Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about the vote held in Parliament on New Clause 2 of the Agriculture Bill. Whilst I don’t necessarily expect you to agree with me, I am happy to explain why I voted in the way I did.
I fully recognise the importance the public attach to Scotland and the UK’s high standards of food production, and the unique selling point it provides for our farmers, whose high-quality produce is in demand around the world. As someone with a personal interest in farming, I treat this issue with the utmost importance.
I know that in trade negotiations the Government will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety standards. I have been reassured on this by various Ministers and it was a key plank of our manifesto.
Without exception, all animal products imported into the UK under existing or future free trade agreements from all trading partners, including the EU and others, will have to meet our stringent food safety standards, as they do now.
These standards, including the ban on chlorine washed chicken and hormone injected beef, have been built up over many years and have the trust of the public and the world. I know the Government will not adjust those standards to secure a trade deal. The standards will be based on science and decided by the UK alone.
I want to see a vibrant and resilient farming sector in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and across the UK, and our newfound status as an independent trading nation could benefit our farming industry.
Indeed, new free trade agreements could lead to gains for UK agriculture.
For example, analysis by the Department for International Trade shows that an agreement with the US will deliver economic gains for the agri-food sector. Opening the vast US market could help boost UK farmers’ incomes and reduce their input costs, making them more competitive, more productive, and more profitable.
When it came to NC2 I considered the points made during the debate, the response from Ministers and was reassured with what I had heard. The government have also committed not to undermine our high domestic environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety standards by ensuring in any agreement British farmers are always able to compete.
It is also important to note that no current trade agreements include forcing partners to operate by another country’s domestic regulations and standards. If we insisted on this, we would not be able to roll over the CETA deal with Canada and other parties like South Africa and Japan. It would also call into question our refusal to accept a level playing field with the EU if we are demanding it elsewhere. Trying to force all trading partners to produce to the exact same standards as the UK will only result in less export opportunities for the farming sector and cut it off from world markets.
Instead the Government has undertaken to examine options around labelling and better consumer information, including voluntary animal welfare assurance schemes and Government backed labelling. They will also work across the globe to enhance welfare standards through bilateral promotion with trade partners and advocacy of animal welfare and environmental issues in the WTO and World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
You can be assured I will not allow any reduction in our standards and will always stand up for the best interests of our farmers and rural communities.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Kind regards, Alister
