Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of a trade agreement with Australia on agriculture in Less Favoured Areas.

The UK produces high quality, premium produce that is globally sought after and this Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will create new export opportunities for British farmers and businesses.

The Scoping Assessment, carried out before negotiations began, found that Wales and Scotland and all English regions benefit in all modelled scenarios from a UK-Australia FTA. A full impact assessment will be published prior to implementation of the agreement.

Defra and the Department for International Trade are working in lockstep with partners like the National Farmers Union (NFU), the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and the Food and Drink Federation to deliver tailored support on the ground for these farmers and food producers through schemes such as our Open Doors programme, helping them to capitalise on the enormous global demand for British food and drink and benefit from new trade deals.