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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to support farmers in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire to export British beef.

Defra has a global network of 16 agrifood attachés who work to expand market access and create new export opportunities for the UK’s high quality agri-food produce, including beef, delivering benefits to businesses in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and across the UK. Defra works in partnership with industry to support access to new markets.

In March, the Secretary of State led a dedicated agri‑food trade mission to the United States, to promote UK beef exports, following the successful negotiation of an exclusive 13,000 tonne quota as part of the UK-US Economic prosperity deal. This included a beef promotion and showcase event and is the first of a programme of food and drink missions to priority export markets across the world.