Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many seizures of illegally imported meat products have been made at UK borders in each of the last three years.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Information on the number of seizures of imported products of animal origin is published by Border Force in the Multi-Annual National Control Plan (MANCP) annual reports.
The latest report, published on GOV.UK here, gives the latest available data on the annual number of seizures of imported products of animal origin as:
2022/23 - 3069
2023/24 - 2896
2024/25 - 2987
These figures may be amended in later MANCP annual reports to correct any errors found.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Border Force, the Animal and Plant Health agency and Port Health Authorities on strengthening control against illegal meat imports.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra officials have been engaging regularly with Border Force, the Food Standards Agency, Port Health Authorities, other Government departments and the Devolved Governments over the past year to strengthen controls against illegal imports of animal products. The Animal and Plant Health Agency is an agency of Defra and has also been involved. These discussions form the routine mechanism through which the Secretary of State is kept informed of operational progress, and they will continue as part of the standard model for developing and enhancing controls.