Oral Answers to Questions

Robbie Moore Excerpts

Thursday 22nd October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Robbie Moore (Keighley and Ilkley) (Con)]

The EU summit is to take place in just 28 days’ time, but the Farming Minister cannot answer key questions, not just from us but from our farming community. We still have no confirmation that the precision breeding Act—widely recognised as a huge success—will be 100% protected. We have no reassurance that our current freedom to innovate in gene editing and bovine TB vaccine development will be a red line, and we have no acknowledgment that the alignment with the EU on plant protection products could slash £810 million from farming incomes in the first year alone. What guarantees can the Farming Minister give our farmers right now that this Labour Government will not sell them out to the EU, just like they sold out our British fishermen last May when they previously negotiated with Brussels?

[Stephen Morgan]

The shadow Minister has some brass neck, given all the deals that his Government did and tried to get over the line, selling out our British farmers. DEFRA continues to work closely with industry. When negotiations conclude, we will be able to provide more definitive answers on the exact nature of any alignment. I cannot comment on the specifics of the agreement, but we have been clear that we will only pursue an SPS agreement that has British interests at its heart.