The Department is working with its partners across Government, arm’s length bodies, local authorities, industry and the wider health and care system to ensure that all relevant parties are prepared for exiting the European Union. The quality and safety of patient care is paramount in our preparedness plans.

In August 2019 the Department published up-to-date guidance on GOV.UK on what local authorities can do to prepare for leaving the EU. This covers a range of issues including workforce, business continuity planning, data sharing, and the continuity of supply of medicines, medical devices and clinical consumables, and of non-clinical goods and services, it also provides key contact information and signposts where local authorities and providers can go for further support. We continue to work closely with the health and social care sector to ensure that this guidance is accurate, practical and up-to-date.

We have communicated on a range of topics with local authorities, including in a conference call on 13 August along with other Government departments. Each local Authority has established a Brexit lead officer to liaise with government.

Defra has identified areas where our exit preparations impact local authorities. For instance Environmental Health Officers are responsible for issuing Export Health Certificates on fish and we have discussed capacity and the requirements with them.

We regularly contribute to a cross-government working group which coordinates engagement with local authorities.

Information on leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement relevant to a particular local authority can then be accessed by the local authority via shared channels, such as:

• MHCLG’s Local government Brexit preparedness page on GOV.UK;
• MHCLG’s weekly e-bulletin to local authorities setting out all relevant updates for the week;
• Presenting information at MHCLG’s monthly delivery board to local authority representatives;
• The Food Standards Agency’s Smarter Comms platform accessed directly by regulatory officers in local authorities;
• Cascading information via MHCLG’s network of nine regional local authority Chief Executives;
• Using MHCLG’s newly established network of Brexit lead officers in each local authority;
• Direct email messages to regulatory leads in relevant local authorities;
• Engaging with and passing information through regulatory bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute or the Association of Port Health Authorities.

Information on a range of Defra’s exit projects if we leave the EU without a withdrawal agreement has been made available to local authorities through these channels. This includes information on:

• Exporting fish and shellfish (Export Health Certificates);
• Importing fish and fisheries products (Catch Certificates);
• Import control systems for animals, products of animal origin and high risk food and feed;
• Food labelling changes;
• The protection of habitats and species;
• Waste;
• Guidance for businesses exporting goods to the EU.

Local authorities have been invited to attend various meetings, including workshops, training events and roadshows on topics including:

• Changes to environmental regulations;
• Changes to food and farming;
• Changes to exports of animals and animal products;
• Changes to imports of animals and animal products;
• MHCLG’s regional roadshows on how local authorities will be affected by exiting the EU without a withdrawal agreement in Wakefield, Birmingham, London and Cambridge;
• Training on catch certificates in Wales, Inverness, Bristol and Newcastle;
• Changes to trading standards regulatory functions in Exeter;
• A series of teleconferences on changes to export health certificates;
• A webinar on changes affecting border or coastal local authorities;
• A workshop on regulatory services hosted by MHCLG with input from other departments including Defra.

Local government plays a vital role in preparing the country to be fully ready for Brexit on 31 October.

We have stepped up our preparedness significantly and speak regularly to councils and partners, including through the Local Government Brexit Delivery Board and a network of nine regional chief executives. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government leads this engagement.

Every council has designated a Brexit Lead Officer to work with central government to intensify their local preparations and, in total, we have made £77 million available to help local areas get ready for Brexit.