Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that the Food Standards Agency is able to uphold food safety standards after the UK leaves the EU.

The Department is committed to ensuring that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) maintains the high standards of food safety and consumer protection that we currently enjoy in this country. Leaving the European Union does not change the FSA’s top priority which is to ensure that food in the United Kingdom remains safe and is what it says it is.

One of FSA’s main priorities is to have a robust and effective regulatory regime which will mean business can continue as normal. All FSA’s exit plans are either complete or on schedule to deliver in time for day one of exit. As part of this, the Department has laid 18 EU Exit Statutory Instruments on behalf of the FSA to ensure that our high standards of food hygiene and safety will be maintained in a no deal scenario.