Seema Malhotra today asked the Government about their plans to protect British food production standards in future trade deals.

The Tories’ manifesto promised not to compromise on Britain’s high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards in trade deal. But the Government is refusing to put this promise into law and voted down Labour amendments to both the Agriculture Bill and the Trade Bill to protect our standards.

The US and other countries have made it clear that they will expect the Government to accept lower standard foods currently banned in the UK such as chlorinated chicken and homone-treated beef. Research by Which? shows that 72% of the British public do not want these products to be allowed on sale in the UK, and over 1 million people have signed a petition by the National Farmers’ Union calling for British food standards to be put into law and not undermined in trade deals.

In Parliament, Seema Malhotra said: “Many of my constituents including Ms Nimmi Soni have written to me with their concerns about the Government’s commitment to protecting food standards.

“Their manifesto promised not to compromise on food standards in trade deals – but twice, Mr Speaker, they have refused to put this into law.

“If over 70% of people don’t want us selling food imported from countries with lower food standards, and over 1million have signed a petition by the NFU for British Food Standards to be put into law, why are they refusing to do what the public wants, and what the public expects?

“The country has a right to know.”