Brexit research commissioned by Midlothian Council after Covid disruption

File photo of an EU and Union flag held aloft in Westminster, London.

Midlothian Council has commissioned the work after officers said they were unable to say what issues were caused by Brexit or Covid over the last year.

A meeting of the council’s EU Performance Review and Scrutiny Committee was told that any impact on services was ‘conjecture’ because of different factors which could be to blame.

Executive director Kevin Anderson said there were difficulties being experienced in supply chains as well as in environmental health.

But, he said, it was impossible to say which issues were caused by Brexit.

He said: “There are difficulties being experienced through supply chain delays and material costs.

“We can’t say there is anything in particular that we can attribute to the EU exit because there are the complicating factors of ongoing Covid impacts.

“The council is commissioning a piece of work.,

“The work is commissioned to allow us to get a better perspective on it, to enable us to say what it is because right now it is conjecture.”

Mr Anderson said that while he could not demonstrate any direct impact on council services directly caused by Brexit there had been issues with supply, naming cement and the labour workforce as areas that had caused concern.

And he said environmental health officers had seen an additional work burden created for import and export issues as well as certifications which were now required.

The commission findings will be reported back to councillors at a later date.