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Written question asked by David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 10 April 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 April 2026. It was answered by Angela Eagle (Labour) on Friday, 17 April 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Meat: Import Controls

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential biosecurity risk of illegal meat seized in the first four months of 2025; and whether any of this meat tested positive for (a) African Swine Fever and (b) other notifiable diseases.

Answer

Protecting UK biosecurity remains paramount, and this Government will do whatever it takes to protect farmers.

Defra does not require port health authorities to routinely test or analyse samples of illegally imported meat seized at the UK border for notifiable animal diseases, including African swine fever or foot-and-mouth disease. Negative results would not guarantee the absence of risk. That is why illegal meat imports, intercepted by Border Force and local authorities are all safely disposed in accordance with animal by-products rules.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency publishes assessments of the potential risk of animal disease incursions via animals and animal products, including illegal meat imports on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animal-diseases-international-monitoring.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
126319
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Disease control Import controls Meat
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk