Oral QuestionDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

“What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK–EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement on the farming sector.”

Tabled: 15 October 2026Answered: 22 October 2026

Asked by

John Cooper

Conservative — Dumfries and Galloway

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Answer from Hansard

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Pat McFadden)

The Government’s first responsibility is to keep the public safe, which is why national resilience is a top priority for us. In July, I announced that I would lead a review of resilience, and work has been progressing across Government. We have engaged at all levels with the public, private and voluntary sectors, and this work is overseen by the dedicated resilience sub-committee of the National Security Council, which I chair. It is also closely linked to our consideration of the covid inquiry module 1 report, to which the Government will respond next month—within the six-month timeframe set out by the chair of the inquiry.