<p>Support for the Food and Drink Industry </p>

Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:11 pm on 14 September 2016.

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Photo of Hefin David Hefin David Labour 2:11, 14 September 2016

Llywydd, I should apologise to the Chamber, because, when I put this question in, I didn’t realise that we would be having not one but two Brexit debates on opposition day.

Cabinet Secretary, you’ll recall that, in July 2015, the UK Government announced that it wanted to see the number of British foods protected under European law increase from 63 to 200. Of the applications put forward to the European Commission, nine were from Wales, and, with the support of the Welsh Government, one was the traditional Welsh Caerphilly cheese. Caerphilly cheese has a long history. As a local Assembly Member—it is a rite of passage as the Assembly Member for Caerphilly; you have got to ask a question on Caerphilly cheese—I want to bring that production back to my constituency. However, it’s important to the production and export of Caerphilly cheese that it has special protection under the protected geographical indication or traditional speciality guaranteed mark on the EU protected food register. Would the Cabinet Secretary therefore update me on the progress of Caerphilly cheese’s application and give me assurances that our impending withdrawal from the EU will not affect the product’s potentially obtaining this highly sought-after protected status?