The Dover District Council (DDC) in Kent has issued a warning about the potential risk of bankruptcy following the withdrawal of £3m in funding for essential checks at the Port of Dover. These checks are crucial for monitoring illicit pork products that might contain African Swine Fever (ASF). The funding for these checks, provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), is expected to be completely withdrawn in the near future.
A report by DDC states: “DEFRA is withdrawing 66% (£2m out of £3.2m) of Port Health Authority funding from Dover in 2024/25 and the remaining 33% (£1.2m) in 2025/26. Over 90% of all African Swine Fever (ASF) risk-related pork trade arrives via Dover." The report further warns that the failure to properly fund port health functions could pose a bio-security threat to the UK pork industry and the UK food chain.
As a result of the funding cut, DDC may have to spend nearly half of its council tax income on bio-security checks by the 2025/26 financial year. This could severely deplete the council’s reserves and increase the risk of issuing a “section 114 notice” - a declaration of bankruptcy.