To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to maintain regulatory flexibilities and innovation in fields such as novel foods and precision fermentation in the proposed EU-UK sanitary and phytosanitary agreement to harmonise food-related standards.

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper, and declare an interest as chair of a biotech company.

My Lords, as part of the SPS agreement, the EU has accepted that there will need to be a number of areas where we need to retain our own rules. The details of those are subject to negotiation, but we have been clear about the importance of being able to support the use of new and innovative technologies such as novel foods.

I thank the noble Baroness for her Answer, and I am very encouraged by her response, because in this area I have seen first-hand how we have used our innovation and flexibility to create inward investment and a world-leading industry. Can I take from the noble Baroness’s Answer that we are adopting a similar approach to what Switzerland did, which achieved integration while getting carve-outs in key areas—the so-called Swiss cheese approach—and we plan to do that here as well?

Of course, while the negotiations are ongoing—there are regular meetings, and it is reaching an intensive phase—I am afraid I cannot give any detail at all. However, as I said before, as a sovereign country we need to choose to align where it is in our national interest, but at the same time we need to ensure that where we have areas where we believe we need to be able to do our own thing, if you like, we are in a position to do so. But, as I say, those negotiations are still ongoing.

My Lords, how will the Minister ensure that farmers, consumer groups and innovators are not only consulted but that their concerns get to directly shape the final SPS agreement? Although I understand that the negotiations are ongoing, is she able to give any kind of guarantee here today that there will be explicit safeguards for novel foods and precision fermentation so that regulatory alignment does not stifle British innovation?

Clearly, while negotiations are ongoing, I am unable to give guarantees, but I will say that we are working extremely closely with all those who would be impacted by the outcomes of any SPS agreement, particularly on agri-foods. We meet very regularly with farmers, producers, hauliers and supermarkets—I spent last week in Northern Ireland doing a big business round table with Northern Ireland producers particularly on this—so we are very keen to ensure that we hear from everyone who is likely to be impacted.

Can the Minister say what the Government are doing to improve food production within the United Kingdom?

We are working very closely to encourage farmers to work with us, such as by applying for grants such as the SFI. The noble Baroness, Lady Batters, has done a report on food productivity, which is incredibly important if we are to increase our food security, and we are busy looking at the best way to implement many of her recommendations.

My Lords, I wish the noble Baroness and the Government well in these crucial SPS negotiations. The farmers have made a perfectly reasonable request that there should be a transitional period before the new arrangements come into place sometime in 2027. Will the Government look favourably on that request?

As I say, we talk regularly to farmers and other food producers. We are very aware that there will be impacts in some areas of realignment, and we are certainly looking at discussing transition periods.

Can the Minister reassure the House that the scientific progress and eminence established in the UK on precision breeding, particularly of crops and animals, and in particular with regard to resistance to disease and environmental stressors, will be safeguarded in the current negotiations?

Clearly, we are discussing this area with the EU. One of the approaches that we have around the new technologies, whether you are talking about gene editing or novel foods, is that it is important that we are able to strengthen the UK’s credibility as an innovative regulator, bringing in these new technologies. We are very proud of our scientific community and of the work being done in these areas, and we will continue to support them to the best of our ability.

Under dynamic alignment, will we be able to block a measure which we think is anti-innovation but which the EU asserts is not?

I am sure that the noble Lord will be wanting to take part in the debates on the European partnership Bill when it arrives, and I imagine that that is the time for those discussions.

My Lords, can the Minister confirm that what the Government are negotiating on SPS could bring quite substantial benefits to the bureaucratic problems met by trade between Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom?

I agree with the noble Lord. An important component of the negotiations and one of the reasons why we are looking to agree a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement, particularly on agri-foods, is making it easier, cheaper and quicker for British businesses to trade with the EU. In the business meeting that I had in Northern Ireland last week, there was a very positive response from businesses regarding the potential opportunities that will arise from this.

My Lords, the freedom to break out of the ridiculous EU ban on gene editing was one of the greatest successes of Brexit. We passed the law fully supported by the Labour Party, and the Food Standards Agency has developed all the necessary guidelines. Our industry is geared up and raring to go, with products that will benefit people, animals and the environment. Can the Minister assure us that, whatever else the Prime Minister—whoever that may be—sells out in reintegrating the United Kingdom back into the straitjacket of EU bureaucracy, gene editing will not be sacrificed?

As I have said, I am not able to give detailed information around the negotiations because they are ongoing and we do not have outcomes. However, I assure the noble Lord that issues such as gene editing are being discussed.

My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for visiting Northern Ireland, particularly the Balmoral show and fishermen at Ardglass, County Down, last Friday, at my request. She would have heard quite clearly the importance of fishing, whether in the catching or the processing sector. What steps are the Government taking to improve the supply chain sector in order to underpin our reliance on agriculture and fisheries in Northern Ireland?

One of the reasons why I go to Northern Ireland regularly and meet with businesses, farmers and people involved in the fishing industry is to understand exactly what the Government can do to support those industries, and that includes the supply chain. It was a good discussion, and I am aware that my colleague, the Farming Minister, is meeting with fishers, fish producers and processers today. I intend to feed back the information that I got to support strengthening that supply chain as well as those who are at the front end of fishing.

My Lords, I would like to follow up on the point about precision breeding raised by other noble Lords. I seek clarification from the Minister about precision-bred products that are about to enter the approvals process with the Food Standards Agency. I am thinking, for example, of the vitamin D-enriched tomato developed by Professor Cathie Martin at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, whereby one tomato contains the same amount of vitamin D as two eggs; we know that one in five children in this country suffer from vitamin D deficiency, so that could have significant health benefits. I understand from Professor Martin that this product is being submitted for approval in the near future. Can the Minister confirm that approvals will not be held up because of the SPS negotiations and that the Food Standards Agency will be free to approve the product if it deems it appropriate?

My understanding is that it is business as usual and that will continue while the negotiations are going on. If I am wrong, I will write to the noble Lord.

I declare an interest, as my wife’s company in Brussels works on the new genomic techniques that have been filed with the European Commission. The Minister might like, in the negotiations, to treat the question of alignment between our precision-breeding regulations and new genomic techniques from the European Commission as an opportunity for the European Commission to align with the United Kingdom or, in this case, with England. Perhaps we should also bring Scotland and Wales on board to our PBO regulations too.

I would be very happy to make the suggestion.

My Lords, when answering the question asked by my noble friend Lord Redwood, the Minister mentioned sovereignty and Britain being a sovereign nation. Parliament is also sovereign, so can she confirm that, if major changes are brought in, they will not be through SIs, which cannot be properly debated and amended?

As I said to the noble Lord, Lord Redwood, the European partnership Bill will be coming to this House. That will allow plenty of time for debate on these issues.