'Poor quality' no-deal Brexit planning risks food export delays, ministers warned
3 min read
Food exports could face significant delays at the border under a no-deal Brexit because of "poor quality" planning by the Environment Department, spending watchdogs have warned.
A new report by the National Audit Office said up to 10% of animal product exports could be stranded at the UK border after Brexit due to the failure of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to agree plans with more than 100 countries on the use of export certificates.
The spending watchdog also warned that a shortage of vets could hit the UK's ability to complete new animal health certificates which would be required for firms looking to export animal products into the EU, and said Defra would now be forced to launch an emergency recruitment campaign.
The NAO said that while Defra had “achieved a great deal in difficult circumstances”, many of its plans were of "poor quality and lack maturity".
The watchdog's head, Amyas Morse, urged Environment Secretary Michael Gove to try and limit the potential impact of missing the deadlines.
He said: "The scale and complexity of what needs to be done to leave the EU is a significant challenge and Defra is impacted more than most.
"It has achieved a great deal, but gaps remain and with six months to go it won’t deliver all it originally intended in the event of no deal, and when gaps exist, it needs to focus on alternatives and mitigations.
"Like other departments, it must now ensure its voices is heard by the centre of government to provide an accurate picture of what is possible if a negotiated settlement is not reached, and even if it is."
Labour seized on the report, with Shadow Environment Secretary Sue Hayman saying she was "alarmed" at the apparent lack of planning.
“With only months to go until we leave the EU, and the necessary legislation and planning for a possible no deal scenario has not been done," she said.
“The Government must raise the priority of food security during the Brexit negotiations and in the forthcoming Agriculture Bill.
"Michael Gove must explain why his department has been unable to get up to speed and to take the future food security of our nation more seriously.”
A Defra spokesperson said the department had made "further progress" since the watchdog concluded its work.
They said: "Since the report was written, we have continued to reprioritise our resources, expanded our workforce and made further progress on our extensive programme of work focused on preparing for a range of Brexit scenarios.
"Our work will mean that environmental, welfare, and bio-security standards will continue to be met in a way that supports trade and the smooth flow of goods."
GOVE: TAKE BACK CONTROL OF FARMING
The critical report came as Mr Gove vowed that the new Agriculture Bill - to be introduced in Parliament later - would allow Britain to “do things differently” on farming after Brexit.
The Environment Secretary said leaving the EU meant the UK could “take back control of policy levers which have been out of our hands for decades”, and vowed that farmers would be rewarded “properly” for environmental protection once Britain quits the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy.
Writing in the Telegraph ahead of the Bill's publication, he said: "Over the last 15 months, as Environment Secretary, I have had the privilege of getting to know and working alongside those who look after Britain’s countryside, and I’ve been constantly impressed by their ingenuity and enterprise...
"Our Bill has been designed to ensure that their contribution to maintaining our countryside and producing healthy food will be greater than ever.
"It will also ensure we have a pipeline of talent to be the future custodians of rural Britain. This is only the first step towards a brighter, better and greener future for farming and our countryside outside the EU."
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