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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) ensure that farmers remain competitive in the UK market and (b) prevent the importation of cheap food products that do not meet UK food standards after the end of the transition period.

The Government is in regular dialogue with the food and farming industry in all parts of the UK as we forge ahead in our negotiations with the EU and other trading partners. We want a productive, profitable, resilient farming sector that is empowered to produce more of the high-quality food that is prized around the world and appreciated so much at home.

The UK is justly proud of its world-leading standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection. These are the high standards British consumers expect from the food they eat and the high standards our hardworking farmers will continue to deliver. The Government’s manifesto made clear that we will not compromise on these high standards.

Our priority is a productive, competitive farming sector – one that will support farmers to provide more home grown food produced to higher environmental and animal welfare standards. The Government has committed to a serious and rapid examination of what could be done through labelling in the UK market to promote these high standards and high welfare goods.

Defra is working closely with the devolved administrations to agree the common frameworks that we will need for those returning EU powers that intersect with Devolved competence. The set of principles agreed at the Joint Ministerial Committee for EU negotiations (JMC (EN)) in October 2017 guide Defra in the development of these frameworks. This includes enabling the function of the UK internal market.

At the end of the transition period, the Withdrawal Act will convert all EU standards into domestic law. This includes a ban on using artificial growth hormones in both domestic and imported products. Nothing apart from potable water may be used to clean chicken carcasses. Any changes to these standards would have to come before Parliament.

The Government has also committed to a rapid review and a consultation on the role of labelling to promote high standards of animal welfare.