AQW 30960/17-22
Mr Jim Allister KC
Traditional Unionist Voice
North Antrim
Tabled Date: 14/03/2022
Answered On Date: 24/03/2022
Priority Written: Yes
Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (i) how many loads of food have been turned back at NI ports (a) since the start of the implementation of the Protocol; and (b) specifically in the period 10 February 2022 to 9 March 2022; and (ii) to detail the reason in each case.
Answer:
Number of consignments refused entry at NI ports between 01 January 2021 and 20 March 2022 and reasons for refusal. Between 01 January 2021 and 20 March 2022, 165,260 consignments have been subjected to Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) controls by DAERA officials at Northern Ireland (NI) Points of Entry (POE), with a further 7,440 consignments subjected to checks by Council officials. Breakdown of those DAERA consignments is as follows: Live animals (CHED A) – 7,484 consignments. Products of Animal Origin (CHED P) – 145,483 consignments. Plant and Plant Products (CHED PP) – 11,866 consignments. For the purposes of this reply, there will be no distinction made between the edible and inedible components of those CHED P & PP consignments, ie. all CHED P & PP consignments will be classified as ‘food’. Up until 20 March 2021, 147 (or under 0.1% of the 157,349 DAERA controlled CHED P & PP consignments were refused entry following delivery of official controls. Reasons included a combination of documentary, identity and physical check failures as outlined below: Documentary failures – 105 Identity Failures – 32 Physical failures – 28 Those 147 rejected consignments were transported to NI ports on 78 trailers/loads. Number of consignments refused entry at NI ports between 10 February 2022 and 09 March 2022 and reasons for refusal. For the period, 10 February 2022 - 09 March 2022, DAERA officials have delivered controls on 10,826 SPS consignments with Council officials conducting checks on a further 533 consignments. The breakdown of DAERA controlled consignments for this period are as follows Live animals (CHED A) – 424 consignments. Products of Animal Origin (CHED P) – 9,675 consignments. Plant and Plant Products (CHED PP) – 727 consignments In total, nine (or 0.087%) of the 10,402 DAERA controlled CHED P & PP consignments were refused entry over this period. Reasons included a combination of documentary, identity and physical failures as outlined below: Documentary failures – 4 Identity Failures – 2 Physical failures – 5 Those nine rejected consignments were transported to NI ports on six trailers/loads. DAERA do not hold accurate data on the number of rejections overseen by Local Council officials.
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