Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of businesses' readiness to operate under the Border Target Operating Model.

The Border Target Operating Model was published in August 2023, setting out the timeline for import controls which will be implemented from the end of January 2024. The biosecurity and security reasons for these changes are set out in the Border Target Operating Model. The publication of the Border Target Operating Model gave clarity to businesses about which import controls will be introduced and when, and gave sufficient time for businesses to prepare.

The Government engaged extensively with stakeholders prior to the publication of the final Border Target Operating Model and in response to stakeholder feedback some of the implementation milestones were moved in order to give businesses more time to prepare. Stakeholder readiness for the implementation of the Border Target Operating Model has therefore been taken into account and prioritised throughout.

It is the responsibility of businesses who are impacted by these changes to prepare for upcoming controls. To help businesses with these changes, the Government is carrying out a comprehensive programme of engagement both in the UK and in the EU to ensure businesses understand the changes, and are therefore prepared for the new 2024 import controls.

The Government has not received significant feedback from stakeholders to suggest that they are not prepared for the introduction of new controls. The Government will continue to engage with and support business as the Border Target Operating Model is implemented from the end of January 2024.