Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that (a) farmers and (b) food producers in (a) East Riding of Yorkshire and (b) Haltemprice and Howden constituency can benefit from a free trade agreement with Australia.

An ambitious free trade deal with Australia will benefit businesses and producers across the UK – this will include greater access for UK agri-food goods to the Australian market through the removal of tariffs.

A deal with Australia is also a gateway to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a high-standards free trade agreement of 11 Pacific nations, which will mean lower tariffs for British exports to those markets. By 2030, two-thirds of the world’s middle class will be in Asia, which is creating unheralded new export opportunities for British farming. This is where the future opportunity lies for UK farmers.

Any deal the UK signs with Australia will include protections for the agriculture industry and will not undercut UK farmers or compromise the UK’s high standards.