Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will take steps to encourage the US administration to grant Irish whiskey from Northern Ireland the same level of distinctive product protection as currently afforded to Scotch whisky.

I am aware of the concerns raised by the Irish Whiskey Association with regard to protection of Irish whiskey, and their objective that Irish whiskey be offered equivalent protection to Scotch whisky in the US. We sought to address this issue through our previous free trade agreement negotiations, and we will continue to raise it in our ongoing engagement with the US.