Secretary of State and others questioned on EU import checks

• Parliament TV: watch the session
• Inquiry: Import check readiness
• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Purpose of the session

Full checks on imports of food, live animals and animal products will come into force from July 2022, having been postponed several times since Brexit. These checks are known as SPS checks – or Sanitary (pertaining to animals) and Phyto-Sanitary (pertaining to plants) checks.

The EU is by far the UK’s biggest source of imported food.

This one-off evidence session will allow MPs on the EFRA committee to hear the views of the sector about the state of border control post readiness in Great Britain, and to put questions to the government about whether they are on track to meet the revised timetable for introducing the checks. 

Witnesses

Tuesday 1 Match 2022

Panel 1 (from 2.30pm): 

• Richard Ballantyne, CEO, British Ports Association
• Karen Betts, CEO, Food and Drink Federation
• Andrew Opie, Director, British Retail Consortium
• James Russell, Senior Vice President, British Veterinary Association

Panel 2 (from about 3.30 pm): 

• Rt Hon George Eustice MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• David Kennedy, Director-General, Food, Farming and Bio-Security, at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

Image: PA