Ms Hazel Sheridan:

Members can see from today's meeting how closely we all work together. We have all been working together for years at this stage and know each other very well so there is very good co-operation.

The same is true for businesses. We have had very constructive engagement with businesses. They are really keen to share information and to try to solve problems collectively and I really encourage that. If people are having difficulties, they should make sure to get in touch with us at the earliest possible opportunity. At the same time, there is a role for business in this as well. We were really clear with businesses ahead of 1 January that the simpler they can make their loads and their trucks, the easier it will be. The more complex they are, the more difficult it is, such as when they require checks by more than one agency. Some of these trucks have 30 or 40 different commodities on them and there are different certification requirements. It really is a very complex business because these are products that are ready for sale and ready to go on supermarket shelves; they are used to shipping them on a regular basis and as I said it really is very challenging to deal with them.

Now that businesses are becoming more familiar with what needs to be checked and which agency needs to carry out the checks, perhaps they could consider streamlining and simplifying their trucks. That is not easy to do in the early days because these are complex supply chains but going forward, it would help to speed up the transit of trucks through the port facilities.

Another step that businesses can take to streamline the processes relates to getting documentation in advance and ensuring it is accurate. That, too, will help to speed up the processes. Every load we deal with that has problems slows down everything, so there is a very important role for businesses in that regard.

The final point to make with regard to SPS controls is that there is a concept in the European legislation known as "the operator responsible for the consignment". It is a person who has legal responsibility for certain matters and they are really important players. They are the go-betweens between us and the haulage firms and the importers and exporters, and they can do an awful lot to help. It has been a significant learning curve for the people who have taken on this role. They have done a fantastic job and I have no doubt that as they become more familiar with it, they will be able to work to help everybody. It is a very important role. It is important that people are clear, and talk to us, about what can be done to streamline the processes. It is not just about us streamlining processes but also about businesses doing the same.