Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the regulation of wet markets.

Wet markets exist all around the world. All wet markets should follow best practice on hygiene and safety to avoid health issues, whether in China or elsewhere and that should include safe sourcing of animal and other products. On 24 February 2020 China's National People's Congress passed a law banning the trade and consumption of wildlife for food. We welcome this decision and urge China to ensure it is enforced effectively. We have been in regular contact with the Chinese authorities since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, including a phone conversation between the Foreign Secretary and Foreign Minister Wang-Yi on 20 March. The UK remains at the forefront of international efforts to regulate global trade in wild animals and is spending £36m (2014-2021) on countering the Illegal Wildlife Trade.