Thursday Volume 677 25 June 2020 No. 76 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 25 June 2020 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2020 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1435 25 JUNE 2020 1436 Abena Oppong-Asare (Erith and Thamesmead) (Lab): House of Commons What steps he is taking to protect British food standards under dual tariff proposals. [903807] Thursday 25 June 2020 The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (George Eustice): Like all Conservative The House met at half-past Nine o’clock Members, I am proud to have stood on a manifesto commitment that, in all our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, PRAYERS animal welfare and food standards. The Secretary of State for International Trade and I are working together [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] to deliver that commitment. Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Order, 4 June). Grahame Morris [V]: I thank the Secretary of State for that response, but will he restate that he is still [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] willing to stand by his party’s manifesto commitment to put that into law to prevent food from being imported into the United Kingdom that is produced in ways that Oral Answers to Questions would be illegal under current legislation? I am thinking particularly about chlorinated chicken. George Eustice: Retained European law brings across ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS a prohibition on treatments such as chlorine washes on chicken and, indeed, hormone treatments on beef. The The Secretary of State was asked— Government have made it clear that those have been Dairy Industry: Covid-19 brought across and remain in place. We also stand by our manifesto commitment, which was to protect our Simon Baynes (Clwyd South) (Con): What steps he is food standards and animal welfare standards in trade taking to support the dairy industry during the covid-19 agreements, but we did not ever say that we would legislate in the Agriculture Bill to do that. outbreak. [903794] The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Abena Oppong-Asare: Can the Secretary of State Rural Affairs (George Eustice): The Government have explain exactly how a dual tariff would prevent British had to take some unprecedented steps to control the consumers from having to accept imported food produced coronavirus, and it is the case that parts of the dairy by causing animals unnecessary suffering, and how he industry were affected by the closure of the hospitality will support British farmers striving to produce a high sector earlier in March. We have introduced specific standard of food? measures to support the industry, including a dairy response fund, which opened for applications on 18 June. George Eustice: The hon. Lady makes reference to Payments will begin from 6 July. We have also relaxed media speculation. I am sure hon. Members will understand elements of competition law, and we are supporting an that I cannot give a running commentary on our discussions industry-led promotional campaign. on a future trade agreement or comment on such media speculation, but I will say that there are many ways, Simon Baynes: Would my right hon. Friend be able to through a trade deal, that a country can agree with work with the Welsh Government to secure greater milk another country how to protect food standards—both processing capacity in order to add value back to Welsh food safety and animal welfare. dairy farmers, particularly in my constituency of Clwyd South, which has been hit hard by the demise of Tomlinson’s Luke Pollard (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Lab/ Dairies and by bovine TB, so that all farmers can get a Co-op): The public do not want our British farmers to fair price for their world-beating Welsh milk? be undercut by food produced to lower standards abroad. Research by Which? published today shows that eight George Eustice: My hon. Friend makes an important out of 10 people are worried that trade deals will risk point. The Government do indeed work with the devolved our high animal welfare standards. With the National Administrations to improve outcomes for our dairy Farmers Union petition now on 1 million names, it is farmers. Indeed, just yesterday, jointly with the devolved clear that Ministers are on the wrong side of the argument Administration, we launched a consultation seeking here, so does the Environment Secretary need any more views from dairy farmers and processors on new regulations help convincing the International Trade Secretary to to secure transparency and fairness in dairy contracts. put the Conservative manifesto promise into law? As he points out, there are also circumstances where grant funding can be made available to support investment in processing capacity, and that can help add value to George Eustice: The International Trade Secretary the milk produced by our farmers. and I are both absolutely committed to delivering our manifesto commitments, but we also have a manifesto Dual Tariff Proposals: British Food Standards commitment to expand the number of free trade agreements that we have, and it is also the case that the UK farming Grahame Morris (Easington) (Lab): What steps he is industry has offensive interests, particularly in dairy taking to protect British food standards under dual and in meat such as pork, lamb and beef, in other tariff proposals. [903795] countries, particularly Asian markets. We want to expand 1437 Oral Answers 25 JUNE 2020 Oral Answers 1438 the number of free trade agreements that we have to Lee Anderson: Unfortunately, the best chances of create opportunities for our industry but also to protect survival for some animals is in captivity. For centuries, our standards, and that is exactly what we will do. we have taken away the natural home of animals and we should all accept responsibility for that. Keeping zoos Luke Pollard: I think we all know that the Department and wildlife parks open is something that I wholeheartedly for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ministerial support, and I am grateful that financial support has team are part of the eight out of 10 who are worried been made available. We owe it to these animals to about animal welfare in trade agreements, but may I ensure that they survive and continue to be a part of press the Secretary of State on a slightly different issue this planet, so can my hon. Friend please assure me that related to food standards—the outbreaks of covid-19 in Government will do all they can to ensure that not one food processing plants across the United Kingdom? animal in our zoos and parks is put to sleep due to This is serious. Any outbreak needs to be contained. financial constraints caused by this pandemic? Food standards matter, and standards for the people who work in those plants also matter. What assessment Rebecca Pow: We are a nation of animal lovers. I has the Environment Secretary made of whether meat know that you, Mr Speaker, are a very big animal lover, processing plants and food factories are especially at as am I and as is my hon. Friend the Member for risk, and what assessment has he made of the low level Ashfield (Lee Anderson). The objective of the zoo of statutory sick pay that forces many people to work in support fund, which, by the way, is open until 19 July, is those plants instead of staying at home because they to address avoidable animal suffering in zoos, including, simply would not earn enough money to pay their bills in the worst cases, preventing unplanned euthanasia. if they did so? My Department continues to engage weekly with zoos to keep on top of what is happening. George Eustice: I pay tribute to all those working in our food sector, including in manufacturing, who have Trade Negotiations: North of England worked very hard to keep food on our plates during Small-scale Farming these difficult times. The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. We have heard now of three outbreaks 8. Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab): linked to meat plants. They have been picked up through What steps he is taking to protect small-scale farming in the testing and tracing approach that has been adopted the north of England in trade negotiations. [903798] and we are reviewing the guidance. We suspect that these outbreaks might have been linked either to canteens The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for or, potentially, to car-sharing arrangements in those Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Victoria Prentis): plants. We will be revising guidance to ensure that We are clear that any future trade agreements must businesses have the approach that they need to prevent work for both our farmers and consumers. This week, further outbreaks in future. DEFRA and the Department for International Trade have jointly announced a package of measures to help Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP): food and drink businesses grow their trade overseas. The EU is clear that tariffs to counteract its green box The package is aimed in particular at small businesses, subsidies will not be acceptable. Will the Secretary of which make up 97% of the food and drink industry. This State undertake to ensure that domestic food producers will benefit businesses across the UK, including those in are not disadvantaged by matching those green box the north of England. We will always stand up for British subsidies for farmers here? farming and we will use our negotiations to make new opportunities for our businesses large and small.