To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Food: Origin Marking
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish a list of verified producers of products with UK geographical indication status.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

92 UK produced products are protected as Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) Protected Geographical Indications (PGI) and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG), collectively referred to as ‘GI products’ These are protected under the UK GI schemes (providing protection in GB) or/and the EU GI schemes (providing protection in EU/NI). All producers of GI products in the UK are required to be verified as compliant with the registered specification in order to use the registered name, and there is a duty to notify Defra of their verification status. HMRC publish the verification status of spirit drinks GI producers, but whilst we recognise the potential benefits of better-informed consumers and retailers, Defra does not currently publish the data for wine or agri-food GI producers and there are no plans to do so. Products produced outside the UK and registered on the UK GI schemes must be verified in their own country, who may choose to publish lists of their verified producers domestically.


Written Question
Food: Origin Marking
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on the number of UK products that (a) hold and (b) have been granted (i) protected food name and (ii) geographical indication status in the European Union in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data on products protected under the EU Geographical Indication schemes is published by the EU on https://ec.europa.eu/info/food-farming-fisheries/food-safety-and-quality/certification/quality-labels/geographical-indications-register/. 22 UK-produced GI products were protected under the EU schemes in the last 10 years: 1 in 2013, 3 in 2014, 2 in 2015, 3 in 2016, 8 in 2017, 2 in 2018, 2 in 2019, and 1 in 2022. ‘Protected food names’ is a common/interchangeable term for Geographical Indications.


Written Question
Food: Origin Marking
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding her Department has allocated to the promotion of UK geographic indication products; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

It is the responsibility of producers and retailers of geographical indication (GI) protected products to ensure consumers recognise their protected status, primarily achieved through display of the UK GI logo on labels. While there is no specific budget allocated to the promotion of UK-produced GI products, we will continue to celebrate them where appropriate in Government communications as we aim to encourage consumers to ‘look for the UK GI logo’. We also champion our GIs to other countries, particularly through new and existing trade deals.


Written Question
Food: Origin Marking
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to inspect producers of UK products with UK Geographical Indication scheme status; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Registration of a product name under the UK GI schemes means any product sold or marketed under that name in GB must come from a verified producer. Verification involves inspection of the producer’s processes and product to ensure compliance with the registered specification. For GI products produced in the UK, maintaining their verification is a responsibility of producers and is secured from HMRC in the case of GI spirit drinks, from the Food Standards Agency in the case of wines, and in the case of agri-food products from either a Local Authority (typically their Trading Standards function) or from a commercial Control Body accredited to provide services by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). GIs produced outside of the UK must be verified in their country of production. Defra, as Competent Authority for the operation of the GI schemes, has no role in assigning verification status and there are no plans for direct inspection of producers.


Written Question
Food: Origin Marking
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data her Department holds on the number of producers that produce products that are registered under the UK Geographical Indication scheme that also have UK Accreditation Service certification.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation is a requirement of Control Bodies wishing to provide verification services to GI producers. We are not aware of any producers of products registered under the UK’s GI schemes that also have UKAS accreditation to provide verification services.


Written Question
Livestock and Plants: Imports
Monday 15th May 2023

Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 6 and 7 March 2023 to Questions 153671, 153672 and 153673 on Animal Products: Imports, Livestock: Imports and Plants: Imports, whether the prenotification submissions concerned in each answer were made by all countries exporting to the UK or EU and common veterinary area countries exporting to the UK only.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The data provided covers imports into the UK from the EU and Common Veterinary Area (Switzerland). It does not include all countries (classed as Rest of World).


Written Question
Food: Imports
Wednesday 22nd March 2023

Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of bringing forward a strategy on food and drink imports.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, and Cabinet discussions are considered confidential. We enjoy a high degree of domestic food security, based on strong domestic production as well as imports. The Government Food Strategy was published in June 2022 which set out a plan to transform our food system to ensure it is fit for the future.


Written Question
Animal Products: Imports
Tuesday 7th March 2023

Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pre-notification submissions were made by UK importers to the IPAFFS system relating to the import of products of animal origin from the EU and Common Veterinary Area, where certification (a) is required at the GB border and (b) remains suspended pending the full implementation of GB border checks in 2022.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra recorded 746,479 pre-notification submissions from UK importers to the IPAFFS for products of animal origin (POAO). We are unable to break down data on points (a) and (b).

Animals:

2022

POAO

Jan

48283

Feb

73718

Mar

83247

Apr

73456

May

76141

Jun

75111

Jul

72569

Aug

51484

Sep

51227

Oct

47198

Nov

49725

Dec

44320

Grand Total

746479


Written Question
Livestock: Imports
Tuesday 7th March 2023

Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pre-notification submissions were made by UK importers to the IPAFFS system relating to the import of live animals from the EU and Common Veterinary Area, where certification (a) is required at the GB border and (b) remains suspended pending the full implementation of GB border checks in 2022.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra recorded 46773 pre-notification submissions from UK importers to the IPAFFS (Import of products, animals, food and feed system) for live animals. We are unable to break-down data on points a) and b).

Animals:

2022

Live Animals

Jan

5477

Feb

4966

Mar

5608

Apr

4004

May

3462

Jun

3205

Jul

3012

Aug

2755

Sep

3377

Oct

3413

Nov

3592

Dec

3902

Grand Total

46773


Written Question
Plants: Imports
Monday 6th March 2023

Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many pre-notification submissions were made by UK importers to the IPAFFS system relating to the import of regulated plants and plant products from the EU and Common Veterinary Area, where certification (a) is required at the GB border and (b) remains suspended pending the full implementation of GB border checks in 2022.

Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra recorded 4483 pre-notification submissions from UK importers to the CHEDPP (Common Health Entry Document for Plants, Plant Products and Plant propagating material) for plants and plant products. We are unable to break-down data on points a) and b).

2022

CHEDPP

Jan

189

Feb

318

Mar

520

Apr

376

May

326

Jun

263

Jul

217

Aug

246

Sep

444

Oct

476

Nov

655

Dec

453

Total

4483