Covid-19: Minister urges 'caution' as lockdown is eased

Elizabeth Truss said "we need to be cautious about opening up after the lockdown"

People need to be "cautious" as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions ease, a cabinet minister told BBC Politics East.

Liz Truss, Secretary of State for International Trade and Conservative MP for South West Norfolk, said she had not booked a holiday.

"We have been making huge progress in terms of vaccinations," she said.

"But we all recognise that making predictions about a few months' time is very difficult."

Ms Truss has spearheaded the Open Doors campaign by the government to increase exports to Asia

Ms Truss praised the work of staff and volunteers involved in the vaccine roll-out.

"I was very pleased to meet NHS workers across Norfolk who've done a fantastic job vaccinating so many people," she said.

"We need to be cautious about opening up after the lockdown."

'High quality'

Meanwhile, Ms Truss said there were huge export opportunities for the food sector with only one in five UK producers exporting.

The minister has spearheaded the government's Open Doors campaign which aims to target growing markets.

"By 2030, two-thirds of the world's middle classes will be in Asia and they have a huge demand for our products, whether it is whisky or the fantastic food and drink we produce," she said.

The scheme - which has £2m funding and works with the National Farmers' Union, the Food and Drink Federation, and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board - will include advertising targeted at producers, exporting master classes and a new mentoring programme.

Liz Truss signed a UK-Japan trade deal with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in October

Asked about concerns from some farmers that post-Brexit trade deals could lead to a lowering of regulation, she said: "I am very clear we won't lower standards in any trade deal.

"We have already had trade deals covering 64 nations and we have maintained our high standards.

"I have huge faith that people want to buy what British farmers produce. They know they are getting high quality."

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Ms Truss was also asked about the problems facing the UK shellfish industry which found itself banned from selling live mussels and oysters to the European Union after the UK left the free trade bloc.

"Clearly there are additional processes that have to be undertaken and we have given advice to companies on that," she said.

"We have given specific support to the sea food sector."

But, she added that UK exports "to the rest of the world are growing faster than our exports to the EU".

Politics East airs on BBC One in the East on Sunday 28 February at 10:00 GMT and can be viewed on the BBC iPlayer afterwards.