FDF Brexit Update: Is a March 29 no-deal Brexit now ‘off the table’? Probably. But only two things can, in practice, achieve that – and neither has yet happened. Either the Prime Minister’s deal is approved by the House of Commons. Or the 29 March date is removed from the Withdrawal Act and the UK requests a delay to which the EU agrees. Until either of those scenarios plays out we are advising all members to continue preparations for no-deal. A three-month delay to our exit would certainly bring some positives. But it would also throw carefully-laid plans into confusion (because of seasonality and changing warehousing availability) and extend the period over which time, effort and money are being diverted from productive use.
FDF Brexit Guidance: EORI Number – Importing and Exporting: To continue to import or export from the EU after 29th march you will need an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number. Apply for an EORI number online and you should receive it within 2-3 working days.
Brexit update
After facing well publicised threats of resignation from 3 Cabinet Ministers and several junior Ministers who oppose a “no deal” Brexit, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, told MPs on 26 February that the next “meaningful vote” on the Withdrawal Agreement would take place by 12 March. If that fails to win support from a majority of MPs, MPs will vote by 13 March on whether or not to support a “no deal” Brexit; if that option fails to win the support of a majority of MPs, MPs will vote on 14 March on whether the Government should ask the EU for an extension of the Article 50 deadline. Mrs May suggested any extension should be limited to the end of June to avoid the UK having to engage in elections for the European Parliament. She made it clear that she would prefer the UK to agree a deal by 29 March and continued to urge MPs to support the current Withdrawal Agreement. She said that “an extension cannot take no deal off the table. The only way to do that is to revoke article 50, which I shall not do, or to agree a deal.” The Labour Leader, Jeremy Corbyn, confirmed that if Labour cannot win support for its preferred terms for Brexit (a new customs union with the EU and close alignment with the Single Market) “which accepts the result of the 2016 referendum”, it would support a “confirmatory referendum” on any Government deal which secures the support of a majority of MPs. The Prime Minister’s statement was repeated in the House of Lords, where Lord Newby said that “the only way of breaking the deadlock, is to put the Government’s deal to the people for their final decision, with an option to remain in the EU.”
MPs debated the terms of Brexit again on 27 February, when they voted against Labour’s approach by a majority of 83 votes. The Government and Labour supported the cross-party amendment tabled by Oliver Letwin, Carol Spelman and Yvette Cooper, formalising the commitments on voting arrangements given by the Prime Minister’s on 26 February, which passed by 502 to 20 votes, though 88 Conservative MPs abstained and 20 voted against it. MPs also supported an amendment which will allow them to vote on how long an extension of Article 50 the UK should request from Brussels.
The Government has also published a summary of the estimated impact of a “no deal” Brexit on the UK. This states that “as of February 2019, many businesses in the food supply industry are unprepared for a no deal scenario.” It confirms that a third of the Government’s critical plans for Brexit are behind schedule; only 40,000 of 240,000 companies that export to the EU have completed export registration processes; and cross-channel disruption is expected to lead to “reduced availability and choice of (food) products” (especially fresh fruit and vegetables) and price increases. The UK has only reached agreement with other countries on 6 of the 40 free trade deals we benefit from as a result of our EU membership and WTO tariffs would have a “significant impact on some industries”, including potentially leading to business failure in N. Ireland or businesses in N. Ireland relocating to Ireland. The report suggests that “the EU would introduce tariffs of around 70% on beef and 45% on lamb exports” and “HMRC has estimated that the administrative burden on businesses from customs declarations alone, on current (2016) UK-EU trade in goods could be around £13 billion per year.”
The former Fisheries and Farming Minister, George Eustice, resigned from the Government today following the Government’s decision to allow MPs to vote on a possible extension of the Article 50 period, potentially postponing Brexit from 29 March.
Government responds to post Brexit nutrition regulation consultation
The Government response to its consultation on post-Brexit nutrition regulations has now been published. It sets out a summary of responses and the Government’s planned next steps. It shows that respondents supported the Government’s proposals to mirror the existing regulatory system for nutrition legislation after the UK leaves the EU, but did ask for more detailed information about how this will work in practice. The Government has said that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will provide guidance on this before the UK leaves the EU.
UK access to EU Rapid Alert Systems for Food and Feed
Responding to a question this week from Nigel Dodds, Steve Brine, the Public Health Minister, has confirmed that the Government is continuing to negotiate for full access to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) network on the grounds that it will be mutually beneficial for the EU and UK to continue this ”vital data-sharing on food safety.”
Red Tractor is setting out its stall to offer a modular assurance scheme that would be a ‘one stop shop’ for food standards in the UK. Red Tractor would aim to provide a much broader range of assurances, with a focus on emerging food and drink trends, such as organic, enhanced animal welfare and sustainability.
CASH: This week sees Salt Awareness Week. The theme this year is Time for ACTION on salt!
All pupils will be taught about nutrition – The Government has announced that 3 new subjects will be universal from 2020 to ensure schools prepare pupils for the modern world – health education; relationships education for primary age pupils; and relationships and sex education (RSE) for secondary age pupils. Compulsory health education will include content on nutrition, the importance of staying active and recognising the early signs of physical illness, as well as ensuring pupils understand how mental and physical health are linked. It will be up to schools to decide exactly how they teach the new content, giving them the flexibility to promote health, wellbeing and respectful relationships – as many already do through PSHE – both across the curriculum and outside formal lessons. Alongside the Government response to its consultation on these issues, the Department for Education (DfE) has published updated draft statutory guidance, draft regulations and a draft equality impact assessment.
Modern slavery: more victims or better identification?
36% increase in potential victims of modern slavery in UK The National Crim e Agency (NCA) has released the 2018 figures for the number of individuals referred into the National Referral Mechanism – the UK government’s system for formally identifying victims of modern slavery. The number of victims identified in 2018 reached 7000, almost 2000 more people compared than 2017. Labour exploitation was the most common form of exploitation reported every quarter for both adults and minors. |