Oral Answers to Questions

Dehenna Davison Excerpts

Thursday 8th October 2020 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Dehenna Davison (Bishop Auckland) (Con)]

What assessment she has made of the potential effect on farmers and food producers of the free trade agreement with Japan.

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

What steps she is taking to maintain the UK’s (a) food and (b) animal welfare standards in future free trade agreements.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Secretary of State for International Trade (Elizabeth Truss)]

The deal with Japan will go further and faster than we had under the EU, including by increasing the number of geographical indications from seven in the EU-Japan deal to up to 70 in our new agreement, from Cornish clotted cream to Scotch beef. Furthermore, Japan has guaranteed market access for UK malt exports under an existing quota, which is more generous and easier to access than the EU quota.

[Dehenna Davison]

My right hon. Friend recently visited Grange Hill farm just outside Bishop Auckland, and John, Jane and Becky—the farmers there—are rightly very proud of the high-quality beef products that they produce. Will my right hon. Friend tell the House how this and others deals she is seeking, such as the deal with the USA, will benefit British beef farmers right across our United Kingdom?

[Elizabeth Truss]

I hugely enjoyed my visit to Grange Hill farm with my hon. Friend. Our deal means that British beef going into Japan will have lower tariffs. We also announced last week that the first beef for 24 years was shipped from Britain to the United States. In the United States trade deal, we will seek to remove the 26% tariff on British beef so that we can get even more of that great product into that market.