The UK has a well-established and effective assurance system to ensure that relevant agri- food legislation remains fit for purpose. The UK food and farming sector is one of the most highly regulated in the world, meeting the strict requirements of domestic legislation. The Government is committed to maintaining the UK’s high standards following EU Exit and to providing the same high levels of assurance to consumers and trading partners. Against this background, the Government has taken a pragmatic approach to the introduction of wider imports checks, recognising the need to balance biosecurity across the UK while ensuring the smooth flow of trade and allowing business to focus on recovering from the pandemic. Risk-based live animal checks at the point of destination will continue until there are designated physical border facilities for live animal checks at the point of entry. The Government has announced that full EU to GB sanitary and phytosanitary import controls will commence on 1 July 2022. Live animal checks will transition from destination to designated border control posts from that date. The UK will have a Border Control Post (BCP) for livestock, equines, and camelidae at the Sevington inland Border Control Post located in Ashford, Kent. This BCP will carry out necessary sanitary checks on these species when entering the UK via Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover. It is expected to be operational from 1 July 2022. A second facility in Kent to accommodate all other animal species arriving via the Short Straits is currently being identified. Live animal checks on all other species will continue at destination until BCPs become operational. Defra is continuing to assess the national picture of planned live animal BCP capability and to explore how this might be increased. Further BCPs, funded by the live animal infrastructure fund grant competition, will be designated once complete. In addition to these sites, the Port of Tyne, several airports, and sites within the devolved nations will also have BCPs to facilitate live animal checks.