Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement: Scrutiny

Deidre Brock Excerpts

Tuesday 19th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jayawardena]

I think the balance that we have is right. We have already been clear that we—[Interruption.] They ask the questions but they do not want to hear the answers. We have been clear that we would seek to accommodate a request for a debate if one were made by the Committee, subject to parliamentary time being available. The Secretary of State reinforced that before the International Trade Committee on 6 July—the right hon. Gentleman is right to talk about what we have said—saying that she felt the agreement could benefit from “general debate”. However, the business managers have not been able to schedule a general debate before the CRaG period ends on 20 July.

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

The Minister seems to think we should all just calm down about standards, but the text of the deal does not set out crucial conditionality or equivalence on imports based on animal welfare standards used in production. The absence of such equivalence language means that products produced to lower standards will enter the UK market. That is a fact, not spin, so I will ask again: what support do the UK Government intend to offer our farmers and food producers so that they can fairly compete?

[Mr Jayawardena]

That question has been asked and answered, but I will answer it again. The Trade and Agriculture Commission has set out that this deal

“does not require the UK to change its existing levels of statutory protection in relation to animal or plant life or health, animal welfare and environmental protection.”

I hope that provides the hon. Lady and her farmers with reassurance.