To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail any discussions he has had with his UK counterparts in regard to ensuring the UK’s animal welfare standards are not undermined when agreeing new free trade agreements.

The UK Government came to an agreement in principle with Australia on a Free Trade Agreement on 15 June 2021. While there will be aspects of the agreement that will benefit Northern Ireland exporters, I am concerned that they do not provide adequate protection for UK agricultural producers. I am particularly concerned about the size of the tariff rate quotas which have been agreed for beef and sheep products as these quotas are too large to offer protection to domestic producers and after 15 years there will be no quotas at all. On the issue of standards the UK Government maintains that all imports with have to meet UK SPS requirements and beef produced using hormones as growth promoters will not be permitted to enter into the UK. That aspect of the agreement is welcome and will be scrutinised by the Trade and Agriculture Commission prior to Parliamentary approval.

The UK Government has indicated that the deal includes a non-regression clause on animal welfare standards, albeit Australian standards are already different and so from a standing start, domestic producers would likely still be at a disadvantage. I have written to Defra Secretary of State George Eustice to express my strong opposition to the prospect of a zero tariff, zero quota Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the UK and Australia and to highlight concerns around animal welfare. I have also met with, and subsequently wrote to the Minister of State for Trade Policy, Greg Hands MP to outline my concerns on the removal of tariff protection. In addition, following the announcement of the agreement in principle a joint-ministerial letter from myself and the respective ministers from Scotland and Wales has been sent to the Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss outlining concerns about the deal and animal welfare provisions. I will continue to pursue these matters with the Government.