Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has held discussions with her Australian counterpart on the implications for the agreement in principle with Australia, announced on 17 June 2021, of the proposals set out in the Government’s Call for Evidence on Labelling for Animal Welfare, published on 13 September 2021.

HM Government has negotiated an unprecedented animal welfare chapter in the Anglo-Australian Trade Deal that includes a non-regression clause and cooperation commitments. Nothing in the agreement will prevent the United Kingdom from amending or introducing any new labelling requirements for products to be sold here.

This deal will not compromise our animal welfare standards and does not create new permissions for imports from Australia. All agri-food imports imported into the United Kingdom under existing or future free trade agreements will, as now, must comply with our import requirements.