Today, the Trade and Environment Ministers announced the establishment of a Trade and Agriculture Commission to ensure that the agriculture industry is heard as the UK pursues an independent trade policy for the first time in 40 years.
The Commission will be time-limited, and will produce an advisory report that will be presented to Parliament by the International Trade Department.
I know that there have been concerns about the maintenance of food standards once we leave European jurisdiction, and I recently tried to clear up these worries in a post which you can view here. There, I explained that the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 will convert all EU standards into domestic law, whilst the independent Food Standards Agency will be playing an even bigger role in advising and scrutinising the government during the coming months.
This announcement today is therefore incredibly welcome, and ensures that food standards will only be enhanced as we leave the EU.