Border Force routinely carries out risk based inspections of post and parcels imported into the UK. The purpose of this is to both deter and prevent the entry of goods that would harm the national interest and the safety of its citizens.<\/p>
Section 159 of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 as amended by regulation 7 of the Postal Packets (Revenue and Customs) Regulations 2011 provides the power for designated Customs officials to inspect, and open, any postal packet for the purpose of examining anything that designated Customs officials suspect it may contain, for example, goods which may not have duty paid or are prohibited or restricted. The interception of postal communications for investigatory purposes is not undertaken by Border Force, and can only be authorised for a competent authority by a warrant under Part 2 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4503", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Philp"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon South"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Philp"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-10-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-10-16T09:28:34.533Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-10-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "UK Border Force: Correspondence"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on what mail is opened by Border Force.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4656", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Layla Moran"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Oxford West and Abingdon"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Layla Moran"} ], "uin" : "100529"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1241197", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1241197/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
I apologise for the delay in responding to the Rt Hon. Member\u2019s correspondence.<\/p>
A response was sent on 14 October.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-10-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-10-16T09:24:52.337Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-10-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Members: Correspondence"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when UKVI plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Warley of 10 August 2020 regarding Mrs Isik.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/318", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Spellar"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Warley"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John Spellar"} ], "uin" : "100284"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1241250", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1241250/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
With reference to the report entitled Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2019, published in July 2020, laboratory animal batch safety test data is not reported in a way that allows for the distinction between abnormal toxicity tests for human biological products and target animal batch safety tests for veterinary vaccines.<\/p>
The proportion of batch safety tests performed on laboratory animals reported by establishments in Great Britain for medicinal products for:<\/p>
veterinary use and their residues was 1.5% (287 of 18,757 tests).<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4399", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Victoria Atkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Louth and Horncastle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Victoria Atkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-11-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-11-05T11:47:00.14Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-10-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Animal Experiments"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Annual Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain, what proportion of the batch safety tests reported in table 7.1. under quality control were (a) abnormal toxicity tests for human biological products, (b) laboratory animal batch safety tests and (c) target animal batch safety tests for veterinary vaccines.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4772", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kenny MacAskill"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Lothian"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kenny MacAskill"} ], "uin" : "100546"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1241255", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1241255/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government has agreed a set of voluntary commitments with major retailers to promote the responsible sale of knives and to prevent the sale of knives to under-18s, both in stores and online. The agreement commits retailers to having robust measures in place to ensure age verification and both appropriate display and access to knives in stores.<\/p>
Retailers also act to ensure customers and staff are reminded that knives are age restricted products and that all staff receive regular training. Since March 2016, 19 major retailed have joined the agreement, with some stopping the sale of single knives in their stores altogether. We are continuing to work with retailers to strengthen the agreement further in relation to the display of knives.<\/p>
The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 strengthens the law in relation to the preventing the online sale of knives to under 18s by requiring age verification and stopping knives being sent to residential addresses after they are bought online, unless the seller has arrangements in place with the delivery company to ensure that the product would not be delivered into the hands of a person under 18.<\/p>
We have paused commencement of some of the Act\u2019s provisions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing measures that have been in place to avoid placing significant additional burdens on businesses and delivery companies to modify their sales and delivery systems and train staff over this period. We are keeping the position under review and we expect to be able to commence the provisions at the earliest opportunity.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4495", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kit Malthouse"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North West Hampshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kit Malthouse"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-10-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-10-14T08:50:52.933Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-10-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Knives: Retail Trade"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2020 to Question 85969 on Knives, what steps the Government is taking to work with retailers to promote the responsible sales of knives.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1516", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andy Slaughter"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hammersmith"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andy Slaughter"} ], "uin" : "100312"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1241261", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1241261/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published its report on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) on 29 September.<\/p>