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 consideration she has made of the potential merits of bringing forward the upcoming announcement on Tariff-Rate Quotas of Chinese Garlic; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government launched a consultation on 21 October 2022 on options for tariff quota administration for garlic imported from China. The consultation has now closed and the Government aims to communicate a decision on the future administration of the tariff rate quota for garlic imported from China by the end of the week commencing 27 February 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 staff in her Department have been allocated to deal with issues related to international trade in (a) each of the past five years and (b) the next two years; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has around 500 staff working on a wide variety of trade-related roles across the department from trade policy to international negotiations and food exports to Sanitary and Phytosanitary trade assurance. Trade related roles are based across different business units in Defra, for example animal health or environment, as op-posed to being delivered through one specific trade unit.
Given the dispersed nature of trade roles across the department, and as trade may only form part of any given role, records do not exist for exactly how many staff have been allocated to deal with issues related to international trade in Defra in each of the past five years.
We are in the process of planning workforce arrangements for the next two years in line with the public spending commitments set out by the Chancellor of the Ex-chequer in the Autumn Statement.
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 assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits of the UK joining the World Wine Trade Group; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has not completed an assessment of the benefits of joining the World Wine Trade Group (WWTG). However I can report that at the WWTG's request, a representative from the British Consulate in San Francisco attended this year's annual WWTG meeting in Santa Rosa, California. They gave a short address to the meeting covering various UK wine related topics including importer labelling, met with WWTG members and learned more about the various strands of work that are being progressed.
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 he will make an assessment of the potential merits of requiring restaurants to provide a full list of ingredients contained in their dishes; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to optimising the information that is available to consumers, and the Government Food Strategy sets out work that we will be taking forward on consumer information and transparency. In the UK we maintain high standards on the food information that is provided to consumers, but for practical reasons there are fewer mandatory labelling rules when food is sold loose, such as in a restaurant.
All food businesses are under a legal obligation to provide information on the presence of the 14 major allergens in food, including in the out of home environment, so that allergic consumers are able to make safe food choices. The FSA, who has policy responsibility for food safety, is currently considering how to improve the provision of information for people with allergies, and researching different approaches for the provision of written and oral information in the non-prepacked food sector.
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 assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the UK florist industry's decline in trade with the EU; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
HM Revenue & Customs publishes statistics on the United Kingdom's international trade in goods including with the EU and these are regularly reviewed by Defra. The combined effects of the United Kingdom leaving the EU and the subsequent transition period, along with the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, supply chain disruption and global recession, have all led to greater volatility in trade in the past two years.
With production of ornamental horticulture being worth £1.6 billion in the United Kingdom at farm-gate in 2021, £128 million of which was from flowers and bulbs, HM Government recognises the importance of the sector both to the economy and to people's well-being, and has been working with the industry on an action plan exploring opportunities to accelerate the sector's growth through a collaborative approach between HM Government and industry.
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 discussions she has had with representatives from the British florist industry on the impact of the (a) cost of inspection for phytosanitary certificates, (b) industry specific problems with groupage in haulage, (c) levels of paperwork and (d) customs agent fees on that sector's trade with the EU; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Cut flowers from the EU do not currently require a phytosanitary certificate and consequently there are no associated inspection costs for these goods.
Customs agents’ fees are a commercial matter, agreed between private parties so there has been no government consultation on this issue.
Defra engage regularly with key stakeholders and several trade associations that represent the UK horticulture, floriculture and fresh produce sectors.
The methodology used to calculate plant health import inspection fees has been consulted on whenever changes are made, most recently at the end of 2021, when a new flat-rate fee was introduced at the request of industry. Respondents to that consultation included the Fresh Produce Consortium, Horticultural Trades Association, National Farmers’ Union, Royal Forestry Society, Welsh Horticultural Stakeholders, and the Woodland Trust.
We will continue to consult with representatives from trade associations and targeted stakeholders in the co-design of the new border Target Operating Model. A draft will be published and shared with industry for feedback soon.
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 discussions his Department has had with representatives of the blind and partially sighted community on requirements for travelling to the EU with a guide dog.
Answered by Scott Mann - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The United Kingdom has been formally 'listed' as a 'Part 2' third country for the purposes of the European Union pet travel scheme, which means that new rules apply to pet movements from Great Britain to the European Union and to Northern Ireland. The pet health and documentary requirements for such pet travel are set out under the European Union Pet Travel Regulations. These rules also apply to assistance dogs.
Defra recognise the undue impact that these changes are having on many people, including pet owners and assistance dog users. We are continuing to seek agreement from the European Commission on awarding Great Britain 'Part 1' listed status and recognition of the United Kingdom's tapeworm-free status, and we see no valid animal health reason for these not to be granted.
Achieving these would alleviate a number of pet travel rules for all travellers, including the need for an Animal Health Certificate (AHC). We have one of the most rigorous pet checking regimes in Europe to protect our biosecurity and we continue to discuss pet travel issues with the European Union at appropriate forums.
We are proactively engaging with the assistance dog community and relevant external partners on the impacts on dog movements from Great Britain to the European Union. We will continue to work closely with assistance dog organisations on these issues and to share the latest advice and guidance (in accessible formats) with their members on pet travel requirements.
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 discussions he has had with his European counterparts on helping ensure that people with assistance dogs are able to travel to the EU without producing an animal medical certificate.
Answered by Scott Mann - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The United Kingdom has been formally 'listed' as a 'Part 2' third country for the purposes of the European Union pet travel scheme, which means that new rules apply to pet movements from Great Britain to the European Union and to Northern Ireland. The pet health and documentary requirements for such pet travel are set out under the European Union Pet Travel Regulations. These rules also apply to assistance dogs.
Defra recognise the undue impact that these changes are having on many people, including pet owners and assistance dog users. We are continuing to seek agreement from the European Commission on awarding Great Britain 'Part 1' listed status and recognition of the United Kingdom's tapeworm-free status, and we see no valid animal health reason for these not to be granted.
Achieving these would alleviate a number of pet travel rules for all travellers, including the need for an Animal Health Certificate (AHC). We have one of the most rigorous pet checking regimes in Europe to protect our biosecurity and we continue to discuss pet travel issues with the European Union at appropriate forums.
We are proactively engaging with the assistance dog community and relevant external partners on the impacts on dog movements from Great Britain to the European Union. We will continue to work closely with assistance dog organisations on these issues and to share the latest advice and guidance (in accessible formats) with their members on pet travel requirements.
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 steps he is taking to help ensure that guide dogs and their owners are able to travel to the EU without having to produce an animal medical certificate.
Answered by Scott Mann - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The United Kingdom has been formally 'listed' as a 'Part 2' third country for the purposes of the European Union pet travel scheme, which means that new rules apply to pet movements from Great Britain to the European Union and to Northern Ireland. The pet health and documentary requirements for such pet travel are set out under the European Union Pet Travel Regulations. These rules also apply to assistance dogs.
Defra recognise the undue impact that these changes are having on many people, including pet owners and assistance dog users. We are continuing to seek agreement from the European Commission on awarding Great Britain 'Part 1' listed status and recognition of the United Kingdom's tapeworm-free status, and we see no valid animal health reason for these not to be granted.
Achieving these would alleviate a number of pet travel rules for all travellers, including the need for an Animal Health Certificate (AHC). We have one of the most rigorous pet checking regimes in Europe to protect our biosecurity and we continue to discuss pet travel issues with the European Union at appropriate forums.
We are proactively engaging with the assistance dog community and relevant external partners on the impacts on dog movements from Great Britain to the European Union. We will continue to work closely with assistance dog organisations on these issues and to share the latest advice and guidance (in accessible formats) with their members on pet travel requirements.
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 assessment he has made of the potential merits of facilitating a fast-track route for exports of perishable goods from the UK to the EU; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Government works with relevant authorities to mitigate delays for passengers and freight travelling from the UK to the EU. In traffic management plans any prioritisation or fast-track route is extremely difficult and open to legal challenge. Therefore the most effective approach is to keep all traffic moving safely. Previous prioritisation schemes designed to pre-empt readiness issues associated with EU-exit did not need to be deployed and the legal gateway for them has closed.