Free Trade Agreements US and Japan 2020-06-18
2020-06-18
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Questions & Answers
Q1
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MP Patricia Gibson inquired about recent progress on free trade negotiations between the UK and both countries.
What recent progress has been made on negotiating free trade agreements with the United States of America and Japan?
We have launched negotiations with both the US and Japan. We want to secure ambitious trade deals that benefit every part of the United Kingdom. Scotland is expected to be a particularly strong beneficiary from those deals.
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Q2
Direct Answer
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MP Patricia Gibson expressed concerns about the potential lifting of the ban on chlorine washes over food as part of future trade agreements.
Despite what the Secretary of State said in response to previous questions, there are persistent concerns about the lifting of the ban on pathogen reduction treatments, which would permit chlorine washes over food as part of future trade deals. That would be bad for us and bad for animal welfare. To address those concerns once and for all, will the Secretary of State commit to enshrining minimum food standards into law? If she will not, will she devolve the necessary powers to Scotland to allow us to do it for ourselves?
I would point out that Scotland has its own food standards agency, which is responsible for upholding food standards in Scotland. I would also point out that the standards already are in the law and will continue to be in the law.
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