To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what means HM Revenue and Customs ensures that the labelling of produce in mixed consignments of imports containing produce from both Israel and from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories for the purposes of customs duties is consistent with that used for supermarket tracking systems. (305194)

HM Revenue and Customs undertakes the physical examination of goods imported under the EU-Israel Agreement at the time of importation to establish whether the place of production shown on packaging is the same as that in the accompanying proof of preferential origin. Such checks would only involve reference to a supermarket tracking system, where the supermarket concerned is shown as the importer on the Customs import declaration.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what mechanism HM Revenue and Customs ensures that produce identified by supermarket tracking systems as originating in Israeli settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories does not benefit from the trade preference under the EU-Israel Trade Agreement. (305254)

When carrying out verification checks, HM Revenue and Customs only has access to the supporting documents, systems and records which relate directly to the import declaration. This may not include access to the supermarket tracking system as checks reveal that, in most cases, a supermarket is not the actual importer of the goods.