FOR a second time, MPs overturned measures from peers aimed at protecting UK food standards in future trade deals.

The House of Commons voted 331 to 272, majority 59, to disagree with a House of Lords amendment to the Agriculture Bill which sought to ensure imported foodstuffs met equivalent benchmarks to those followed by UK producers.

This would have related to animal welfare, environmental protection and food safety.

However, at the vote on Wednesday, November 4, MPs backed a Government amendment to the Bill to increase parliamentary scrutiny of free trade agreements and for extra detail on how measures are consistent with maintaining UK standards.

Somerset MPs who voted against the House of Lords amendments include Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater and West Somerset), John Penrose (Weston-super-Mare), David Warburton (Somerton and Frome) and Marcus Fysh (Yeovil).

Taunton Deane MP Rebecca Pow was unable to vote and so was paired with an opposition member yesterday (both would agree that neither would vote).

She told the County Gazette she would have supported Government amendments (a) and (b) in lieu of Lords amendments 16B and 18B.

“The Government tabled an amendment to the Agriculture Bill yesterday which will bolster parliamentary scrutiny of free trade agreements, and the Government has also extended the Trade and Agriculture Commission and will place it on a full statutory footing in the Trade Bill, giving farmers a stronger voice in UK trade policy,” she said.

“I am particularly pleased that these commitments have been welcomed by the sector, including the NFU.

“I meet with local farmers regularly and have worked hard at Government level to ensure this extra level of scrutiny of our free trade deals and I am so pleased this will now happen.”

The legislative tussle - known as parliamentary "ping pong" where legislation is passed between the two Houses - comes amid continuing concerns over chlorinated chicken or hormone-treated beef entering the UK market from the US.

Speaking as MPs considered the Lords amendments, environment minister Victoria Prentis said: "It's proved very difficult to find the right form of legislative words to protect our standards.

"It's important that we comply with WTO (World Trade Organisation) rules and that we don't impose impossible conditions on future trading partners.

"I feel that following gargantuan efforts of many people, we have got to a sensible compromise.

"My concern about (Lords) amendment 16b is that it would cause problems as drafted for our negotiators and impose burdensome administrative measures on our trading partners.

"Demonstrating equivalence of standards is a complex and technical task which involves delving deeply into the cow sheds and chicken huts and legislatures of other nations. I feel that our amendment in lieu is a better way to achieve the goal."

The Bill will now return to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.

Ms Pow explained she comes from a “long line of farmers” and she does “recognise the importance the public attach to high standards of food production”.

“I stood on a clear manifesto commitment,” she added.

“In all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards.

“We are firmly committed to upholding these standards, and the EU Withdrawal Act will transfer all existing EU food safety provisions, including existing import requirements, onto the UK statute book.”