The government accepts this recommendation. The UK’s biosecurity and public health is a priority for the government. An SPS agreement will mean the UK is able to work with the EU on threats to the UK’s and EU’s biosecurity and public health collectively. The UK will play a key role, alongside EU Member States, in protecting the shared UK and EU SPS area from external biosecurity and public health risks, while also having the shared responsibility to address any risks that arise internally. This includes sharing data, science and evidence to inform effective actions. The Common Understanding states that the UK should be able to take targeted action to protect its biosecurity and public health, in the same way as Member States. There are several provisions to take such actions, including national measures to address specific biosecurity and public health threats. As a result of the Agreement, we will also have access to EU databases and other systems to help us to take action against emerging biosecurity risk. The UK lost access to these in 2020. The government will always do what is necessary to protect the UK’s biosecurity and public health and will ensure that we get the right Agreement to deliver on this.