcing unlicensed imports from abroad, adding products to the restricted exports and hoarding list, use of Serious Shortage Protocols, and issuing National Health Service communications to provide management advice and information on the issue to healthcare professionals, so they can advise and support their patients.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the projected spend by (a) central and (b) local government is on Animal and Plant Health Agency inspectors in 2024-25.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) undertakes a very broad range of statutory inspections across Great Britain to protect animal, bee and plant health. These can relate to animal welfare, TB, biosecurity of (including pests, disease outbreaks and invasive species), trade or scientific research.
These inspections can be proactive (for example a bovine TB visit) or reactive (due to an outbreak). Direct staff and employers on costs for these inspection services are £44.7m. These costs are funded by Defra and the Devolved Administrations. APHA does not have inspectors funded by local government.