Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Northern Ireland Protocol: Veterinary Agreement — [Christina Rees in the Chair]

15 December 2021 · 6 other contributors · 13,439 words

Opened by Tony Lloyd Lab Rochdale

Responding minister: Victoria Prentis

Northern IrelandBrexit

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Tony Lloyd raised concerns about northern ireland protocol: veterinary agreement — [christina rees in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Tony Lloyd raises concerns about the impact of SPS controls under the Northern Ireland protocol, including shortages of goods and a 70% decrease in pork sales from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
  • Lloyd requests updates on grace periods for chilled meats and medicines, the impact of export health certificates on trade, and plans to educate producers about new requirements.
  • Lloyd calls for a temporary veterinary agreement aligning UK and EU standards with a clause to terminate it if other agreements are signed.

Key requests to Government

Lloyd asks the Minister whether grace periods for chilled meats and medicines will continue beyond the end of the year if negotiations are constructive. He requests an update on how trade has been affected by export health certificates and seeks clarity on plans to educate producers in Great Britain about new requirements. Lloyd also calls for a veterinary agreement that aligns UK and EU standards temporarily, with a guillotine clause allowing it to be terminated if agreements like the Australian deal are signed.

How the debate unfolded

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

Opened the debate

Tony Lloyd Lab Rochdale

Tony Lloyd is concerned about the ongoing impact of sanitary and phytosanitary controls under the Northern Ireland protocol. He highlights shortages of specific goods, decreased trade volumes, particularly in pork sales from Great Britain to Northern Ireland which were down by 70%, and bureaucratic challenges for businesses and farmers due to vet certification processes and vehicle registration checks. Lloyd points out that there is a significant shortage of veterinarians available to carry out the necessary certifications and checks at ports. He also mentions uncertainty among producers regarding future regulatory changes, affecting industries such as sheep farming and cattle breeding.

Other contributors (6)
  • Carla Lockhart DUP Upper Bann

    Highlighted issues faced by businesses in Northern Ireland due to the protocol, including difficulties with seed potatoes and plant protection products. Emphasised that even tree packs from Great Britain for community projects face unnecessary restrictions under the protocol. She argued that while some issues stem from Brexit, many are directly due to the Northern Ireland Protocol, stating that if NI had left the EU alongside GB, such problems would not exist.

  • Claire Hanna SDLP Belfast South and Mid Down

    Claire Hanna discussed the veterinary arrangements under the Northern Ireland Protocol, emphasizing that the island of Ireland has historically been a single epidemiological unit. She noted concerns about divergence on standards and checks between Britain and Northern Ireland since Brexit, highlighting the value of high-quality goods produced by Northern Irish farmers. Hanna argued against ideological reasons for rejecting a veterinary arrangement, citing no demand from UK businesses or consumers to drop these standards. She called for consistency in adherence to rules to avoid creating cliff edges with abrupt changes. The Minister was asked whether it is compatible with the UK's sovereignty to decide on SPS arrangements based on dynamic alignment for the protection of businesses in Northern Ireland. The speaker highlighted that a sovereign government should act in the interest of all parts of its kingdom.

  • Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge

    Discussed the importance of a veterinary agreement to ease trade issues, highlighting the negative impact on agrifood exports. Cited statistics such as £11.3 billion in annual EU trade and 37% fall in beef exports. Criticised the Government's failure to secure SPS standards, leading to costly checks and hampered trade.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    The hon. Member highlighted the issue of cost and bureaucracy introduced by the new system, citing an example where a packet of seeds costs £2.50 but incurs an additional charge of £10 to £15. Mr. Shannon highlighted the difficulties caused by the Northern Ireland protocol, citing examples of increased costs for goods and restrictions on livestock movement due to veterinary checks. He emphasized the need for a quick resolution from the EU and urged the Government to trigger article 16 of the protocol. The soil at Hillmount Nursery in his constituency was not affected by the changes on 31 December. The rules remained consistent and did not change, implying a desire to follow existing regulations.

  • Mark Menzies Con Fylde

    Mark Menzies supports Tony Lloyd's concerns about the impact of bureaucratic checks on trade and agrees that seed packets face more bureaucracy than used farm equipment. He echoes Lloyd's call for public education to help GB producers navigate new requirements.

  • Richard Thomson SNP Paisley and Renfrewshire North

    Expressed concerns about the negative impact of Brexit on agricultural producers, highlighting issues such as increased paperwork and costs for businesses trying to export goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Emphasized the importance of a veterinary agreement and called for pragmatic solutions to ease trade friction.

Government Response

Victoria Prentis

It is lovely to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Rees. I thank the hon. Member for Rochdale (Tony Lloyd) for securing this debate and echo the words of the hon. Member for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner). The UK Government propose a new model for GB to NI movements where the product stays within the UK, and we seek an SPS agreement that would cover GB to NI agrifood movements and set out where both UK and EU legislation provides for the same high standards. We stand by our manifesto commitment to standards and are still in technical discussions with the Commission to find satisfactory solutions on the Northern Ireland protocol. Dynamic alignment is not acceptable as it compromises sovereignty over laws and impacts trade deals or facilitations with non-EU countries. The Government have announced they will maintain grace periods, extending them while discussions continue. We welcome the EU's recognition that there are serious problems but do not think their proposals provide a solution. Ongoing discussions aim to find a consensual solution protecting the Belfast/Good Friday agreement and everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland. Technical discussions with the European Commission continue, intensifying as businesses face challenges and trade diversion impacts consumers.

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