MICHAEL Gove has dismissed fears about US demands for the UK to accept chlorinated chicken and hormones in food as political posturing.
Giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Rural Economy Committee, the Environment Secretary also insisted it is “absolutely critical” that devolved countries are involved in setting the UK's negotiating position ahead of post-Brexit trade talks.
Gove was asked about issues of food hygiene and use of hormone-fed animals following reports that America would want the UK to accept them after leaving the European Union.
Both hormone-fed beef and chicken washed in chlorine are banned under EU rules, preventing meat imports from the US which are produced this way.
The Trump administration is seeking to eliminate or reduce these barriers to exporting agricultural products into the UK and claims fears about food safety are unfounded.
READ MORE: SNP fury over 'bargain basement deals' as US issues trade talks demands
Steward Stevenson MSP raised the issue of food regulation and asked Gove: "Will we very strongly resist, in any negotiations, the imposition of the kind of ideas the United States is pushing and make sure the jurisdictions across the UK are involved in setting the terms of any debate on this?"
Speaking via video link to Holyrood, Gove replied: "I think it's fair to say that the United States' initial ask in these trade negotiations is probably more designed to appeal to aspects of the domestic audience in America than it is to work for us."
Gove has previously stated that the UK should not accept imports of chlorinated chicken as part of any future trade deal with the US, or "compromise" or "dilute" animal welfare standards.
Asked about the composition of the UK’s representatives, Gove said the trade discussions must involve “people from across the UK”.
"What we want to do is to make sure that the negotiating mandate that we have in those trade negotiations is as widely understood as possible, that we involve people from across the United Kingdom and that we take advantage of the expertise and commitment of the devolved administrations,” he said.
"During those negotiations, it has to be the UK Government because it's an international treaty at the end of it, but I think it is absolutely critical that we make sure that any trade agreement works for all parts of the United Kingdom."
He added: "Two of the UK's most-important exports are salmon and whisky and I want to maintain that the high standards we have are in no way undermined."
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