Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to prohibit the import of Bovine Somatotropin-treated dairy products in trade deals.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Our approach to trade deals ensures all agri-food products must comply with our sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements to be placed on the UK market. There is no import ban in the UK on dairy products from cows treated with bovine somatotropin, however consignments must be accompanied by animal and public health certification and come from approved countries and establishments. We will not change this in any trade deal.

The UK prohibits the use of artificial growth hormones, beta-agonists such as ractopamine and anything other than potable water to decontaminate poultry carcasses in both domestic production and imported meat products.

We will continue to maintain our existing high standards for animal health and food hygiene, ensuring that imported products comply with our import requirements.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to prohibit the import of chlorine-washed poultry in trade deals.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Our approach to trade deals ensures all agri-food products must comply with our sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements to be placed on the UK market. There is no import ban in the UK on dairy products from cows treated with bovine somatotropin, however consignments must be accompanied by animal and public health certification and come from approved countries and establishments. We will not change this in any trade deal.

The UK prohibits the use of artificial growth hormones, beta-agonists such as ractopamine and anything other than potable water to decontaminate poultry carcasses in both domestic production and imported meat products.

We will continue to maintain our existing high standards for animal health and food hygiene, ensuring that imported products comply with our import requirements.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to prohibit the import of ractopamine-treated pork in trade deals.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Our approach to trade deals ensures all agri-food products must comply with our sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements to be placed on the UK market. There is no import ban in the UK on dairy products from cows treated with bovine somatotropin, however consignments must be accompanied by animal and public health certification and come from approved countries and establishments. We will not change this in any trade deal.

The UK prohibits the use of artificial growth hormones, beta-agonists such as ractopamine and anything other than potable water to decontaminate poultry carcasses in both domestic production and imported meat products.

We will continue to maintain our existing high standards for animal health and food hygiene, ensuring that imported products comply with our import requirements.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make it his policy to prohibit the import of hormone-treated beef in trade deals.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Our approach to trade deals ensures all agri-food products must comply with our sanitary and phytosanitary standards and wider import requirements to be placed on the UK market. There is no import ban in the UK on dairy products from cows treated with bovine somatotropin, however consignments must be accompanied by animal and public health certification and come from approved countries and establishments. We will not change this in any trade deal.

The UK prohibits the use of artificial growth hormones, beta-agonists such as ractopamine and anything other than potable water to decontaminate poultry carcasses in both domestic production and imported meat products.

We will continue to maintain our existing high standards for animal health and food hygiene, ensuring that imported products comply with our import requirements.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to his Oral Statement of 8 May 2025 on Trade Negotiations, Official Report, columns 897-899, whether food imports under the UK-US Free Trade Agreement of (a) ractopamine-treated pork (b) Bovine Somatotropin-treated dairy and (c) products where antibiotics have been used as growth promoters will be prohibited.

Answered by Douglas Alexander - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

On 8 May, the UK government announced a landmark economic deal with the United States, making the UK the first country to get an agreement with President Trump.

We have agreed new reciprocal market access on beef - with UK farmers given a guaranteed quota for 13,000 metric tonnes of beef exports at a very low tariff rate. Imports of hormone treated beef will remain illegal. Our approach to this trade deal has ensured that any agricultural imports coming into the UK will meet the highest food standards.

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 include a ban on the importation of product where antibiotics have been used as growth promoters in all future international trade deals.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

We have been clear that we will only ever sign trade agreements which align with the UK’s national interests, and we will always uphold our high food standards.

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 impact of the UK-EU trade deal on the sustainability of the fisheries sector.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The deal announced on 19 May secures the continuation of current access arrangements and sees no changes in the level of EU vessel access to UK waters and no changes to the quota shares set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The UK also retains control over its waters to pursue its own sustainable fishing policies. There are areas where we’re going further and faster than the EU to protect marine life and support sustainable fisheries. That’s not changing.

We are committed to the long-term sustainability and prosperity of the UK fleet and will continue to work closely with the fishing industry and coastal communities. In line with our domestic and international obligations, including those of the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement, we strive to improve the sustainability of our fisheries, and publish annual independent assessments of our progress.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK-EU trade deal will allow the roll-out of gene editing in (a) plants, (b) crops, (c) animals and (d) birds.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The EU have accepted there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. The details of these are subject to negotiation, but we have been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards, support public health, and support the use of new and innovative technologies.

We remain committed to moving forward with the Precision Breeding Act.

The EU are also looking to legislate in this area. We look forward to discussing further how we will work together on this issue.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the UK-EU trade deal will require the repeal of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The EU have accepted there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. The details of these are subject to negotiation, but we have been clear about the importance of being able to set high animal welfare standards, support public health, and support the use of new and innovative technologies.

We remain committed to moving forward with the Precision Breeding Act.

The EU are also looking to legislate in this area. We look forward to discussing further how we will work together on this issue.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether increasing fishing quotas for UK fisheries was discussed during negotiations on the UK-EU trade deal.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

In preparation for negotiations around the UK-EU Summit, Defra engaged with the UK fishing sector to understand their priorities. Throughout these negotiations, we made every effort to achieve the best outcome for the UK fishing industry. We have secured a deal that gives UK fisheries long-term certainty and protects the significant quota uplifts received by the UK under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department had discussions with the UK fisheries sector on negotiations with the EU for the UK-EU trade deal.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The deal announced on 19 May secures the continuation of current access arrangements and sees no changes in the level of EU vessel access to UK waters and no changes to the quota shares set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The UK also retains control over its waters to pursue its own sustainable fishing policies. There are areas where we’re going further and faster than the EU to protect marine life and support sustainable fisheries. That’s not changing.

We are committed to the long-term sustainability and prosperity of the UK fleet and will continue to work closely with the fishing industry and coastal communities. In line with our domestic and international obligations, including those of the Fisheries Act 2020 and Joint Fisheries Statement, we strive to improve the sustainability of our fisheries, and publish annual independent assessments of our progress.

Mauritius Treaty

Found: Presented by Dr Danny Chambers supported by Dr Neil Hudson, Vikki Slade, James MacCleary, Max Wilkinson

Found: Presented by Dr Danny Chambers supported by Dr Neil Hudson, Vikki Slade, James MacCleary, Max Wilkinson

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