Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with representatives of the European Food Safety Authority on its future remit in the UK.
Answered by David Mowat
The Government has not yet had any discussions with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on its future remit in the United Kingdom. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Food Standard Agency and other Government Departments/bodies currently work with the EFSA on a range of issues including public health, food safety, plant and animal health and welfare. Government departments are working together to ensure that we will continue to have a collaborative relationship with the EFSA post-exit and that UK risk management decisions will continue to be based on robust scientific evidence.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to outline options for the replacement of the European Food Safety Authority after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by David Mowat
Departments are currently working together to understand the impact that withdrawal from the European Union will have across a number of sectors and cross-cutting areas, including the European Food Safety Authority. Options for the future of risk assessment in the United Kingdom are being developed but it is not possible at this time to give an indication of when these options can be shared.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on how the Government's industrial strategy will support food producers.
Answered by George Eustice
Defra is working closely with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy at ministerial and official level, to ensure the industrial strategy supports the agri-food sector.
The agri-food sector contributes ÂŁ110 billion per year to our economy and is a big employer in every region of the UK, so is well placed to support growth across the whole country. We will be working with the agri-food sector to develop an industrial strategy that delivers a world-leading food, farming and fishing nation that grows more, sells more and exports more food around the world.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the strategic priorities are for his Department's social media campaigns on Scotland's trade with the rest of the UK.
Answered by David Mundell
Recent data released by the Scottish Government shows that Scotland’s trade with the rest of the UK is worth 4 times that of trade with the rest of the EU.
This is a fact-based, information-led campaign, to inform people about the important trading relationship that Scotland and the rest of the UK enjoy, and the relative scale of Scotland’s trade with the rest of the UK as compared to its trade with the rest of the EU.
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what funds his Department has allocated for social media campaigns on platforms such at Twitter and Facebook.
Answered by David Mundell
Digital activity, including social media campaigns, are funded through the Scotland Office programme budget. This is published in the annual report and accounts, a link to which can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2015-16--2
Asked by: Calum Kerr (Scottish National Party - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans his Department has to promote Scottish exports to countries outside of the UK in April 2017.
Answered by David Mundell
As we prepare to leave the European Union, we want to send a message to the world that the UK and Scotland remain open for business, and free to shape our own ambitious trade and investment opportunities across the globe.
Earlier this month, I took that message to Burma and Singapore, promoting Scotland’s business interests and exports, including with the energy, financial services and whisky sectors. The Scotland Office will continue to work with the Department of International Trade and other UK Government departments to promote the UK and Scotland to the world.