Watchdog warns of ‘significant’ risks to operation of UK border

THERE ARE still “significant” risks attached to the smooth operation of the UK border as the clock ticks down to a potential no-deal Brexit, the Whitehall spending watchdog has warned.

With just two weeks until the UK’s scheduled withdrawal from the European Union on October 31, the National Audit Office (NAO) said that mitigating these risks is now, to some extent, out of the Government’s control.

The most significant risks to the operation of the border remain business readiness, EU member states imposing controls, and arrangements for the Northern Ireland and Ireland land border.

In its report, the NAO said the Government has made progress with putting in place the systems, infrastructure and resources required to manage the border if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on October 31, but said “there is still some work to do to finalise arrangements in the short time that remains and bringing all these elements together for the first time in a live environment carries inherent risk”.

The report adds: “It is impossible to know exactly what would happen at the border in the event of no-deal on October 31, 2019. Departments face new challenges in monitoring and responding to any disruption that may ensue.

“This includes supporting businesses and individuals in meeting their new obligations and mitigating risks of the border becoming vulnerable to fraud.”

The NAO said Government’s reasonable worst-case planning assumptions state that the flow of goods across the short Channel crossings could initially be reduced to 45-65 per cent, taking up to 12 months to flow normally.