Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Movement Assistance Scheme operating until 30 June 2025 had a statutory foundation beyond that set out by the Plant Health etc. (Miscellaneous Fees) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/623).

At its inception, Defra relied on the Supply and Appropriation (Main Estimates) Act 2020 as legal authority for spending on the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS). Under the Act, Defra is permitted to spend public money on matters such as “deliver[ing] social, environmental and economic programmes”; “Promotion and support for sustainable development, consumption and production”; and “Support[ing] a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply”. On 1 September 2022, legal authority for spending on MAS moved to s.50 of the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. The Plant Health etc. (Miscellaneous Fees) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1391) extended the exemption from payment of fees in connection with applications for phytosanitary certificates only.