Oral Answers to Questions

Tulip Siddiq Excerpts

Tuesday 5th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

[Tulip Siddiq (Hampstead and Kilburn) (Lab)]

Last week, the Government admitted that their planned introduction of food import checks from the EU would lead to an increase in inflation, hitting the pockets of ordinary people during the worst cost of living crisis in our lifetimes. In the Labour party, we believe that a bespoke veterinary agreement would cut red tape from business and avoid pushing costs on to ordinary people. Are the Government planning to negotiate a veterinary agreement, and if not, why not?

[Jeremy Hunt]

I gently say to the hon. Lady, who I have a lot of time for, that the last thing business wants is the upheaval of a huge renegotiation of our trading arrangement with the EU, which is the largest tariff-free free trade deal by volume in the world.