Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 23 November 2023 (HL180), what are the timescales for commencing operational testing with users of the border before changes are implemented; how users will be identified and selected to undertake the operational testing; and how they will ensure that the users are representative of the logistics industry.

Cross-government testing is mainly focused on the connectivity of systems aligned to the implementation of the physical checking regime in April 2024. The cross-government team, led by the Cabinet Office, has already begun its operational testing programme with a number of internal tabletop exercises conducted between October and December. These will help ensure that live tests will be directed towards key aspects of the end to end process. The programme is moving towards live testing with users which will take place between February and April, prior to the implementation of the checking regime at the end of April. We are in the process of identifying users through both engagement with industry and our colleagues in local government and the Port Health Authorities. Operational testing is about the full end to end process and will cover each aspect of the supply chain including traders, hauliers and carriers.