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

To ask Her Majesty's Government why the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are no longer planning to carry out animal checks at the White Cliffs Site; and where they plan to locate a suitable facility for such checks.

The Government undertook a thorough review of the plans for Border Control Post (BCP) facilities for EU goods arriving through Kent, and a range of delivery options were explored.

Ministers agreed that the BCP at Sevington’s inland border facility would carry out the majority of SPS inspections for imports arriving through the short straits for all plants, plant products, and live animals apart from livestock. Inspections of Products of Animal Origin (POAO) from Eurotunnel will also take place at Sevington. POAO from the Port of Dover will go to a separate BCP in the Dover area.

The review was undertaken in line with good practice to ensure that Government programmes are meeting requirements and delivering the most value for money.

We are working to procure suitable sites which meet the requirements for livestock and POAO facilities.