Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many recorded incidents of disease were connected to imports from the EU of (a) gypsophila, (b) solidago, (c) orchids, (d) dianthus and (e) chrysanthemum between 2020 and 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer
During 2020 – 2023 there were no findings of disease on cut flowers of the stated genera from the EU. Please note that import physical checks on cut flowers from the EU were not required during this time.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) gypsophila, (b) solidago, (c) orchids, (d) dianthus and (e) chrysanthemum consignments were imported from the EU between 2020 and 2023.
Answered by Mark Spencer
During 2020 – 2023 there were 54,432 imports of cut flowers of the stated genera from the EU.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the total number of cut flower imports between 2010 and 2020.
Answered by Mark Spencer
During 2010 – 2020 there were 177,113 imports of cut flowers.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) gypsophila, (b) solidago, (c) orchids, (d) dianthus and (e) chrysanthemum consignments were imported from the EU between 2010 and 2020.
Answered by Mark Spencer
During the period described this data was not collected as the goods detailed were not under restriction from the EU.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what was the process for declaring imports of (a) Orchidaceae, (b) Dendranthema, (c) Dianthus, (d) Gypsophila and (e) Solidago from the EU as medium risk.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Defra have undertaken the risk modelling necessary to categorise commodities, advised by an expert panel comprised of risk analysts, risk managers and policy representatives from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the Food Standards Agency (which advises the UK and Welsh Governments), and Food Standards Scotland, alongside public health and disease control policy experts from the UK Health Security Agency and from the UK, Welsh and Scottish Governments.
The categorisation is based on the inherent risk (high, medium or low) that the commodity poses to animal and plant health, food safety, alongside any specific risk from the country/region of origin. The categorisation approach draws on a range of data including disease outbreak data, known public health risks, transmission data, trade restrictions, non-compliance data and our confidence in the exporting country’s production standards and health controls, among other sources.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
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 declaring (a) Orchidaceae, (b) Dendranthema, (c) Dianthus, (d) Gypsophila and (e) Solidago from the EU as medium risk on the floristry industry.
Answered by Mark Spencer
The new import health control regime aims to achieve the lowest regulatory obligation for businesses, consistent with the need to protect biosecurity and public health and to safeguard the UK’s reputation for high regulatory standards.
We will work closely with trade partners to ensure that the process and rationale for categorisation of commodities is understood and seen to be robust and fair. However, it should be noted that categorisation is based on the UK’s risk assessment, not stakeholder feedback.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many recorded incidents of disease were connected to imports from the EU of (a) gypsophila, (b) solidago, (c) orchids, (d) dianthus and (e) chrysanthemum between 2010 and 2020.
Answered by Mark Spencer
Between 2010 and 2020 fifty-two (52) consignments from the EU were diagnosed with pests, or disease as part of general quarantine inspections. Findings were as follows:
(a) Gypsophila (1), (b) Solidago (1) (c) Orchids including Phalaenopsis, Cymbidium, Dendrobium & Vanda, (13), (d) Dianthus (5) and (e) Chrysanthemum (32)
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of products in UK supermarkets that contain any amount of propiconazole.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
Our pesticides regulations set strict controls on the amounts of pesticide residues that are permitted in food. We have an ongoing monitoring programme to provide assurance that food – including food imported from overseas – complies with the statutory maximum residue levels (MRLs) allowed. The results of this monitoring are published on the GOV.uk website.
In the most recent data (2020 and the first half of 2021), a total of 2,747 samples of food were collected and analysed for the presence of propiconazole. Of these, 38 samples were found to contain residues of this chemical, none of which were above the permitted MRLs set by law. These results indicate that propiconazole is not widely detected in food available to UK shoppers, and when it is detected, has been within the permitted limits.
HSE have proposed to lower the MRL for propiconazole to the default minimum level and details are expected to be announced shortly. This would mean food containing residues of this pesticide would no longer be able to be placed on the market in Great Britain.
Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda and Ogmore)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of supermarket chains on factors affecting the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Answered by Baroness Prentis of Banbury
The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built on access to a range of sources, including robust supply chains domestically, and from other countries, including supplementing our excellent domestic production of fresh vegetables and fruit with imports of produce that cannot be grown here for all or part of the year. In the latest statistical release of Agriculture in the UK (July 2021), vegetables and fruit were the largest value imported commodity group in 2020.
Defra has well established ways of working with the industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement with food retailers in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains, including those for fresh produce.