Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Accepted
AMR considerations remain complex in UK international trade negotiations
Conclusion
We asked DHSC about whether AMR should be a component of trade negotiations. DHSC told us that the UK starts from a position of wanting to minimise the risk of antibiotic contamination of food and antibiotic-resistant organisms entering the UK market via food and that some countries use a lot more antibiotics in farming than we do.22 DHSC would wish this to be a core aspect of making trade deals with countries that use a lot more antibiotics in farming than we do.23 However, DHSC acknowledged that while it can advise the UK negotiators, in a trade negotiation everything is on the table. VMD told us that antibiotics are not used in the UK and Europe for growth promotion in animals, but that this is not the case throughout the world, and that this should be a consideration in any trade agreement.24
Government Response Summary
The government states the recommendation is "implemented" and explains that AMR measures are already secured in recent trade agreements, departments contribute to negotiations, and new FTAs are assessed to ensure consistency with UK statutory protections related to AMR.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
1.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 1.2 Tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires a coordinated and comprehensive global response. The 2024 – 2029 UK National Action Plan to confront AMR (NAP) includes commitments to drive international action and is complemented by an ambitious political declaration at the UNGA High Level meeting on AMR of 2024, which the United Kingdom championed. 1.3 AMR measures have been secured in several of the UK’s recent trade agreements, including the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which contains AMR provisions aiming to strengthen international cooperation on AMR. The UK maintains regulatory autonomy over its AMR policy and framework. 1.4 Defra and DHSC contribute to trade negotiations. Defra leads on the Sanitary and Phytosanitary chapter, including AMR provisions, with DHSC providing advice. All mandates are subject to collective Cabinet agreement. 1.5 For new free trade agreements (FTAs), the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC) scrutinises whether the measures applicable to trade in agricultural products are consistent with the maintenance of UK levels of statutory protection in relation to a) animal or plant health; b) animal welfare, and c) environmental protections. This includes AMR. The TAC confirmed that recently concluded trade deals do not limit the UK’s ability to regulate imports to safeguard against the harmful effects of antimicrobial use. 1.6 Similarly, the Food Standards Agency provides independent assessments on whether agreements uphold statutory protections for human health. The FSA has reviewed the FTAs with Australia, New Zealand, and the UK’s accession to CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), and concluded that these agreements maintain existing protections, including those related to AMR. 1.7 DHSC and Defra work with the Cabinet Office to ensure AMR is captured effectively as a chronic risk on the National Risk Register, highlighting domestic and international risks, across humans, animals and the environment.