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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on the threat of invasive non-native species; and what steps his Department is taking to mitigate those effects.

The Invasive Non-Native Species (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (2019 No 233), which will come into force on exit day, will make the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation operable. It will ensure that the strict protections that are in place for these species are maintained when we leave the EU. The Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order (2019 No 527) ensures that this retained EU Regulation is effectively enforced.

As required by the EU Regulation, we have carried out a comprehensive analysis of the pathways of introduction and spread of invasive alien species and prioritised ten potential pathways.

We will also be carrying out a comprehensive horizon scanning exercise later this year to identify invasive species that pose a risk of invading the UK and causing significant harm. This will take into account possible changes to trade resulting from the UK leaving the EU.