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 for food shortages in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

A responsible government should prepare for all potential outcomes, including the unlikely scenario in which no mutually satisfactory agreement can be reached and that is what we are doing.

Defra is working closely with all relevant Government departments on food sector issues relating to leaving the EU, including BEIS, DfT, HMRC, Department for Exiting the EU, Department for International Trade, the FSA and others. Defra is also working closely with industry to support preparations for leaving the EU.

Food is one of the UK’s 13 critical infrastructure sectors and Defra produces an annual sector security and resilience plan as lead Government Department. These plans identify potential risks and set out a programme of measures to improve resilience where necessary.