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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure animal welfare policy is incorporated in trade policy.

The Government’s manifesto commitment was clear that in all of our trade deals, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards.

Our Action Plan for Animal Welfare sets out our approach to animal welfare in trade policy and may be found here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/985332/Action_Plan_for_Animal_Welfare.pdf .

Our approach includes pressing for WTO rules which treat animal welfare criteria as a key consideration in trade discussions and seeking cooperation commitments in our new trade agreements to encourage shifts worldwide towards higher welfare forms of livestock production.