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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed closure of Smithfield Market on (a) Scottish farmers and (b) UK meat producers.

Defra is aware of the proposed changes to Smithfield Market and is engaging with the City of London Corporation.

The City of London Corporation’s Court of Common Council on 26 November 2024 ratified a decision to end its interest in co-locating the wholesale food markets of Smithfield and Billingsgate to a new site at Dagenham Dock.

A private bill was deposited in Parliament on 27 November 2024, which would end the City of London Corporation’s responsibilities to operate a market at these sites.

While the Market will cease to trade at the Smithfield site, it is not closing. The City of London Corporation is working with tenants to help them re-locate, together, to purpose-built facilities within the M25 and ensure continuity of trade.

Defra has not undertaken an assessment of the impact of the closure on Scottish farmers and UK meat producers but notes the valuable research on this matter undertaken by the City of London Corporation. This independent food security study found that the relocation is unlikely to pose significant risks to food supply. The Department recognises the importance of Smithfield as a distribution hub for meat products across the UK and will continue to monitor the transition closely.