Protection fears for speciality food and drinks

PROTECTION for a number of speciality products – including Cornish pasties, clotted cream and sparkling wine – could be at risk in future trade negotiations if Brexit goes ahead, it has been warned.

In a series of exchanges with Government ministers in the House of Lords, Lord Paul Tyler has been pressing for guarantees that the protection secured by the Coalition Government will be consistent and permanent, whatever the trade arrangements.

During a Lords debate he expressed disappointment that the minister responding would not accept a simple statement of the need to continue the product protection scheme, contained in the amendment to the Trade Bill he had moved. Lord Tyler is now inviting producers of such products to let him know whether they too value the protection scheme.

He had hoped for a firm promise that the Government would maintain the scheme, whatever happened to Brexit. But the minister, Lady Fairhead, replied at length that they valued the protection provided for these speciality products, but concluded: “If this amendment passes it will remove the flexibility necessary for the UK to successfully negotiate new trade relationships outside the EU.”

Lord Tyler replied that there was a simple trade off: “The more flexibility there is in a case like this, the less one can be sure and confident that the situation is going to continue to protect... Various producers in the UK want that continuity as a guarantee for the future.”

After the debate he said “I am far from satisfied that – if Brexit goes through – some future British minister will not negotiate away this protective scheme. The fact that the Government were not prepared to accept our straightforward statement of intent is not reassuring. If Cornish and other speciality producers agree with me I hope that they will let me know.”