24 October 2018

National Audit Office: The UK border: preparedness for EU exit

The National Audit Office agrees with the UK government's assessment that, if there is no withdrawal agreement, the border will be ‘less than optimal.’ The institution also recognises that it may take some time for a fully functioning border to be put in place.

Report conclusions

Effective management of the border is critical for the UK after it leaves the EU. It is fundamentally important to our national security, economy and international reputation. Leaving the EU will trigger some important changes to how the border is managed, but making such changes is not easy. It requires significant effort and the coordination of large numbers of organisations, many parts of government and millions of border users.

If the government reaches a withdrawal agreement with the EU, industry and government will have until December 2020 to design and implement any new arrangements. This could involve significant work, such as the implementation of new customs arrangements, and the time available to meet these challenges is not long compared to many complex government programmes. However, the scale of this change will be nowhere near that required if the UK and the EU cannot reach an agreement.

If there is no withdrawal agreement, the government has recognised that the border will be ‘less than optimal’. We agree with this assessment, and it may take some time for a fully functioning border to be put in place. Individuals and businesses will feel the impact of a sub-optimal border to varying degrees. The government is putting in place coping responses where it can. How effective they will be remains to be seen.

Full Report - The UK border: preparedness for EU exit

Public Accounts Committee Chair Meg Hillier MP's comments on National Audit Office report

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