This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/20/hmrc-bosses-have-few-plans-for-managing-northern-irish-border-after-brexit
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| HMRC bosses have few plans for managing Northern Irish border after Brexit | HMRC bosses have few plans for managing Northern Irish border after Brexit |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Senior civil servants have few contingency plans for managing the Northern Irish border after Brexit because of a political stalemate between London and Dublin, MPs were told on Monday. | Senior civil servants have few contingency plans for managing the Northern Irish border after Brexit because of a political stalemate between London and Dublin, MPs were told on Monday. |
| Mandarins questioned about preparations for the UK’s borders by the public accounts committee said they could not draw up scenarios until ministers have moved forward. | |
| Last week, Ireland issued a stark warning that it would block the progress of Brexit without a formal written guarantee that there would be no hard border with Northern Ireland. | Last week, Ireland issued a stark warning that it would block the progress of Brexit without a formal written guarantee that there would be no hard border with Northern Ireland. |
| Appearing before the parliamentary spending watchdog on Monday, HMRC officials were asked how they would monitor the movement of goods and services at 300 crossing points along the border. | Appearing before the parliamentary spending watchdog on Monday, HMRC officials were asked how they would monitor the movement of goods and services at 300 crossing points along the border. |
| Karen Wheeler, HMRC’s director general, said: “That area is not within the scope that we have been working on in the border planning group because the arrangements on Ireland are still subject to negotiations and ministerial discussions.” | Karen Wheeler, HMRC’s director general, said: “That area is not within the scope that we have been working on in the border planning group because the arrangements on Ireland are still subject to negotiations and ministerial discussions.” |
| Ireland’s new taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has been much more sceptical than the UK about the potential for avoiding border posts via virtual checks on importers. Whilst agreeing with British ministers and EU negotiators that it is inconceivable for there to be a return to a hard border with the north, Dublin argues that the best way for the UK to achieve this would be by permanently remaining in a customs union with the EU and seeking single market membership like Norway through the European Economic Area. The UK has conceded that some of this will be necessary in its interim phase after Brexit, but hopes clever technological solutions can allow it have looser economic links in the long run. Varadkar is not alone in being sceptical about whether such a cake-and-eat-it customs and trade strategy is viable. | Ireland’s new taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has been much more sceptical than the UK about the potential for avoiding border posts via virtual checks on importers. Whilst agreeing with British ministers and EU negotiators that it is inconceivable for there to be a return to a hard border with the north, Dublin argues that the best way for the UK to achieve this would be by permanently remaining in a customs union with the EU and seeking single market membership like Norway through the European Economic Area. The UK has conceded that some of this will be necessary in its interim phase after Brexit, but hopes clever technological solutions can allow it have looser economic links in the long run. Varadkar is not alone in being sceptical about whether such a cake-and-eat-it customs and trade strategy is viable. |
| Jon Thompson, HMRC’s chief executive, added: “We need the process to go a bit further forward before we can fully understand it.” | Jon Thompson, HMRC’s chief executive, added: “We need the process to go a bit further forward before we can fully understand it.” |
| Meg Hillier, the committee chair, asked when they would be able to draw up different scenarios when there is such a “fuzzy plan” around the border. | Meg Hillier, the committee chair, asked when they would be able to draw up different scenarios when there is such a “fuzzy plan” around the border. |
| Thompson said that the government wants no additional infrastructure or a hard border in Northern Ireland, but added: “We are unable to go any further on that because of the political process.” | Thompson said that the government wants no additional infrastructure or a hard border in Northern Ireland, but added: “We are unable to go any further on that because of the political process.” |
| Clare Moriarty, Defra’s permanent secretary, reinforced Thompson’s assessment, adding that government officials could not pre-empt any deal. | Clare Moriarty, Defra’s permanent secretary, reinforced Thompson’s assessment, adding that government officials could not pre-empt any deal. |
| Despite British assertions that there will be no hard border, Dublin has criticised the UK’s position, saying that is hard to guarantee when the UK is leaving the customs union and the single market. Dublin also doubts a two-year transitional deal for business to adjust to Brexit is long enough. | Despite British assertions that there will be no hard border, Dublin has criticised the UK’s position, saying that is hard to guarantee when the UK is leaving the customs union and the single market. Dublin also doubts a two-year transitional deal for business to adjust to Brexit is long enough. |
| MPs on the committee grew exasperated with what appeared to be a lack of planning from government departments for future border arrangements. | MPs on the committee grew exasperated with what appeared to be a lack of planning from government departments for future border arrangements. |
| Conservative member Geoffrey Clifton-Brown asked Wheeler why her department has few additional contingency plans for delays at “roll on, roll off” ports such as Dover, when additional two-minute delays can quickly lead to 17-mile tail backs. | Conservative member Geoffrey Clifton-Brown asked Wheeler why her department has few additional contingency plans for delays at “roll on, roll off” ports such as Dover, when additional two-minute delays can quickly lead to 17-mile tail backs. |
| Wheeler said the department was working on the assumption that the UK would not be introducing that type of delay. Clifton-Brown replied that they may have to introduce additional lorry parks: “You may not be able to avoid it ... Isn’t this something you need to address now?” | Wheeler said the department was working on the assumption that the UK would not be introducing that type of delay. Clifton-Brown replied that they may have to introduce additional lorry parks: “You may not be able to avoid it ... Isn’t this something you need to address now?” |
| Sir Amyas Morse, the head of the national audit office, asked how long HMRC would have to rely upon such an assumption before finding the capacity to introduce contingency measures. | Sir Amyas Morse, the head of the national audit office, asked how long HMRC would have to rely upon such an assumption before finding the capacity to introduce contingency measures. |
| Wheeler replied: “I don’t have an answer for how long that situation will last for because there will be a number of things that will have to happen.” | Wheeler replied: “I don’t have an answer for how long that situation will last for because there will be a number of things that will have to happen.” |