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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of new laws, introduced on 1 September 2022, to restrict the non-commercial importation of pork into the UK.

The latest risk assessment conducted by the Animal and Plant Health Agency of the risk of entry of the African swine fever (ASF) virus in live animals and products of animal origin from affected countries remains at medium. The risk through human-mediated routes such as introduction from non-commercial imports from ASF-affected areas (including illegal imports) or fomites is high. The strict new controls introduced on 1 September 2022 restrict the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain from the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association states. It is no longer legal to personally bring in pork or pork products weighing over 2 kilograms unless they are produced to the EU’s commercial standards. Officials working at ports and airports continue to inspect vehicles and when illegally imported pork and pork products are identified these are seized and destroyed.