Committee publication · Correspondence · 9 December 2025
Correspondence from the Freight Liaison Group (FLG) in response to the Government response on illegal meat imports and UK border resilience, dated 27 November 2025
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Animal and plant health
Summary
The Freight Liaison Group responds to DEFRA's November 2025 government response on two EFRA Committee reports on illegal meat imports and border resilience. The FLG criticises DEFRA's response as insufficiently detailed on the Sevington Border Control Post, reveals via FOI that the facility operates at a £1.47m annual loss despite a Common User Charge, and expresses concern that ongoing UK-EU negotiations are being used to delay concrete action on border security and industry engagement.
Key findings
- Sevington BCP operating costs are £23.06m annually but combined revenue from Common User Charge (£12.58m) and Ashford Port Health (£9.01m) totals only £21.59m, leaving a £1.47m shortfall.
- Dover Port Health Authority reports illegal meat imports at 'all-time high' levels, with 300+ tonnes removed, yet most non-compliant loads never present to Sevington BCP for inspection.
- No enforcement mechanism exists to ensure vehicles selected for physical SPS import controls actually attend Sevington BCP; fraudulent operators can avoid inspection entirely.
- DEFRA has repeatedly failed to attend scheduled British International Freight Association regional meetings despite standing invitations and promises, undermining promised 'single front door' industry engagement.
- FLG expresses concern that UK-EU 'Common Understanding' negotiations are being used as justification for delaying updates on the future of Sevington BCP and Common User Charge until 2027.
Tone
CriticalTopics
Key actors
Freight Liaison Group (FLG), Heather Jones, DEFRA, Alistair Carmichael, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Dover Port Health Authority, Ashford Port Health, British International Freight Association
Notable line
“… the majority of deliberately non-compliant and certainly all fraudulent loads will certainly not attend.”
Key Quotes
“The operating costs for Sevington BCP had been estimated by DEFRA at £23.06m p.a. and this is the basis on which the CUC was stated to have been designed. However, the CUC revenue, even if it is added to the Ashford Port Health revenue does not meet the opex for the site.”
“There continues to be absolutely no system in place to ensure that the vehicles selected for physical SPS import controls actually attend the facility. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that the majority of deliberately non-compliant and certainly all fraudulent loads will certainly not attend.”
“… it is shocking to read the latest statistics from Dover Port Health Authority 2 (PHA) that illegal meat importations are at an all-time high, whether through the freight or tourist inbound traffic through the port of Dover.”
“"wish to avoid a cliff edge. Re comms and engagement – there will be an open delivery approach, with a "single front door" of access for industry - taking insight to deliver better outcomes with insight gathering".”
“… we are therefore disappointed to now find out that DEFRA are – again - not able to field an official to attend the 10 th December meeting of British International Freight Association (BIFA) Kent & East Sussex (KES) working group.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗