Committee publication · Correspondence · 4 March 2025
Correspondence from the Minister for Biosecurity regarding biosecurity at the border, dated 24 February 2025
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Animal and plant health
Summary
Letter from Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Minister for Biosecurity, to Alistair Carmichael MP responding to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's 11 February inquiry on border biosecurity. The minister defends Defra's swift response to the January 2025 Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in Germany, details the Border Target Operating Model implementation, clarifies agency responsibilities, and addresses concerns about personal imports, illegal meat smuggling, auto-clearance systems, and funding for Dover Port Health Authority.
Key findings
- Defra responded within hours of the 10 January FMD notification from Germany, issuing suspension orders to Port Health Authorities at 17:42 GMT and communications to businesses by 21:00 the same day, with comprehensive guidance issued by 12 January.
- The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), implemented from 31 January and 30 April 2024, provides risk-based controls for commercial imports from the EU and rest of world, replacing the inherited 'third country' model and enabling granular tracking of incoming consignments.
- Multiple agencies share responsibility: Border Force handles border compliance checks and enforcement; Local and Port Health Authorities manage official controls at Border Control Posts; APHA oversees controls on animals, plants and plant products; devolved governments maintain their own regimes.
- Defra is in ongoing discussions with Dover District Council and Dover Port Health Authority on 2025/2026 funding, with the minister having written directly to Lucy Manzano on 29 January outlining the funding position.
- The Timed-Out Decision Contingency Feature (TODCOF) auto-clearance system is configured to exclude high-risk goods; for FMD and other significant biosecurity concerns, TODCOF does not operate and PHAs act as first line of defence, with all impacted commodity codes set to 100% inspection.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Alistair Carmichael MP, Christine Middlemiss (UK Chief Veterinary Officer), Lucy Manzano (Dover Port Health Authority), David Smith, Helen Buckingham, National Farmers' Union (NFU), Katie Doherty (International Meat Trade Association CEO)
Notable line
“I requested on the afternoon of the 10 th January that all imports of products of animal origin from susceptible species, not appropriately treated, be halted immediately …”
Key Quotes
“"Defra responded immediately to the notification of a confirmed case of Foot and Mouth disease in Brandenberg, Germany. I requested on the afternoon of the 10 th January that all imports of products of animal origin from susceptible species, not appropriately treated, be halted immediately, therefore including stopping consignments at BCPs.”
“The NFU welcomed the swift action taken by government to stop imports from Germany for both commercial and personal allowance, and the limits on what private passengers can bring into the country from the EU.”
“I am keen to emphasise the important work that Defra is undertaking to protect UK biosecurity at the border. This includes the implementation of the UK Government's Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) which provides us with a powerful SPS regime to regulate commercial imports, and the collaborative work undertaken between Defra, PHAs and Border Force across GB to stop illegal meat imports.”
“I am concerned by the seizure data evidencing ongoing attempts to smuggle significant quantities of meat into GB. Let me express my upmost thanks for the ongoing good work undertaken by Border Force and Port Health Authorities in stopping illegal meat imports.”
“We accept the point that these restrictions are confusing. That is why we are working to develop a long-term personal imports policy taking account of international examples.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗