Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of the deployment of Hungarian paramilitary police to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains steadfast in our commitment to the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Any security sector support to BiH should focus on upholding peace, stability and the rule of law across the whole of BiH. We engage with all regional partners, including Hungary, to work constructively to strengthen domestic institutions, to use their influence positively with BiH's leaders, and to uphold the constitutional framework in BiH. We urge all partners to refrain from any actions that could undermine sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to strengthen enforcement of border checks to prevent illegal imports of products of animal origin following recent foot and mouth disease outbreaks in (a) Hungary and (b) surrounding countries.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Port health authorities and local authorities are responsible for checks on products of animal origin (POAO) at Border Control Posts (BCPs). Border Force is responsible for conducting checks to detect illegal imports of POAO outside BCPs.
Following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Hungary, we advised BCP officials of the immediate suspension of imports from Hungary and Slovakia of untreated POAO from FMD susceptible animals. We also advised Border Force of the ban on personal imports of POAO from FMD susceptible species, from these two countries.
Following the subsequent outbreak of FMD in Slovakia, we advised BCP officials of the immediate extension of the above restrictions to Austria. We also advised Border Force of the extension of the personal imports ban to Austria and subsequently to the European Economic Area, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Switzerland.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure appropriate biosecurity checks are carried out on (a) vehicles and (b) goods arriving from France to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
This Government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD), following a further confirmed case in Hungary, close to the Austrian border.
The Government has already banned personal imports of cattle, sheep and other ruminants and pig meat as well as dairy products, from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria earlier this year in response to confirmed outbreaks of FMD in those countries.
We recognise the risk posed by illegal imports via personal imports. Border Force officers are responsible for detention and seizure of any illegal products of animal origin (POAO) and Defra is working closely with authorities at points of entry to help control the illegal movement of POAO into Great Britain in personal imports.
Current policy reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of exotic animal disease and is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of foot and mouth disease outbreaks in Hungary, Slovakia and Germany in 2025.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Defra has closely monitored the 2025 foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in Hungary, Slovakia, and Germany. Following Germany’s confirmed FMD case in January, its FMD-free status was temporarily suspended but reinstated by the World Organisation for Animal Health in April after swift containment.
Hungary and Slovakia reported FMD outbreaks in March 2025, prompting immediate action. Defra assessed the risk of FMD entering Great Britain from these countries as medium, citing potential spread via wild animals and human activity.
As a result, the UK imposed temporary import bans on live animals and certain products from affected regions. Defra also reinforced biosecurity messaging to livestock keepers and increased disease surveillance.
To strengthen long-term resilience, the UK is investing £200 million into its animal health infrastructure, including Weybridge’s national reference laboratory. Defra continues to adapt its policies in response to developments and remains committed to protecting the UK’s biosecurity and livestock sector.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that appropriate biosecurity checks are conducted on (a) vehicles and (b) goods arriving in the UK from France, following the introduction of restrictions on personal imports of meat and dairy products.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
This Government has stepped up measures to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease (FMD), following a further confirmed case in Hungary, close to the Austrian border.
The Government has already banned personal imports of cattle, sheep and other ruminants and pig meat as well as dairy products, from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria earlier this year in response to confirmed outbreaks of FMD in those countries.
We recognise the risk posed by illegal imports via personal imports. Border force officers are responsible for detention and seizure of any illegal Products of Animal Origin (POAO) goods at points of entry and Defra is working closely with authorities at points of entry to help control the illegal movement of POAO into Great Britain in personal imports.
Current policy reflects our experience of responding to past outbreaks of animal disease and is in line with international standards of best practice for disease control.
Asked by: Harriet Cross (Conservative - Gordon and Buchan)
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 proactively screen for foot and mouth disease outbreaks in the UK.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The UK has robust contingency plans in place to manage the risk of Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) as set out in the Foot and Mouth Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain supported by the Contingency plan for exotic notifiable diseases of animals in England.
Defra’s controls to prevent FMD outbreaks in Great Britain include strict prohibitions on the imports of animals and certain untreated products of animal origin from countries in which FMD is present; a comprehensive veterinary surveillance system to detect new and emerging disease threats; and active follow up and veterinary investigation of any suspect reports of notifiable disease.
Whilst early detection of notifiable disease incidents is critical, preventing incursions of FMD is the best line of defence. To protect the UK’s freedom from FMD these measures have been stepped up in response to recent FMD outbreaks in Hungary, Slovakia and Germany. In addition to restrictions on imports from affected areas, we have also extended restrictions on personal imports. Travellers are no longer permitted to bring meat or dairy products from cattle, sheep, goats, or pigs into Great Britain from any EU country for personal use.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ letter of 8 April 2025 to Northern Ireland Executive colleagues, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the (a) additional confirmed cases in Hungary and (b) advent of confirmed cases in Slovakia of Foot and Mouth disease.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
Although I was not an addressee of the letter mentioned and therefore cannot reference it directly, this Government will be decisive and take the necessary action to ensure the UK’s biosecurity measures protect our farms from the risk posed by Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). We’ve stepped up measures to prevent the incursion of FMD following the spread of cases in Hungary and Slovakia, including a case close to Slovakia’s border with Austria. The Government immediately implemented restrictions on broad categories of products ranging from fresh milk, dairy products, meat from susceptible animals to hay and straw from Hungary, Slovakia and Austria to Great Britain to protect the UK’s freedom from FMD, in addition to restrictions already in place for equivalent exports from Germany to Great Britain following a separate outbreak of FMD in Germany in January.
In line with the requirement to recognise regionalisation, these imports are also prohibited into Northern Ireland from the disease control zones in force surrounding each of the infected premises in the EU. We continue to review the situation, working with our disease experts and EU counterparts. Livestock keepers are urged to be extra vigilant and report any suspicion of FMD or other notifiable disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency in Great Britain and to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
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 protect British (a) farmers and (b) produce from the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in (i) Hungary and (ii) Slovakia.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The Government has stepped up measures to protect the UK from Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) following recent outbreaks in Central Europe and Germany. This includes a ban on imports of live animals and certain animal products to Great Britain from Hungary, Slovakia and Austria. We have also imposed an equivalent ban from the region of Germany that experienced an FMD outbreak in January.
From 12 April 2025 we have also extended restrictions on personal imports. Travellers are no longer permitted to bring meat or dairy products from cattle, sheep, goats, or pigs into Great Britain from any EU country for personal use.
Together Government, travellers, animal keepers and the livestock industry must do everything we can to keep FMD out and protect animal health and welfare. We urge livestock keepers to be extra vigilant and report any suspicion of FMD or other notifiable disease immediately.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to introduce a ban on personal meat imports, in the context of recent confirmed cases of Foot and Mouth in Europe.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
On 12 April 2025, the Government banned personal imports of meat and dairy products from foot and mouth disease (FMD) susceptible animals from the European single market area, to protect our farmers from FMD. The Government had already banned personal imports of these commodities from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria in response to confirmed outbreaks of FMD in those countries.
Asked by: Ellie Chowns (Green Party - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the auto-clearance system on the UK’s ability to enforce (a) bans on the import of live (i) cattle, (ii) pigs and (iii) sheep and (b) restrictions on products of animal origin from (A) Germany, (B) Hungary and (C) Slovakia.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner
The auto clearance system does not impact on our ability to prohibit live animals from foot and mouth affected areas, as these commodities are specifically excluded. The auto clearance system has also been updated to exclude goods subject to Foot and Mouth Regulations from impacted countries. This means that we can enforce the bands on impacted commodities.