Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral evidence on 16 May to the House of Lords Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland Sub Committee, whether he plans to consult UK retailers based in Great Britain over the introduction of Not for EU labels in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.

There will be proportionate arrangements for the labelling of products, including product-level labelling for a subset of high-risk products, to ensure that internal trade moving in the green lane stays within the United Kingdom. Labelling requirements will apply to a targeted category of goods. These will be introduced in a phased way and we will support businesses in adapting to these new arrangements. These requirements will ensure that the same goods are on the shelves across the whole United Kingdom. This is the right approach to support and safeguard the functioning of the UK internal market. That is why, as noted in the Command Paper, we intend for these labelling requirements to apply UK-wide from October 2024. We will continue to work closely with industry in advance of those changes taking effect.