Brexit: Food Standards Regulations Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Department of Health and Social Care

Brexit: Food Standards Regulations

Lord Rooker Excerpts
Tuesday 4th September 2018

(6 years, 2 months ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord O'Shaughnessy Portrait Lord O'Shaughnessy
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

There are no suggestions that there should be lower food standards. Obviously, after we leave the European Union, the Food Standards Agency will carry out any risk assessments. There are no proposals to change these rules; we will continue with them. Of course, there would be a proper scientific and evidence-based assessment if there were such suggestions.

Lord Rooker Portrait Lord Rooker (Lab)
- Hansard - -

Will the Minister give an assurance that, after we leave, Ministers will play no role in food safety risk assessment? Will a mechanism be found to transfer what takes place in the European field to some independent body, maybe with the Chinese walls of the existing Food Standards Agency? It should not go back to Ministers because they are there to promote the food industry—a role that is in conflict with securing safety for consumers.