Committee publication · Correspondence · 17 March 2026
Correspondence to Ashford Port Health Authority relating to non-attendance of commercial consignments at Sevington BCP, dated 17 March 2026
From: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Animal and plant health
Summary
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee writes to Ashford Port Health Authority seeking clarification on biosecurity enforcement following publication of non-attendance data at Sevington Border Control Post. The Committee requests detailed operational processes for following up consignments that fail to present for inspection, data on intervention outcomes, and assessment of proposed UK–EU SPS agreement impacts, by 2 April 2026.
Key findings
- Committee published Defra's summary analysis of non-attendance rates at Sevington BCP (not raw data) without independent verification, due to inability to access underlying consignment data from Ashford Port Health Authority.
- 22 unescorted miles between Dover port and Sevington BCP create significant biosecurity risks: consignments may unload contraband or fail to present for checks before inspection.
- Defra confirmed it does not currently hold data on follow-up outcomes for non-attending consignments or tracking of products that bypass Sevington BCP checks.
- Committee seeks evidence that multiple agencies' promised pursuit of non-attendance cases actually occurs and succeeds, with no supporting data yet provided by Department or Authority.
- Committee requests assessment of operational and financial implications for Sevington BCP and Ashford Borough Council if proposed UK–EU SPS agreement relaxes controls on EU trade.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Alistair Carmichael MP, Anthony Baldock, Ashford Port Health Authority, Emma Bourne, Defra, Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Notable line
“… the risks of either are highly significant given the prevalence of potentially devastating animal and plant diseases in Europe.”
Key Quotes
“This clearly presents an opportunity for rogue operators to either unload contraband ahead of checks or simply not present for checks at all”
“Given our inability to conduct independent analysis, and with the knowledge and agreement of Defra, we published the document exactly as we received it.”
“… securing both that data and information on where products were going after not attending Sevington for checks was within "the spirit of the work that we are trying to do".”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗