Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-10-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is the Government’s policy to negotiate to continue participation in the European Food Safety Authority after the UK leaves the EU.

David Mowat

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the lead Department for relations with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The priority of the FSA and of the United Kingdom Government continues to be to ensure effective and proportionate food regulation which protects public health while supporting innovation and growth. The FSA will continue to use independent expert advice on risk assessment to inform food policy and regulation, and will continue to liaise with EFSA as an important source of international expert advice, as well as with other sources of evidence and advice from the UK and internationally. Detailed arrangements for the UK’s relationship with EFSA after the UK leaves the European Union will be determined as part of the UK’s wider approach to the EU.