Concerns have been raised by MPs that the movement of a Dover food health check centre to Sevington will raise the risks of disease, with the Efra Committee expressing "serious concerns" in a letter to Defra.
Defra previously announced the intention for SPS checks on goods arriving through the Short Straits to be undertaken at Sevington, which is 22 miles inland from the Point of Entry into the UK at Dover.
In a letter to Defra Secretary Steve Barclay, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee Chair Sir Robert Goodwill MP asked for confirmation "of the current amount of funding in place for spot checks of POAO (products of animal origin) at the Port of Dover and whether [they] have plans to change that funding", and went on to ask what assessment Defra has made "of the potential impact of a reduction in funding on checks on the UK's biosecurity".
The Committee understands that Defra funding for the spot checks would be reduced by around 70%, and cited on its website the Dover Port Health Authority's (DPHA) funding cuts "will have a catastrophic effect" on biosecurity. The DPHA has called upon Defra to halt the spot check funding cuts.
The letter also raised the point that the new border control post at Sevington would require vehicles to travel 22 miles "unsupervised across Kent", which it said presented "potentially serious biosecurity risks" and potentially "compromised compliance", as the Committee "understands that drivers will be under no obligation to go to Sevington".
The DPHA said that it had "urgently and robustly engaged with Government seeking clarification (and details) as to how their intention could or would be achieved delivered, or controlled in practice". It also raised concerns as to "whether Sevington can meet all the requirements of the legislation to be designated as a BCP, with the relevant legislation yet to be finalised".
The Authority went on to say that it "will not sit by and leaver our businesses, agents, and importers in this disadvantageous position, without the operational delivery support they expect and deserve".
A Defra spokesperson told Meat Management: “In 2022 Defra provided a temporary financial support package to local authorities and port health authorities, which ends in June 2024. Part of this package enabled port health authorities to support Border Force with enforcing the temporary measures on pork products from the European Union designed to address the risks from African Swine Fever.
“We recognise the strategic importance of the port of Dover and are continuing to work with the port authority on future support options.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
