UK Government has granted more than £2 billion additional funding across 25 government departments for their Brexit preparations for all scenarios. Funding is for 2019/20 priority areas including borders, trade and security.
The five biggest Brexit preparation allocations confirmed today are received by Home Office (£480m), Defra (£410m), HMRC (£375m), BEIS (£190m) and the Department for International Trade (£128m).
• Home Office will use its funding to increase Border Force capability with hundreds of new officers, continue preparing the EU Settlement Scheme to offer settled status and prepare law enforcement national security preparations.
• In addition to taking back control of our waters, Defra will use its funding to deliver arrangements at the border and beyond to ensure uninterrupted trade in fish and fisheries products, chemicals, and agri-food.
• BEIS will deliver business stability for company law and audit, in addition to developing options for a UK Global Navigation Satellite System.
• HMRC will employ over 3,000 customer service and compliance staff in operational roles to handle increases in customs activity, ensuring trade continues to flow and revenue is protected. HMRC will also use its funding to deliver new technology and IT requirements at the border to ensure trade is as frictionless as possible.
• DIT will use its allocation to securing post-Brexit continuity for around 40 trade agreements covering over 70 countries, accounting for 12% of the UK’s total trade. They will also use their funding for work on future trade agreements around the world.