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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a variable pace transitional arrangement with different commencement dates for dynamic alignment for the UK's agricultural sector depending on the degree of divergence and time needed to prepare.

The Government is currently negotiating a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement to make agrifood trade with its biggest market cheaper and easier, cutting costs and regulatory barriers for British producers and retailers. These negotiations are ongoing, and transition arrangements remain part of the government’s thinking. The Government continues to work closely with stakeholders to get input on our negotiating priorities.