Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to provide continuity of public and animal health protection through the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (a) when the UK leaves the EU and (b) in the event of the UK leaving the EU in 2019 without agreement.

Leaving the European Union does not change our top priority which is to ensure that United Kingdom food remains safe and what it says it is.

The UK aims to negotiate full access to the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) network. The UK is an active member of the RASFF network, regularly providing essential updates to member states.

The Government is planning for a range of possible outcomes, including the UK leaving the EU in 2019 without agreement, to ensure the current high standards of food and feed in the UK are maintained; we believe it would be mutually beneficial for the EU and UK to continue this vital data-sharing on food safety.