The word “disarray” is almost too kind to describe Defra’s efforts so far at implementing new plant health regulations. Perhaps shambolic would do, or if you’re feeling venomous, then scandalous no doubt fits your bill.

I would imagine there is a fair amount of venom out there from importers that have just been informed their arm of this industry has been paying more than 200 per cent over the odds for an inspection process that appears to have been at best random.

If you’re a lucky importer, you’ll be getting a 68-per-cent refund from Defra for the 70 per cent of inspections it failed to carry out this year. If you’re really lucky, that will be good value.

But Defra appears to have absolutely no idea what proportion of your consignments have been inspected - and offers no real clue as to how it would identify that figure on an individual company basis, as development of the necessary IT systems will not be completed until next year.

Defra did not have the statutory authority to charge for checks it did not carry out. But it does have the authority to propose a refunds system that treats the industry as one body - discriminating entirely unfairly against a significant number of companies.

The government, in its eagerness to show how sharp it is on implementing EU law, once again jumped the gun. Now it wants some of you to pay for its ineptitude.