Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that food imported from Australia under the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement will meet domestic environmental standards.

All food imported from Australia will continue to have to meet our current and future food safety standards and import requirements.

Moreover, under the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) we have agreed ambitious provisions on the environment which go further than Australia has gone before. This includes commitments to not derogate from environmental laws and to deepen cooperation in areas such as forests, fisheries, and biodiversity.

The independent Trade and Agriculture Commission recently concluded that the UK-Australia FTA does not affect the UK’s statutory protections in relation to animal or plant life or health, animal welfare, and the environment.