Boris admits Brexit ‘teething problems’
PM quizzed on N Ireland supermarket shortages
BORIS Johnson yesterday admitted to ‘teething problems’ with post-Brexit trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The Prime Minister told MPs that goods were flowing smoothly, with exporters having unfettered access.
But he added: ‘Yes, I am not going to deny down that there are teething problems, and there are issues that we need to sort out ... but the deal has been of great, great assistance to our businesses in smoothing this.’
There are mounting concerns about food supplies to Northern Ireland with serious gaps on supermarket shelves following the end of the Brexit transition.
Mr Johnson told MPs on the Commons liaison committee that the Government would if necessary invoke the Northern Ireland Protocol, which allows it to unilaterally impose ‘safeguards’.
‘What I can certainly guarantee is that if there are serious problems in supplying
‘Not going to get any easier’
supermarkets in Northern Ireland because of some piece of bureaucracy that’s misapplied, then we will simply exercise Article 16 of the protocol. It is absurd that there should be such difficulties.’
Under the protocol agreed by Mr Johnson, Northern Ireland remains part of the EU in terms of food product regulation. Separate fears over shortages of produce from the Continent have prompted the food and farming department, Defra, to set up an emergency scheme to give supermarket lorries a ‘fast pass’ to the Channel.
Salad items, such as lettuce and baby spinach, and strawberries and citrus fruit, have been reportedly in short supply this week.
The ‘ Expedited Return Scheme’ relates specifically to trucks heading through Kent to the Continent to pick up fresh food. Details are contained in an ‘Official Sensitive’ document seen by the Daily Mail.
It points out the need to avoid a repeat of the disruption to supplies caused by panic buying last March and by the crisis at Dover before Christmas. It warns: ‘The potential for further disruption remains high.
‘This is particularly likely during the first months of 2021 as new post-transition period processes and procedures come into force and the continuing effects of Covid- 19- related staff absences are felt.’ One of the world’s largest logistics companies last night suspended exports to the UK because of Brexit red tape.
Schenker, which is owned by German rail operator Deutsche Bahn, cited problems with customs forms required now that Britain has left the EU trading bloc.
Some deliveries have been held up at the border for days.
Schenker said only around 10 per cent of customs documents submitted since January 1 were free of errors. ‘Many companies struggle with the new bureaucracy and the paperwork they have to do,’ added a spokesman.
‘If the amount of erroneous paperwork stays the same then it is not going to get any easier.’
He said the firm did not know when it would lift its suspension on exports to the UK.
Export declarations are now needed because the UK has left the EU single market and customs union. Previously goods could circulate freely between the UK and EU.