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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that meat imported illegally into the UK is seized at the border.

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Defra is working closely with the Home Office and the Food Standards Agency to tackle meat smuggling, with the support of Border Force, port health authorities and local authorities.

Defra has committed £3.1 million for Dover Port Health Authority to work in partnership with Border Force in seizing meat smuggled via the Port of Dover in 2025/26, additional to over £9m of funding provided to date.

Defra is considering the recommendations in the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report on meat smuggling.