Medicine and foods ‘could be stockpiled’
MINISTERS last night admitted that food and medicine were being effectively stockpiled to ensure Britain has enough in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said that while the Government was not stockpiling food itself, it was taking steps to ensure enough would be available.
And Health Secretary Matt Hancock said officials were looking at ways to stockpile drugs, medical devices and supplies.
Mr Hancock said some hard-to-obtain medicines may have to be flown in to the country after Brexit Day in March next year.
More than £22 billion worth of processed food and drinks are imported in to the UK every year – 97 per cent of it from the EU.
Challenged about reports of stockpiling food by MPs on the Brexit select committee, Mr Raab said: ‘It would be wrong to describe it as the Government doing stockpiling. What we will make sure – and of course the idea that we only get food imports into this country from one continent is not appropriate – but we will look at this issue in the round and make sure that there is adequate food supply.’
A spokesman for Mr Raab’s department said this meant giving advice to food producers rather than taking charge of stockpiling itself. Speaking in the House of Lords, Brexit minister Lord Callanan was dismissive of food stockpiling claims.
‘I am not aware of any plans for stockpiling food. It seems to me to be a fairly ridiculous scare story,’ he said. ‘There are many countries outside of the EU that manage to feed their citizens perfectly satisfactorily without the benefit of EU processes.’
Mr Hancock said he was ‘confident’ a deal could be reached, but it was ‘responsible’ to prepare for a range of outcomes.
This includes working up options with industry to stockpile medical supplies if a deal cannot be reached, he told the health select committee.
‘We are seeking to avoid a nodeal Brexit, I am confident that it can be avoided,’ he said. ‘But any responsible government needs to prepare for a range of outcomes, including the unlikely scenario of a no-deal.
‘Since I have arrived in the department, I’ve asked this work to accelerate and I’ve met with industry leaders to discuss it.
‘We are working right across Government to ensure that the health sector and the industry are prepared and that people’s health will be safeguarded in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
‘This includes the chain of medical supplies, vaccines, medical devices, clinical consumables, blood products. I have asked the department to work up options for stockpiling by industry.’
‘Ridiculous scare story’