To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the impact of checks at ports under the Windsor Framework on the time taken for food produce consignments to clear checks.
Answered on
22 April 2024
We remain committed to ensuring the smooth flow of goods, reflected in the arrangements we have put in place through the NI Retail Movement Scheme and through the further elements we have set out in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper. The Government believes that the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme has been rolled out smoothly and professionally for businesses since 1 October and provides a secure basis to protect GB-NI retail agrifood movements, including in the event of further GB-EU divergence on food safety standards. But we will continue to engage intensively with the agri-food supply chain regarding the movement of goods into Northern Ireland to address any issues where they arise.