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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has put in place plans to scrutinise the husbandry practices of EU nations after the end of the transition period.

The UK is proud of its world-leading food, health and animal welfare standards. After the transition period, we will maintain our own sanitary and phytosanitary system so that we can set our own rules and standards. We have been clear that we will not lower our standards nor put the UK's biosecurity at risk as we negotiate new trade deals.

The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 retains our standards on animal welfare, animal and plant health and food safety at the end of the transition period. This maintains the same high level of protection for both domestic and imported products.

From 1 January 2021, the UK will assess and inspect trading partners who apply to import live animals and their products, to ensure that our import conditions for food and feed safety and standards, animal health and animal welfare are properly met. Assessments will be coordinated by Defra and will be based on the risk associated with a specific import. This will ensure the UK maintains a high level of protection of human and animal health for its citizens and businesses.