Brexit border checks on fruit and vegetable imports from EU scrapped
The decision, attributed to what the government calls Sir Keir Starmer's Brexit reset deal, is expected to save businesses approximately £200 million in additional supply chain costs.
The new SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) deal with the EU will eliminate routine border checks for food exports and imports on certain products.
Impending checks on 'medium-risk' Fruit and vegetables, such as tomatoes, grapes, plums, cherries, peaches and peppers, will now not be introduced.
Biosecurity minister Baroness Hayman said the Government's EU deal will make food cheaper, slash bureaucracy and remove cumbersome border controls for businesses.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
3 minutes ago
- The Independent
Urgent warning issued over fake benefits claims online
Misinformation regarding household finances and government benefits is widely circulating online, appearing prominently in Google 's search results. These fake articles falsely claim the Cost of Living Payment is returning, that Universal Credit and Pension Credit recipients will get £500, and that the state pension age increase has been cancelled. Website owners are exploiting Google's ranking system and high-search topics to attract readers, displaying intrusive ads to generate revenue. The Independent identified several non-UK based sites sharing this false information, with one, 'Tamil Nadu Weatherman', removing its article after being contacted. Experts advise checking official government websites or reputable charities for financial information, as Google's presence does not guarantee trustworthiness.
The Independent
3 minutes ago
- The Independent
How many asylum seekers are in UK hotels and why are they being housed there?
The subject of asylum seekers being housed in hotels has come into sharp focus after a High Court ruling. On Tuesday, Epping Forest District Council was granted a temporary injunction blocking asylum seekers from being housed at the Bell Hotel in the Essex town. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the latest overall data. – How many asylum seekers are in hotels across the UK? The most recent Home Office data showed there were 32,345 asylum seekers being housed temporarily in UK hotels at the end of March. This was down 15% from the end of December, when the total was 38,079. New figures – published among the usual quarterly immigration data release – are expected on Thursday, showing numbers in hotels at the end of June. Figures for hotels published by the Home Office date back to December 2022 and showed numbers hit a peak at the end of September 2023 when there were 56,042 asylum seekers in hotels. – How many hotels are in use for asylum seekers? It is thought there were more than 400 asylum hotels open in summer 2023. Labour said this has since been reduced to fewer than 210. – Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels? Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation, known as contingency accommodation, if they are awaiting assessment of their claim or have had a claim approved and there is not enough longer-term accommodation available. The Home Office provides accommodation to asylum seekers who have no other way of supporting themselves on a 'no choice' basis, so they cannot choose where they live. When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to accommodation such as hotels and large sites, like former military bases. In May, the National Audit Office said those temporarily living in hotels accounted for 35% of all people in asylum accommodation. – Is this likely to be a permanent arrangement? Labour has pledged to end the 'costly use of hotels to house asylum seekers in this Parliament' – which would be 2029, if not earlier. Campaigners and charities have long argued that hotels are not suitable environments to house asylum seekers. The Refugee Council said they 'cost the taxpayer billions, trap people in limbo and are flashpoints in communities' and urged the Government to 'partner with local councils to provide safe, cost-effective accommodation within communities'. – What is the Government saying since the legal ruling? Ministers are 'looking at a range of different contingency options' following Tuesday's ruling, according to security minister Dan Jarvis In the immediate aftermath of the judgment, border security minister Dame Angela Eagle repeated criticism of the previous Conservative government, saying Labour had 'inherited a broken asylum system'. She said the Government would 'continue working with local authorities and communities to address legitimate concerns' around asylum hotels. – What options does the Home Office have now? Last month, amid protests outside the Bell Hotel and more migrants crossing the Channel, an extra 400 spaces were being prepared to house male asylum seekers at RAF Wethersfield in Essex. The former military site, which has a usual capacity of 800 beds, is expected to house more adult men on a short-term basis. The Labour Government scrapped the large site of the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, earlier this year, while Napier Barracks in Folkestone, Kent, is also due to end housing asylum seekers and be returned to the Ministry of Defence in September. – Why were there protests outside the Bell Hotel? The hotel in Epping has been at the centre of a series of protests in recent weeks after an asylum seeker who was staying there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl – something he has denied and he is due to stand trial later in August. After the High Court's ruling, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage wrote in the Telegraph calling for Epping protests to inspire further action wherever there are concerns about the 'threat posed by young undocumented males' living in hotels. But on Tuesday more than 100 women's organisations wrote to ministers warning that vital conversations about violence against women and girls are being 'hijacked by an anti-migrant agenda' that fuels divisions and harms survivors. The joint statement, including from Rape Crisis England & Wales and Refuge, said: 'We have been alarmed in recent weeks by an increase in unfounded claims made by people in power, and repeated in the media, that hold particular groups as primarily responsible for sexual violence. 'This not only undermines genuine concerns about women's safety, but also reinforces the damaging myth that the greatest risk of gender-based violence comes from strangers.'
.jpeg%3Fwidth%3D1200%26auto%3Dwebp%26quality%3D75%26crop%3D3%3A2%2Csmart%26trim%3D&w=3840&q=100)
Scotsman
3 minutes ago
- Scotsman
UK rail fares may rise, leaving commuters facing £100s more
Commuters could face higher costs as Britain's trains struggle with delays and disruptions 🚆 Sign up to the weekly Cost Of Living newsletter. Saving tips, deals and money hacks. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Regulated train fares could rise by 5.8% in 2026, adding hundreds to annual costs An annual Woking to London season ticket may jump by £247 to £4,507 Flexi tickets such as Liverpool to Manchester could rise by £120, hitting £2,195 a year The rise comes as train punctuality hits its worst level since 2020 Passenger groups warn it is unfair to charge more while services decline Rail passengers could be hit with fare increases of almost 6% next year, adding hundreds of pounds to the cost of annual season tickets, even as train punctuality slides to its worst levels in more than five years. The potential hike stems from July's inflation figures, with the Office for National Statistics confirming that the Retail Price Index (RPI) rose to 4.8%. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Historically, the Government has used the previous July's RPI figure to help set the cap on regulated fares the following year. This year, ministers added an extra percentage point, making the 2024 rise 4.6% against 3.6% inflation. If the same formula is applied for 2026, passengers would see fares increase by 5.8%. (Photo:) | Getty Images How much more will my train ticket cost? For commuters, the numbers are stark. An annual season ticket from Woking to London could jump by £247, pushing the cost up to £4,507. Travellers using flexible passes also face big rises. A flexi season ticket between Liverpool and Manchester for two days a week would cost £120 more, taking the yearly total to £2,195.10. 10 examples of potential rail fare rises in England: Annual season tickets Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Route Previous price Price after 5.8% rise Increase Bournemouth to Southampton £3,676 £3,889 £213 Gloucester to Birmingham £5,384 £5,696 £312 Whitehaven to Carlisle £2,508 £2,653 £145 Woking to London £4,260 £4,507 £247 York to Leeds £3,028 £3,204 £176 Flexi tickets for travel two days per week over a year Route Previous price Price after 5.8% rise Increase Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads £1,056 £1,117.20 £61.20 Cambridge to London £4,620 £4,888 £268 Ipswich to Peterborough £4,947.60 £5,234.60 £287 Liverpool to Manchester £2,074.80 £2,195.10 £120.30 Welwyn Garden City to London £2,029.20 £2,146.90 £117.70 With around 45% of train fares regulated by governments in Westminster, Scotland and Wales, the increase would affect millions of passengers. Northern Ireland's rail system (NI Railways) is separate, so fares there are not affected by the UK-wide RPI-linked rise. Regulated fares include most commuter season tickets, some long-distance off-peak returns, and flexible tickets for city travel. Unregulated fares – such as advance purchase and first-class tickets – are set by train operators, but usually track closely to regulated increases because of government influence. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The prospect of passengers paying more comes as train reliability deteriorates. Problems range from staffing shortages to weather-related disruption. In the south of England, recent dry spells have caused clay soil embankments to crack, leaving tracks uneven and forcing trains to slow down. According to the Office of Rail and Road, only 66.7% of services reached their stops within a minute of schedule in the year to July 19, the worst punctuality since May 2020. The Department for Transport (DfT) has not yet confirmed exactly how 2026 fares will be set, but passenger groups say it would be unacceptable to demand more money for worse services. A DfT spokesperson said an update will come later this year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ben Plowden, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said: 'Today's inflation figure could mean a big fare rise for rail passengers next year, especially if the Government decides to go with an above-inflation increase like we saw this year.' 'With the railways now moving under public control, the question is how fares policy will make rail more affordable and attractive to use.' Britain's railways are undergoing sweeping changes, with private operators gradually being brought back under state control as contracts expire. The upcoming Great British Railways (GBR) body will oversee infrastructure, fares and operations, with ministers promising a more passenger-focused system. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad For now, commuters are left with the prospect of paying hundreds more for tickets, while hoping punctuality and reliability start to improve.
