Extract from Business and Trade questions: Scottish Trade and Culture - Jun 29

Richard Thomson (Gordon) (SNP): The Scottish seafood industry has been hit with an estimated 50% increase in the cost of packaging owing to the requirement—thanks to the form of Brexit chosen by this Government—for export health certificates with every consignment. Does the Secretary of State accept that the form of Brexit that was chosen, and in particular the failure to align in respect of sanitary and phytosanitary matters, is adding costs to Scotland’s iconic seafood sector at a time when it can barely afford to absorb such costs?

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kemi Badenoch): No, I do not accept that at all. If anything, what is increasing the costs is what the Scottish Government have been doing in relation to the Deposit return scheme. While complaining about our divergence between here and the EU, they are trying to split the UK single market, and we are not going to let them do that.