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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the National Audit Office report Ensuring food safety and standards published 12 June 2019, what steps is he taking to bring forward new regulations on imported products in preparation for the UK leaving the EU on 31st October 2019; and if he will make a statement.

The Food Standards Agency has welcomed the NAO report ‘Ensuring food safety and standards’. The FSA is already taking steps to address the proposals and is committed to working closely with other parts of government to ensure that a high level of food safety standards is maintained.

When we leave the European Union, we will maintain our current standards. We will keep our existing UK legislation, and the EU Withdrawal Act will convert EU law into UK law as it applies at the moment of departure.

We are committed to maintaining our rigorous standards on animal welfare and food safety after the UK’s withdrawal from the EU - high standards and high quality are what our domestic and global customers demand, and that is what we will provide.