Food unit will help farmers, MP told
ARUNCORN MP has quizzed a Government minister on the importance of a food organisation in helping farmers in his constituency in the wake of Brexit.
Graham Evans, whose constituency of Weaver Vale includes eastern areas of Runcorn, Daresbury and Frodsham, questioned Elizabeth Truss in the House Of Commons on Thursday, July 7.
Mr Evans called on the secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs on what recent steps the Great British Food Unit – which was established in January – has taken to promote regional food and drink.
The Weaver Vale MP said: “Food and drink exports, not least the world-famous Cheshire cheese, are very important for the Cheshire economy.
“Given this country’s decision to leave the European Union, how important is the role of the Great British Food Unit in helping farmers in my constituency and indeed throughout the UK to get the necessary export markets?”
Mrs Truss said she ‘completely agreed’ with Mr Evans’s view of food and drink exports being important to Cheshire’s economy.
She added that following the referendum decision calling on the UK to leave the EU, the Great British Food Unit, which aims to increase food exports and support industry growth, is ‘even more important’.
She said: “We already have missions planned for the Gulf, China and Japan to open more markets for fantastic British food.
“I am going to increase the resources going into the Great British Food Unit to make sure that we turbo-charge our efforts to export more British food right around the world.”