The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) faces an "unprecedented challenge" in preparing for Brexit, according to a Committee.
The Public Accounts Committee report released on Friday (4 May) says preparations for Brexit are being hampered by the "pervasive uncertainty" over the UK’s future relationship with the EU.
The report says this leaves not only the department but also farming and rural businesses in the dark about exactly what they need to do to prepare.
This means that Defra is having to work up options for the three different scenarios—deal, no deal or transition. The report labels this "time consuming and costly".
The department also has to navigate new legislation and major IT programmes in very short time.
At the time of the Committee's evidence session, less than a month before the start of the 2018–19 financial year, funding for departments’ EU Exit programmes had not yet been confirmed.
The Committee criticises the "slow decision-making" on the part of HM Treasury, which it says stands in the way of effective government preparation.
'A lot at stake'
There are concerns about how realistic Defra's plans for Brexit are, especially where new IT systems are required.
The report says there is a lot at stake as a functioning trade policy is vital for the UK.
It says if the UK leaves the single market and customs union there need to be clear alternatives in place or business and the economy will suffer.
However, the report admits that the department appears optimistic that they can deliver what’s required to be ready for March 2019, whatever the outcome of the negotiations.
Defra has said it will fall back on to manual systems as it seeks to deliver all that it needs to for Brexit, but the Committee's report says this could impede or at least slow down imports and exports, causing severe delays at the border.
The Committee report concludes that Defra has an "impossible challenge and don’t have a clear plan of top priorities." It says the department "must be clear about what they will not be delivering as a result of Brexit".
'Clock is ticking'
Committee Chair Meg Hillier MP, said the Committee has repeatedly raised concerns about the government's preparedness for life outside the EU.
"The clock is ticking and there is still no clarity about what Brexit will mean in practice," Ms Hillier said.
"Against this backdrop, Government departments must deliver fit-for-purpose systems and ways of working, in tandem with managing what in some cases is already a complex and ambitious programme of work.
"As our new report again makes clear, departments are under extreme pressure. If Parliament is to hold them to account then it is vital that Government is as transparent as possible on the progress being made.
Ms Hillier added: "Defra alone has 64 active workstreams, up from 43 at the time we took evidence in March. All departments have much to do."
