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 merits of reviewing the plant health inspection regime.

Plant Health inspection uses a risk-based approach to understand global plant health threats and the Department carries out horizon scanning for new and emerging risks to the UK.

The Department undertakes systematic, proactive screening of new and emerging plant health risks, which are listed in the UK Risk Register. The register contains details of over 1400 plant pests and pathogens which have been screened for their potential to be damaging in the UK.

Risks are reviewed monthly by an expert groups and Ministers, and prioritised for actions such as surveillance, enhanced inspection, regulation, national measures, import controls, research and awareness raising.