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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to inspect producers of UK products with UK Geographical Indication scheme status; and if she will make a statement.

Registration of a product name under the UK GI schemes means any product sold or marketed under that name in GB must come from a verified producer. Verification involves inspection of the producer’s processes and product to ensure compliance with the registered specification. For GI products produced in the UK, maintaining their verification is a responsibility of producers and is secured from HMRC in the case of GI spirit drinks, from the Food Standards Agency in the case of wines, and in the case of agri-food products from either a Local Authority (typically their Trading Standards function) or from a commercial Control Body accredited to provide services by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). GIs produced outside of the UK must be verified in their country of production. Defra, as Competent Authority for the operation of the GI schemes, has no role in assigning verification status and there are no plans for direct inspection of producers.