Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 2 December 2025.
Neil Hudson
Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of auto-clearance of goods on the enforcement of biosecurity controls.
Angela Eagle
The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Border checks undertaken by competent authorities are an important element of the system designed to manage biosecurity risks.
The SPS controls at the border on EU goods implemented under the Border Target Operating Model provide assurance that the underlying systems of controls are working as intended. This includes import conditions, certification signed by veterinarian and plant authorities in exporting countries, risk assessments, border checks, and other intelligence led controls.
Auto-clearance applies to goods that fall into lower-risk categories established under the BTOM’s risk-based approach, ensuring that its impact on the enforcement of biosecurity controls is minimal while supporting the flow of goods.
Yes0 people think so
No0 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
