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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to further support value add to food manufacturing for dairy products.

British dairy and other agricultural products are renowned around the world for their high standards of animal welfare, traceability and sustainability. Dairy is the UK's largest agricultural sector and, alongside our other agricultural sectors, the Government is determined to see the sector become more productive and competitive.

Through measures in our Agriculture Bill we will offer financial assistance to enable dairy and other farmers to invest in the equipment, technology, and infrastructure that they need to improve their productivity, provide more home-grown healthy high-quality produce, and manage the environment sustainably. Productivity improvements can help drive added value in the dairy supply chain.

We will also make use of the opportunities provided by our new independent trade policy to grow new and existing export markets around the world. The strong reputation of our products provides an excellent platform on which to further increase overseas demand and secure maximum value for British dairy products.

In June we announced a 'bounce back package' of trade support for food and drink exporters. This joint Defra and Department for International Trade package of short-term practical measures will support businesses to get their products back in front of international buyers and grow their exports. More information can be found on the GOV.UK website: www.gov.uk/government/news/bounce-back-plan-for-agriculture-food-and-drink-industry-launched.