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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they have received from the EU that an authorised signatory other than an official vet will be deemed acceptable in signing export health certificates to enable live animals to pass from the UK into the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

We will continue to uphold the very highest international standards of food safety and animal welfare when we leave the EU. Veterinary checks, required by non-EU countries, are critical to these requirements and have been carried out for many years on live animals (farm, equines, pets, exotics and rodents).

European Commission regulations stipulate that third country imports of live animals must be accompanied by an export health certificate signed by an official vet and, for certain commodities, such as fish for human consumption, by an Environmental Health Officer.

No other category of individual is being proposed and therefore discussions have not been necessary.

Only Official Vets can sign EHCs for live animals, as they require a clinical examination, and this will continue when we leave the EU.

No other individual will be designated an authorised signatory for live animal exports.

In our technical guidance issued in September on exports of animals and animal products if we leave the EU without a deal, we said: “EHCs would need to be signed by an Official Veterinarian or authorised signatory following inspection of the consignment.”

The only other authorised signatories in this context are officials certified by The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) for live fish exports such as tropical fish; and Environmental Health Officers employed by local authorities to sign certificates for exports of fish for human consumption.

We are not proposing anyone other than an Official Vet will sign EHCs for live animals, therefore, assurances from the EU are not required.