Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Food and Animal Products: Trade to the EU

Thursday 25 March 2021 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Overall traffic flow at UK ports has now stabilised.
  • The Government have helped exporters to meet new requirements and also worked with EU border control posts to resolve issues quickly.
  • Two businesses in Don Valley are suffering cash-flow issues due to delays in customs controls.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Nicholas Fletcher
Brexit Business & Trade Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The question arises from ongoing issues with the flow of trade for food and animal products to the EU post-Brexit.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the flow of trade of food and animal products to the EU. Overall traffic flow at UK ports has now stabilised, but businesses face specific challenges in importing and exporting pet food products between the UK and the EU, with companies like World Feeds Ltd and FourFriends Pet Food experiencing cash-flow issues.

Answer from Penny Mordaunt

Overall traffic flow at UK ports has now stabilised. The Government have helped exporters to meet new requirements and also worked with EU border control posts to ensure that any issues are quickly resolved. I am very sorry to hear that the two businesses in my hon. Friend's constituency are suffering cash-flow issues as a result of, one assumes, goods coming out of customs controls and being then exported back into the EU. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the devolved Administrations have set up the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group to look at these issues.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific reassurances or commitments to rectify cash-flow issues for World Feeds Ltd and FourFriends Pet Food

How: Setting Up A Monitoring Group, Offering To Meet The Mp

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Q2 Nicholas Fletcher
Brexit Business & Trade
Context

The question is prompted by ongoing issues faced by World Feeds Ltd in Thorne and FourFriends Pet Food in Dunsville, both in Don Valley. These businesses are experiencing disruptions to their cash flow due to difficulties importing and exporting pet food products between the UK and the EU.

Question

World Feeds Ltd in Thorne and FourFriends Pet Food in Dunsville, both in Don Valley, are having issues importing and exporting pet food products between the UK and the EU. It pains me to know that two businesses in my constituency are seeing their cash flow severely disrupted and their reputation damaged in the eyes of their European customers and suppliers. Can my right hon. Friend therefore inform the House what her Department is doing further to rectify such issues? What reassurances can she give these two particular businesses?

Answer from Penny Mordaunt

I am very sorry to hear that the two businesses in my hon. Friend's constituency are suffering cash-flow issues as a result of, one assumes, goods coming out of customs controls and being then exported back into the EU. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the devolved Administrations have set up the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group to look at these issues, but I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the precise issues those companies are facing to see what further we can do in the interim while these things are resolved.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific reassurances or commitments to rectify cash-flow issues for World Feeds Ltd and FourFriends Pet Food

How: Offering To Meet The Mp

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