EU-UK Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement: Negotiations

6. What steps she is taking to support UK interests in sanitary and phytosanitary negotiations with the EU.

We are negotiating an SPS deal with our closest trading partner, the EU, to reduce barriers, and cut friction, costs and delays at the border for businesses. Last week, I launched a call for information to understand how best we can support businesses to make the best of this opportunity.

Various farming organisations have expressed their concern about the potential negative impact of dynamic alignment with the EU. CropLife’s report suggested that immediate alignment could cost British farming £800 million in year one, and could see wheat production reduced by more than 15%. What is the Secretary of State doing to work with Cabinet Office colleagues to ensure that they understand the potential negative impacts of an SPS deal, so that we do not sell out our farmers, as they sold out the fishing industry?

This is about making it easier for farmers and other food processors in the food chain to export to our biggest export market. I can reassure the hon. Gentleman—I know he is an assiduous member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee—that we are in touch with the National Farmers Union and others about the negotiations. They are ongoing. I cannot provide a running commentary on them, but as was set out in the common understanding between the UK and the EU, there will be a number of exceptions, and we want to see a smooth transition to the new system.

The negotiations are critical to UK fisheries. What plans does the Secretary of State have to keep this House and the fishing sector updated? Perhaps she or one of her colleagues would attend the all-party parliamentary group on fisheries, to ensure that we are up to date on all developments.

We are keeping in touch with all sectors that are affected by the agrifood deal, but I recognise my hon. Friend’s work, particularly with the fishing industry. The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs would be very happy to attend a meeting of her APPG, and to talk to it.

I call the Chair of the Select Committee.

Obviously, there are real opportunities to be had from the completion of an SPS agreement, but those who import fresh produce, in particular citrus fruit, are concerned that imports from countries outside the European Union will become more difficult and more expensive as a consequence. May I encourage the Secretary of State to engage more vigorously and in greater detail with the Fresh Produce Consortium, which brought these concerns to my desk recently?

The Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs is more than happy to meet the consortium. As the right hon. Gentleman said, there is a big prize here, because we do more trade with our nearest trading market and, as he knows, there have been significant delays at the border, and administrative costs. That means that the export of fresh produce is very difficult; in some sectors, such as shellfish, it becomes almost impossible. We have to keep our eyes on the prize. I understand the point that he makes about produce from non-EU countries. We are engaging on that, and as I say, the Minister is happy to meet the group that he mentioned.

I very much appreciate the determination of this Government to get an SPS agreement with the EU. That will bring down costs both for our Welsh farmers exporting meat, and for our consumers. Llanelli has a long tradition of cockle gathering, but exports of unprocessed shellfish were stopped by the Tories’ ill-thought-through Brexit deal. Will the Secretary of State please update us on any progress on the export of shellfish?

A successful SPS deal will bring huge benefits to the shellfish industry, which was, as my hon. Friend said, very badly affected by the botched Brexit deal that we inherited from the last Government.

I call the shadow Minister.

Stakeholders have expressed alarm about the fact that the Government’s guidance for businesses on the UK-EU SPS agreement, published last week, has legislation in scope on the use of hormones, including bovine somatotrophin, in livestock. The use of growth-promoting hormones for livestock and of bovine somatotrophin are rightly banned in the UK and EU because of serious animal welfare issues and public health concerns, and bovine somatotrophin is linked to a 25% increase in mastitis in cows. For the sake of animal welfare, will the Minister give a clear assurance that the UK will maintain our bans on hormone-treated beef, ractopamine-treated pork and bovine somatotrophin-treated dairy, and that none of those standards will be weakened or traded away in the EU SPS negotiations, or in trade deals with other countries? Will she also confirm whether the Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act 2024, which ended the export of live animals for slaughter or fattening, will be retained in the reset?

Order. Dr Hudson, I have the greatest respect for you; you have more knowledge of this than anyone in this Chamber. However, we cannot have five questions. I have to get others in. Secretary of State, pick whichever question you want.

I do not know which one to answer! I reassure the shadow Minister that the Government are absolutely committed to maintaining high animal welfare standards, and we made it clear to the United States when we were doing the deal with them that we will not tolerate hormone-treated beef and certain other products.