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 effect of divergence from EU food and drink regulations on continued frictionless trade with the 27 countries of the EU.

The Government is undertaking a wide range of analysis looking at the implications of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. Our programme of analysis is constantly developing and evolving, and includes all areas of the UK economy and input from a wide range of sectors.

It will always be for the Parliament of the day to decide which rules are adopted in the UK. The Parliament of the day may potentially decide to diverge from EU law. Where this occurs it will be in the knowledge that there may be consequences for market access in both directions.