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 has taken to ensure that a future UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary veterinary agreement supports the role of (a) zoos and (b) aquariums in international conservation breeding programmes.

While we continue to work with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) to address immediate challenges regarding EU trade– such as the availability of Export Health Certificates and Border Control Post capacity – our primary focus is on securing a long-term, sustainable solution through the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Agreement with the EU.

The SPS Agreement will establish a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Zone aimed at reducing trade barriers and facilitating the safe and efficient movement of terrestrial and aquatic zoo animals. Our ambition is to reach an agreement that reduce administrative burden by streamlining SPS checks and certification, while upholding the UK’s commitment to ensure its biosecurity is protected within this future framework.