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

To ask His Majesty's Government what checks are carried out on animal and plant products at UK borders; and what quarantine arrangements are in place for potentially infected products.

Checks are currently carried out on products of animal origin (POAO) and plant and plant products (P&PP) arriving in GB from outside of the EU, and on live animals and high-risk P&PP imports from the EU. The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) will deliver a new sanitary and phytosanitary regime applicable to all imports to GB with changes starting from January 2024. Under BTOM, controls will be risk-based and calibrated to the specific commodity and country of origin. Additional physical controls on certain EU imports will be conducted at Border Control Posts (BCPs) and Control Points (CPs) on a risk basis from April 2024. BCP and CP specifications vary according to the type of commodities received. BCPs and CPs contain suitable facilities for containing non-compliant consignments.