Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to promote high food and environmental standards with the UK’s future trading partners.

The Government is proud of our high standards of food safety and environmental protections and these will not be watered down when we leave the EU.

When we leave the EU, we will maintain our current standards. We will keep our existing UK legislation, and the EU Withdrawal Act will convert EU law into UK law as it applies at the moment of exit. This includes the regulatory regime for food safety, animal welfare, and regulatory product requirements for industrial goods.

Nothing in EU trade agreements, for example the recent EU-Canada agreement (CETA), prevents the UK from regulating in the pursuit of legitimate public policy objectives.

Future trade agreements will support sustainability and environmental goals and maintain safety and public confidence in the food we eat. We are exploring all options in the design of future bilateral trade and investment agreements, including possible environmental provisions within these taking into account results of the DIT consultation exercise.