Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for International Trade

Oral Answers to Questions

Tonia Antoniazzi Excerpts
Thursday 3rd March 2022

(2 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Tonia Antoniazzi Portrait Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower) (Lab)
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Farmers in Wales and in Gower are rightly angry because the Government’s own assessment shows that it is the beef and sheep markets that are going to suffer in the light of the Australia and New Zealand deals. Farmers in Wales cannot and never will be able to compete on price. How do Ministers and the Secretary of State square that circle and protect the livelihoods of farmers in Wales?

Penny Mordaunt Portrait The Minister for Trade Policy (Penny Mordaunt)
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In all these deals we need to stay focused on what are the actual benefits and what are the actual risks for farmers and producers. To give one example, currently New Zealand does not use even half of its quota, so the notion that this market is suddenly going to be flooded with sheep meat from New Zealand is not correct. We need to look at the facts on this. There will be opportunities for our producers and that is what we need to stay focused on.