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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will discuss with her counterparts in the devolved administrations the need for discussions with the European Commission on the development of a relief package for farmers and the UK beef industry; and if she will make a statement.

Defra Ministers have been in regular contact with their colleagues in the devolved administrations. My officials discuss and agree a negotiating position with each of the devolved administrations prior to any EU discussions on the current unpredictability of beef markets.

In July, I hosted a “beef summit”. This was a positive meeting with senior representatives from across the UK’s food and farming industry, including Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh farming industry bodies, to ensure that we have a sustainable and profitable UK beef industry for the future. The outcomes included the decision by producers and processors to work together on a voluntary code of conduct on improving transparency of the charges that some abattoirs make for handling carcases and notice periods for changes to product specifications. The European Commission Short Term Outlook expects beef prices to remain firm although below the 2013 record highs.