Grahame Morris MP asked George Eustice about the protection of British food standards under dual tariff proposals, in this morning’s questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The Easington MP submitted a substantive question to the Minister asking: “What steps he is taking to protect British food standards under dual tariff proposals?”

The Minister responded: “Like all members on this side of the House, I am proud to have stood on a manifesto commitment that, in all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare, and food standards, and the Secretary of State for the Department of International Trade and I are working together to deliver this commitment.”

Mr. Morris went on to ask the Minister: “If he’s still willing to stand by his party’s manifesto commitments to put into law that prevent food being imported into the United Kingdom which is produced in ways that would be illegal under current legislation, in particular chlorinated chicken.”

Mr. Eustice replied: “Retained European law brings across a prohibition on treatments such as chlorine washes on chicken, and indeed hormone treatment on beef. The Government has made clear that those have been brought across and remain in place. We also stand by our manifesto commitment, which was to protect our food standards and animal welfare standards in trade agreements, but we did not ever say that we would legislate the Agriculture Bill to do that.”