Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop cheese in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

The Government supports the use of geographical indications (GIs) and will prioritise continued protection of the best of our UK food and drink. The EU rules that currently govern the enforcement of geographical indications will be placed on a UK legal basis through the EU Withdrawal Bill.

We will of course engage on how we continue to protect the best of our UK food and drink as we leave the EU and consider future trade opportunities across the world. Future protection of UK protected products in the EU, and EU protected products in the UK, is subject to negotiations with the EU on our future economic partnership.

Ministers meet regularly in a variety of fora for discussions on such issues.