“We are talking about many hundreds of millions in benefits to business, trade and growth and at the time HMG had budgeted for this.”
Costs rack up
A Freedom of Information Request submitted by POLITICO shows that HM Revenue and Customs has spent at least £105.18 million on the plans to date. This includes £25.8 million in 2022-23, £44.81 million in 2023-24 and £34.54 million in 2024-25, not including February and March this year.
In its response, HMRC noted that in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 financial years, the program was the responsibility of the Cabinet Office’s Future Borders Programme. It is unclear exactly how much the Cabinet Office has spent on the project to date.
In a recent debate on the issue, Financial Secretary to the Treasury Spencer Livermore told peers the government still had a “long-term intention to deliver a single trade window.”
“Businesses benefit from trade, so minimizing administrative burdens and reducing trade frictions remain a priority for this government,” he said. “We will consider the role the single trade window can play in that, and we will provide an update as part of the next phase of the Spending Review.”
A government spokesperson said: “We do not comment on speculation ahead of the Spring Forecast.”
