Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement on the future use of Border Control Posts.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Work is ongoing to confirm what the future requirements for activities at the border will look like under an SPS Agreement, including what will happen to operations at Border Control Posts (BCPs). The Government recognises that there are questions that will need to be looked at as part of implementation and remains committed to working openly and closely with the Devolved Governments, Port Health Authorities, Local Authorities and port operators to ensure the transition to these new arrangements is as clear and seamless as possible, noting that the precise detail and timing of this process – including legislative arrangements – are naturally subject to the course of the detailed negotiations.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many inspections Border Control Posts have conducted since 2022; and at what cost to the public purse.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Checks at Border Control Posts (BCPs) are intelligence-led and based on biosecurity risk. To protect the integrity of this approach, we cannot share data on volumes of inspections.
Regarding the cost to the public purse, the only UK Government run BCP is at Sevington, where the Common User Charge applies (CUC). The CUC is intended to recover the operating costs of government-run Sevington BCP facility serving the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel. There will be no profit from the charge as it is intended to be a full cost recovery charging scheme only, in line with HMG’s Managing Public Money principles.
For information on calculation and operating costs please review the report at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sevington-border-control-post-estimated-operating-costs.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Darwin Plus on maintaining the British Overseas Territories' environmental heritage.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Darwin Plus remains a funding programme that continues to improve outcomes for the unique biodiversity and environmental heritage of the UK Overseas Territories and we note the strong support for that continuation.
Defra has confirmed funding for the continuation of existing projects throughout 2025/2026 and to support additional projects beginning this year. We have contacted all applicants shortlisted from our most recent funding rounds to discuss commencement of their individual project proposals and details of those successful projects will be published on the Darwin Plus website in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reinstating Darwin Plus.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Darwin Plus remains a funding programme that continues to improve outcomes for the unique biodiversity and environmental heritage of the UK Overseas Territories and we note the strong support for that continuation.
Defra has confirmed funding for the continuation of existing projects throughout 2025/2026 and to support additional projects beginning this year. We have contacted all applicants shortlisted from our most recent funding rounds to discuss commencement of their individual project proposals and details of those successful projects will be published on the Darwin Plus website in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 15757 on Agricultural Products: UK Trade with EU, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential financial impact of the UK leaving the EU on the agri-food sector.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given on 4 December 2024, UIN 15757. Although the Trade and Cooperation Agreement allows zero tariffs and zero quota trade, leaving the EU single market and customs union had an impact on the export of agri-food products, as have other changes in trade policy such as new Free Trade Agreements with other countries, and global shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Agri-food trade with the EU has fallen since 2018 in real terms (after adjusting for trade inflation) by 20% (exports) and 11% (imports). However, there is difficulty separating out the impact of the UK leaving the EU from those other factors. The majority of UK agri-food exports were still to EU countries in 2023, 57% (£14 billion).
We are working to reset our relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties and tackle barriers to UK-EU trade. We will seek to negotiate a veterinary/sanitary and phytosanitary agreement to boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses and consumers in the UK and the EU. We have been clear that our trading relationship can be improved but we are not rejoining the single market or customs union, and we will not return to freedom of movement.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of existing environmental adaptation measures in helping businesses build resilience to climate-related disasters.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Climate Change Act 2008 requires the Secretary of State to produce a National Adaptation Programme in response to the Government’s most recent Climate Change Risk Assessment, on a five-yearly cycle. The third National Adaptation Programme, published in July 2023, includes actions to address climate change risks to businesses through a combination of investment in resilience measures to tackle flooding and coastal erosion risks, evidence gathering (including annual business survey questions), business engagement and nature-based solutions. The Climate Change Committee provides a biennial assessment of progress in adapting to climate change. The next progress report, assessing the actions taken under the third National Adaptation Programme, is due in 2025. Alongside delivering the third National Adaptation Programme, Defra is committed to further strengthening this government's approach to climate resilience and will bring forward plans in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the future of EU fishing rights in the UK's exclusive economic zone.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
We have not held discussions with the EU on future access arrangements but have signalled willingness to listen to their proposals.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK leaving the EU (a) Single Market and (b) Customs Union on the export of agri-food products from the UK to the EU.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
This Government cares deeply about the trading relationship with the European Union; The Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework, and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) underpin relations between the UK and the EU. Although the TCA allows zero tariffs and zero quota trade, leaving the EU Single Market and Customs Union had an impact on the export of agri-food products, as have other changes in trade policy such as new Free Trade Agreements with other countries, and global shocks such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
We are working to reset our relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties and tackle barriers to UK-EU trade. We will seek to negotiate a veterinary/SPS agreement to boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses and consumers in the UK and the EU. We have been clear that our trading relationship can be improved but we are not rejoining the single market or customs union, and we will not return to freedom of movement.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions his Department have had with the EU on cooperation on chemicals regulation.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment. We are currently considering the best approach to chemicals regulation in the UK.
Asked by: Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party - Arbroath and Broughty Ferry)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has for greater data sharing on chemicals regulation with the European Union.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment. We are currently considering the best approach to chemicals regulation in the UK.