Home Office doesn't know how many customs officers it has despite looming Brexit 'no deal'

Exclusive: The department said it would take weeks to work out how many customs officers it has despite warnings of chaos at ports

The Home Office is failing to keep track of how many customs officers it has despite warnings of chaos at Britain’s ports and airports in the event of a looming “no deal” Brexit.

Officials admitted to The Independent that they were unable to provide a count of the number of border officials employed for customs checks and they were unsure of whether the number had increased or decreased in recent years.

Across the Channel the Dutch government has confirmed it is hiring 930 extra customs officials for the port of Rotterdam and Schiphol airport, major hubs that do a lot of trade with the UK, with the aim of avoiding backlogs.

But the British government appears less prepared for its own departure from the EU, with no signs of a similar plan having yet surfaced.

The Independent submitted a freedom of information request asking the Border Force, which is part of the Home Office, to reveal the number of customs officers it employs in frontline roles, and to provide comparable figures for recent years.

The department said it did “not hold data on the numbers of staff who are currently detailed to perform customs roles” and that it would be too expensive to work out the number of officers, as doing so would require a “manual extensive check” of records at various fragmented facilities scattered across the UK.

The EU has said that “frictionless trade” will end with the continent when Britain leaves the customs union and single market, meaning a dramatic increase in checks and staff required. A no-deal scenario, which could come as early as March if talks collapse, is expected to cause massive queues of lorries at ports.

A manual extensive check would be required to determine the complement of staff employed in customs roles. The exercise would involve a number of staff based in each regional office and local port over two weeks to complete

Home Office 

It comes as The Independent revealed last month that new lorry parks to absorb freight tailbacks in Kent would not be ready in time for a no-deal Brexit, after a previous project ran into difficulty and officials were forced to start again from scratch.

This week one of Theresa May’s senior cabinet ministers would not say whether or how many customs officers the UK was hiring in preparation for a no-deal Brexit when asked directly about the issue on national radio.

“I think that all governments including the United Kingdom government have to plan for all contingencies,” cabinet office minister David Lidington said.

He added: “We’ll be making more public comment about our no-deal preparations over the weeks to come and Dominic Raab will be leading on that. There is a lot of work that’s been going on behind the scenes”.

The European Commission on Friday presented member states with guidelines on how to prepare properly for a no-deal Brexit at a meeting of ministers in Brussels. The advice, which warns of major disruption, comes after turmoil in Ms May’s cabinet and worries in Brussels about the stability of the British government and its capacity to negotiate.

Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, told The Independent: “Instead of properly preparing for Brexit, Theresa May’s government has taken their eye off the ball and wasted vital time arguing amongst themselves.

“The consequences of not getting the preparations right on our borders is stark. The government needs to wake up.”

On Friday, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier poked huge holes in Ms May’s customs plan, warning that it might not be “legally feasible” and raising the prospect of no deal.

In its FOI response the Home Office said: “We have established that the Home Office does not hold the information which you have requested. We do not hold data on the numbers of staff who are currently detailed to perform customs roles exclusively.

“We have estimated that the cost of meeting your request would exceed the cost limit of £600 specified in the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. We are therefore unable to comply with it.

“A manual extensive check would be required to determine the complement of staff employed in customs roles. The exercise would involve a number of staff based in each regional office and local port over two weeks to complete. Further work would be required to determine and compile information on staff over a 10 year period.”

***Update***

Following publication of this article, a Home Office spokesperson added: “We are committed to ensuring that Border Force has the resources it needs to keep the UK safe. Earlier this year we launched a nationwide campaign to recruit up to 1,000 Border Force officers.

“The ongoing campaign will support the organisation to respond flexibly to emerging requirements, including any future requirements as a result of leaving the EU.”