The UK food sector has called on the Government to put consultations over possible reform in the areas of health and the environment on hold to allow companies to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.
More than 30 associations representing food and drink manufacturers doing business in the UK want the country’s government to “pause” live or expected consultation on issues such as water management, national recycling, a possible tax on plastic items and restrictions on advertising.
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In a letter to Michael Gove, the UK’s Secretary for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the associations said their members did not have the “bandwidth” to work on the consultations and, at the same time, on preparing for the country leaving the EU without a deal in place.
“Businesses throughout the UK food chain – and their trade associations – are now totally focused on working to mitigate the catastrophic impact of a no-deal Brexit. Large amounts of time, money, people and effort are being diverted to that end.
“At this moment of potential crisis for our industry, it cannot be ‘business as usual’ within government. Neither we nor our members have the physical resources nor organisational bandwidth to engage with and properly respond to non-Brexit related policy consultations or initiatives at this time. Government has recruited many extra staff; we cannot,” the letter read.
The 32 trade associations include the Food and Drink Federation, the National Farmers’ Union and UK Hospitality. The letter came days after the chief executives of most of the UK’s largest food retailers wrote to the country’s MPs to warn of the “significant disruption” facing the industry from a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.
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By GlobalDataThe letter to Gove added: “We very strongly urge you, therefore, to require of your Cabinet colleagues that a range of current and planned consultations that will impact food and drink, some of which are expected shortly, are firmly and clearly placed on ‘pause’ until this uncertainty is over.
“If Government seeks to press ahead with these consultations it will be seen by some as a sign of bad faith and many organisations may decline to respond.”
