Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the potential trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council and the potential merits of requiring imported chicken meat to meet the United Kingdom's animal welfare standards.

The UK has been in negotiations for a modern and ambitious free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council since June 2022. Throughout these negotiations, we have proactively engaged with a diverse range of stakeholders across sectors and regions, to inform negotiation decisions.

The Government has made a clear manifesto commitment to promote the highest standards when it comes to food production.

GCC states are not significant exporters of poultry. Currently the GCC is unable to export poultry to the UK due to sanitary and phytosanitary requirements. These requirements will not change as part of a free trade agreement.