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 an SPS agreement between the UK and EU on the number of vets required [to conduct veterinary checks on imports from the EU].
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement includes an SPS chapter which allows the UK and the EU to take a risk-based approach to our respective SPS border controls and provides a basis for cooperation on avoiding unnecessary barriers to trade.
Through the provisions of the SPS Chapter the UK is working with the EU to take forward electronic certification, which will enable greater volumes of goods to flow with ease between EU and GB through reducing delays and reducing business administration for official veterinarians.
We are open to discussions with the EU on additional steps to further reduce trade friction, but these cannot be on the basis of future alignment with EU rules. This would compromise UK sovereignty over our own laws.