| Author (Corporate) | United Kingdom: House of Commons: Foreign Affairs Committee |
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| Publisher | United Kingdom: Parliament |
| Series Title | 7th Report |
| Series Details | (2017-19) HC558 |
| Publication Date | 08/12/2017 |
| Content Type | Policy-making, Report |
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The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the United Kingdom House of Commons (lower house of the UK Parliament) published a report in December 2017 called Brexit and the UK border. The MPs in the PAC concluded that the UK Government assumptions about behaviour were risky and planning was too reliant on a transitional period. Further information + Departments were not planning major new border infrastructure for March 2019 Government departments were assuming that the risks to managing the border would not change immediately when the UK left the EU, and that border checks would therefore be the same after March 2019 as they were before. They were therefore not planning for any major new physical infrastructure at the border by March 2019, and did not expect all new or updated IT systems to be ready by that date. Departments said they were planning for a no-deal scenario, but did not expect there to be many changes whatever the position in March 2019. + Officials relied too much on there being a transitional period The Committee was very concerned that their assumptions were risky and did not allow for changes in behaviours by companies trading across the border or people crossing it. Particularly in the event of a no-deal scenario, the border could be exposed to risks on day 1 of the UK's departure. Officials were relying too much on there being a transitional period in order to have the time to develop the new systems and infrastructure that might be required. The current negotiations bring significant uncertainty, but the new Border Planning Group and government departments needed to step up and be prepared for the possibility of a no-deal scenario and for the costs of all potential options. It was worrying that the Committee was told that the Group could not plan for any challenges around the Irish border and the 300 crossing points, as it needed the political process to go further before it could fully understand the issue. In November 2017 the PAC had published a further report called Brexit and the future of Customs. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmpubacc/558/558.pdf |
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| Subject Categories | Internal Markets |
| Countries / Regions | United Kingdom |
