Oral Answers to Questions

Kirsten Oswald Excerpts

Wednesday 16th June 2021 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is an OBE, and I thank Kevin Sinfield very much for his outstanding work. We are following it up by spending £55 million on research into MND, but there will be more to come as part of our general massive investment in life sciences.

[Kirsten Oswald (East Renfrewshire) (SNP)]

Simply put, the trade deal that the Prime Minister has struck means undercutting our farmers and short-changing consumers, and it will set animal welfare standards back by decades. The RSPCA has said that the Prime Minister’s deal “will start a race to the bottom and the losers will be billions of farmed animals and UK farmers.”Does the Prime Minister accept these concerns from the experts at the RSPCA, or does he think that he knows better?

[The Prime Minister]

I really think that these constant attacks on Australia, its standards and its animal welfare standards will be very much resented by the people of Australia, and will not be recognised. Australia is marked five out of five, which is the highest possible, for animal welfare by the World Organisation for Animal Health performance of veterinary services evaluation team. This deal that we have done is the first ever to incorporate high animal welfare standards, as part of the package that Australia has agreed.