Sajid Javid steps up plans for No Deal Brexit by asking HMRC to recruit 5,000 more customs officials and set up a hotline for businesses
- New Chancellor Sajid Javid orders HMRC to recruit 5,000 customs officials
- Mr Javid will also create a hotline to make businesses ready for a No Deal Brexit
- Ministers are concerned HMRC will not be able to handle extra customs checks
Published: 19:05 EDT, 1 August 2019 | Updated: 03:19 EDT, 2 August 2019
Sajid Javid has demanded that the taxman makes No Deal preparations an ‘absolute top priority’ by recruiting 5,000 customs officials and setting up a hotline so businesses are ready.
The Chancellor ordered HM Revenue and Customs to ensure hundreds of thousands of small business owners know what to do if the country leaves the EU on October 31 without a deal.
Ministers are concerned that HMRC, which has a reputation for incompetence and delays, will not be ready to handle extra custom checks that will be needed at the border.
Chancellor Sajid Javid has demanded that the taxman makes No Deal preparations an ‘absolute top priority’ by recruiting 5,000 customs officials and setting up a hotline so businesses are ready
They are also worried that businesses have not taken the necessary steps so they can keep exporting under a No Deal scenario.
In a letter to HMRC chief executive Sir Jonathan Thompson, Mr Javid demanded immediate action and said he would expect weekly updates to ‘ensure progress remains on track’.
Ministers are concerned that HMRC, which has a reputation for incompetence and delays, will not be ready to handle extra custom checks that will be needed at the border. A UK Border Control checkpoint is pictured above [File photo]
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