Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Biosecurity at the Border Britain’s Illegal Meat Crisis 2025-09-11

11 September 2025 · 5 other contributors

Opened by Alistair Carmichael LD Orkney and Shetland

ImmigrationNHSEnvironment

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Alistair Carmichael raised concerns about biosecurity at the border britain’s illegal meat crisis 2025-09-11 in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • The report highlights a crisis in illegal meat imports into Britain.
  • A recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Germany was linked to illegally imported food.
  • Port health workers report an increase in shipments and a decline in hygiene standards at the UK border.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Alistair Carmichael LD Orkney and Shetland

The report highlights a crisis in illegal meat imports which has been brewing for years. The outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2001 led to the slaughter of over 6 million animals, costing £13.8 billion in today's prices. In January this year, a similar outbreak occurred in Germany due to illegally imported food. Despite recent import restrictions, significant volumes of illegal animal products continue to enter Britain. Last year alone, 235 tonnes were seized at the UK border, but this is likely just the tip of the iceberg as port health workers report increasing shipments and deteriorating hygiene standards. The government lacks transparency on the risks faced by farmers and the public, with no ownership of the issue across agencies.

Other contributors (5)
  • Adam Jogee Lab Newcastle-under-Lyme

    Jogee acknowledges the importance of addressing the mental health impact on farmers from past crises. He expresses pride in Newcastle-under-Lyme's farming community and highlights the challenges they face, including maintaining livestock numbers amidst potential future outbreaks.

  • Richard Foord LD Honiton and Sidmouth

    Foord commends the report for its findings on illegal meat imports. He asks about the potential impact of a deal on sanitary and phytosanitary products, suggesting that it could affect both legal commercial imports and illegal trade.

  • Jayne Kirkham Lab/Co-op Truro and Falmouth

    Kirkham discusses the inadequate facilities at Dover for handling seized meat. She suggests repurposing nearby underused buildings like Sevington and Bastion Point to improve capacity and checks.

  • Josh Newbury Lab Cannock Chase

    The hon. Gentleman expressed serious concern over the possibility of illegal meat imports being sold commercially, posing a significant risk to British farming due to potential disease outbreaks such as African swine fever and foot and mouth disease. He emphasised that scaling back checks would be unwise.

  • Ben Goldsborough Lab South Norfolk

    The hon. Gentleman congratulated the Committee on its work, highlighting the economic importance of the pork industry to South Norfolk and the broader UK economy. He stressed the need for robust biosecurity measures at all ports, including small ones, given the potential costs of disease outbreaks.

Get updates like this by email
▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy