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 volume of (a) food and (b) agricultural goods normally (i) imported and (ii) exported between the UK and EU that may be deferred in January 2021; and what assessment he has made of the economic effect of that matter.

Any deferral of imports or exports between the UK and the EU would be a decision for individual businesses. The economic impact of any deferrals would be determined not only by the volume but by their duration, and by the nature of the commodities whose movement was being deferred.

Given this complexity, it is not possible accurately to assess either the potential scale of any deferrals or their economic impact. My department engages regularly with stakeholders to support them in meeting any new requirements applicable to trade with the EU.