Question follow-through · 126312

Immigration Controls: Shipping

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of containers inspected were found to be in breach of customs, safety or import regulations in each of the last three years.

answeredHome Office

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Home Office
Tabled
10 Apr 2026
Target answer date
14 Apr 2026
Answer
15 Apr 2026 · 5 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

More questions by this MP on Immigration and borders

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Votes on this topic

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Recorded timeline

  1. 10 Apr 2026

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of containers inspected were found to be in breach of customs, safety or import regulations in each of the last three years.

  2. 14 Apr 2026

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 15 Apr 2026

    Answer published

    Border Force operates a risk‑based approach to container security, focusing resources on identifying and intervening against higher‑risk movements of goods rather than physically inspecting all shipping containers entering the UK.The Home Office does not ...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Import Controls: Shipping

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the most common categories of non-compliance identified during container inspections are.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

UK Border Force: Vetting

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the average length of time taken to complete security and background checks on border force applicants.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Import Controls: Shipping

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria are used to determine which containers are selected for inspection.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Import Controls: Shipping

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of risk-based targeting in identifying non-compliant or high-risk shipments.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Import Controls: Shipping

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to increase the proportion of containers inspected.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Import Controls: Shipping

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what targets have been set for improving the speed and accuracy of container inspections over the next three years.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Import Controls: Shipping

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the longest recorded waiting time for a container awaiting inspection was at UK ports in the last 12 months.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Import Controls: Shipping

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many containers have been held for more than (a) 7 days, (b) 14 days and (c) 21 days awaiting inspection in the last year.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Import Controls: London Gateway Port

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for a container inspection at London Gateway Port.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Import Controls: London Gateway Port

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many containers are awaiting inspection at London Gateway Port.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Import Controls: Shipping

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of delays in container inspections on importers, including (a) storage charges and (b) sales.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

UK Border Force: Standards

13 Apr 2026 · To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department collects data on storage costs incurred by businesses as a result of delays in Border Force inspections.