Explanatory note

This Order prescribes fees in respect of the services listed in Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to the Order (articles 3 to 7). These services are performed in connection with applications received for the issue of phytosanitary certificates or licences in accordance with the provisions of the Plant Health (Forestry) (Great Britain) Order 1989. Certificates are required to accompany exports of certain wood, wood products, seeds, forest tree plants, soil and used forestry machinery. Licences are issued to enable the importation of articles which would otherwise be prohibited.

Schedule 1 prescribes fees for Great Britain in respect of export certification services for wood, wood products and seeds and in respect of import licensing services for wood and wood products. Schedule 2 (relating to England and Wales) and Schedule 3 (relating to Scotland) prescribe fees in respect of export certification services for the inspection of forest tree plants, soil and used forestry machinery and in respect of import licensing services for forest tree plants. The different structure and scales of fees set out in Schedule 2 for services provided in England and Wales and in Schedule 3 for Scotland reflect the arrangements made for similar agricultural and horticultural services in those countries in the Import and Export (Plant Health Fees) (England and Wales) Order 1988 (S.I. 1988/1427), and the Import and Export (Plant Health Fees) (Scotland) Order 1989 (S.I. 1989/2196).

As regards the export certification services, the Order prescribes basic fees in column 3 of Part I of Schedules 1 and 2 (article 3) and in certain circumstances provides for the payment of lower alternative fees which are shown in column 4 of Part I of Schedules 1 and 2 (articles 4 and 5). The Order also makes provision for a reduction of the fees set out in Schedule 2 for persons who are not taxable for the purposes of the Value Added Tax Act 1983 or who make no taxable supplies of forest tree plants, soil or forestry machinery for the purposes of that Act or whose certificated exports or sales for exports in the previous financial year were of a value less than £5,000 gross (article 6).