3rd report - Biosecurity at the border: Britain's illegal meat crisis
Select Committee
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
HC 1296
8 September 2025
Recommendations
9 results
3
Accepted in Part
Commission risk assessment and publish quarterly data on illegal animal product imports.
Recommendation
Defra should commission a risk assessment of the type published by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency in 2004 for the import of contaminated meat and meat products into Great Britain and subsequent exposure of livestock. It should model the probable amount …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of assessing risks from illegal imports and improving data on seizures. They are working with agencies to understand existing data and improve its capture and sharing, but do not commit to quarterly publication of seizure data.
5
Accepted in Part
Compel travel operators and scale up Defra communications including a digital import tool.
Recommendation
Travel operators should be legally compelled to inform travellers of the rules for personal imports from the EU into GB. Defra must immediately scale up its communications to the public about personal import rules and reach a much broader audience. …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, stating existing law already requires operators to inform travellers, and Defra continues to communicate import rules, including targeted campaigns and reminders. However, it rejects developing a digital tool for travellers, deeming it not cost-effective, and has no current plans to legislate further in this area.
11
Accepted in Part
Create a collaborative strategy for POAO smuggling and establish formal information sharing mechanisms.
Recommendation
By January 2026, Defra should create a strategy for POAO smuggling in collaboration with the National Food Crime Unit (FSA), the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit (FSS), port health authorities, inland local authorities and Border Force. To be effective, …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, committing to develop a revised strategic approach for the Short Straits as an initial step, which may lead to a wider UK-wide strategy later. They are also working to improve existing inter-agency intelligence sharing networks but do not commit to a specific deadline for the full strategy.
14
Accepted in Part
Local authorities are overlooked and under-supported in tackling illegal POAO imports.
Recommendation
Local authorities are a key partner in tackling illegal POAO imports but are being overlooked and under supported by Defra. (Conclusion, Paragraph 44)
Government Response Summary
The government will consider integrating representatives of port health and local authorities into the working group on illegal imports to draw on their enforcement expertise and ensure that any proposals emerging consider workforce implications, as part of work on a new strategic approach to the Short Straits.
15
Accepted in Part
Integrate local authorities into formal intelligence networks and review their POAO smuggling workforce needs.
Recommendation
Local authorities should be integrated into formal information sharing and intelligence networks. The illegal imports taskforce should review the workforce needs of local authorities in relation to POAO smuggling. The taskforce should consider whether regional expert contacts would be an …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, rejecting the establishment of a specific taskforce but committing to integrate port health and local authority representatives into an existing intelligence working group. The precise approach and regional expert contacts will be developed as part of the new strategic approach to the Short Straits.
17
Accepted in Part
Grant port health authorities stop, search, seize powers and funding for animal product border enforcement.
Recommendation
Port health authorities should be given stop, search and seize powers in relation to animal products and funding for enforcement presence at the border in relation to personal imports for the EU and rest of world. With the introduction of …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, stating that port health authorities already have search and seize powers but declining to extend Border Force detention powers. They will discuss DPHA's proposals and consider staff redeployment as part of initial work focused on the Short Straits.
22
Accepted in Part
Insufficient DPHA operational coverage and defunded vets undermine biosecurity at Dover.
Recommendation
In the absence of an effective deterrent for meat smuggling and within the context of high rates of non-compliance with import rules, 20% operational coverage for DPHA’s anti-meat smuggling operations is insufficient. Defra’s decision to cease funding for official veterinarians …
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Government Response Summary
Defra and DPHA have resolved the immediate issue relating to the use of official veterinarians and Defra is content that DPHA should be able to determine how best to staff the service they provide. Defra is in active and positive discussions with DPHA regarding the provision of funding for financial year 2026/27, including consideration of an increase in funding beyond current levels.
23
Accepted in Part
Provide emergency funding to double DPHA's operational coverage and reinstate official veterinarians.
Recommendation
The Committee has recommended that POAO enforcement powers and funding be transferred to port health authorities; in any interim period, emergency funding should be provided to at least double DPHA’s operational coverage at the border and should allow for the …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, clarifying that port health authorities already have enforcement powers and the issue regarding official veterinarians is resolved. They are in discussions with DPHA regarding increased funding for 2026/27 but cannot commit to specific levels or an unbudgeted immediate increase for the current financial year.
25
Accepted in Part
Repurpose Bastion Point to support enforcement, improve worker safety, and upgrade port facilities.
Recommendation
Defra should work with DPHA to consider how the space available at its Bastion Point site could be repurposed to support with enforcement activities and relieve pressure at the port. Defra should conduct a cost- benefit analysis of repurposing Bastion …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, committing to work with DPHA to explore repurposing Bastion Point and to provide the outcome of a cost-benefit analysis. They will ensure health and safety impacts are considered in future funding discussions with DPHA, but do not explicitly commit to all requested improvements or engagement on facility renovation.
Conclusions (2) Observations and findings — click to expand
16
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Border Force is not adequately fulfilling its responsibility to enforce personal import rules relating to animal products; it has too many competing priorities and officers lack understanding of product of animal origin (POAO) rules and seizures. Border Force and port health authorities have shown that they can work well together …
Government Response Summary
The Government partially accepts this recommendation. They state that Port health authorities already have enforcement powers and they are not planning to extend these powers but that Defra and DPHA have resolved the immediate issue relating to the use of official veterinarians and Defra is content that DPHA should be able to determine how best to staff the service they provide. Defra is in active and positive discussions with DPHA regarding the provision of funding for financial year 2026/27, including consideration of an increase in funding.
24
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
The space and facilities at the Port of Dover are not suitable for seizing high volumes of potentially contaminated meat. Defra needs to think creatively about how it can tackle this unprecedented challenge at the Short Straits, rather than being constrained by the boundaries of existing enforcement arrangements. (Conclusion, Paragraph …
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, committing Defra to explore options for repurposing space at Bastion Point, provide a cost-benefit analysis, and consider health and safety impacts in future funding discussions with DPHA.