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 towards a veterinary agreement between the UK and the EU to help reduce trade barriers on both imports and exports between the UK and the EU; and if he will make a statement.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) includes a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) chapter which allows the UK and the EU to take a risk-based approach to our respective SPS border controls and provides a basis for cooperation on avoiding unnecessary barriers to trade.

We are open to discussions with the EU on additional steps to further reduce trade friction, but these cannot be on the basis of future alignment with EU rules. This would compromise UK sovereignty over our own laws. Our focus continues to be on supporting businesses adjust to the new trading arrangements. This includes:

• Increasing vet capacity to certify exports
• Making available millions of pounds through our Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Brexit Fund
• Regularly engaging with industry, including through the Brexit Business Task Force, to understand any challenges they face.