26 Accepted in Part

Develop strategy by June 2026 to reduce demand for illegally imported animal products

Recommendation
Defra must not wait until SPS negotiations are concluded before developing a strategy to reduce demand for illegally imported animal products. We reiterate the recommendation made in our previous report on this topic that the Government, by June 2026, should begin work with the FSA, FSS and local authorities to develop a strategy to tackle the domestic demand for imported illegal meat. This strategy should include engagement with Eastern European and other at-risk communities in Great Britain to raise awareness of animal disease risks and the importance of control measures. (Recommendation, Paragraph 73)
Government Response Summary
The government has established a new Illegal Imports Improvement project and will develop a cross-government action plan, but does not accept that a strategy focused solely on demand drivers is the right approach in the short term.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government Accepted in Part
The government partially accepts this recommendation. Defra has established a new Illegal Imports Improvement project which brings together existing work across a range of areas and is developing new workstreams. A cross-government action plan, agreed with FSA, FSS, Home Office, Border Force and other operational stakeholders will be amongst the first outputs of the project. This will consider demand, alongside other areas, and prioritise resource where evidence suggests the greatest impact will be delivered. Given this broader intention, we do not accept that the production of a strategy focussed solely on the demand drivers is the right approach in the short term.
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.3 yrs
Report published 05 Feb 2026