Japan Free Trade Agreement

Sarah Dines Excerpts
Monday 14th September 2020

(3 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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We have been very closely involving the Scottish Government in all our work. In fact, my right hon. Friend the Trade Minister spoke to his Scottish counterpart early today.

Sarah Dines Portrait Miss Sarah Dines (Derbyshire Dales) (Con)
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As my right hon. Friend knows, it is in fact in the Derbyshire Dales that the best Stilton in the UK is made, with Hartington Blue, Dovedale Blue and other great cheeses such as Peakland White. Can my right hon. Friend further elucidate how this agreement will benefit my Stilton producers and other great cheese producers across the UK?

Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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My hon. Friend certainly has a wide array of excellent Stiltons in her constituency. What we have done through this agreement is protect our access to low tariffs for Stilton, and gained a commitment from the Japanese to even wider access when we accede to CPTPP. Overall, for all types of cheese, we are seeing tariffs coming down, which will mean more of our great British product going into the Japanese market.