A temporary deal has been reached to delay a ban on the sale of chilled meats across the Irish Sea, forcing the UK to abide by Brussels’ food standards rules.
Ministers believe the agreement allows for further discussions to continue for a permanent solution to end the so-called sausage wars.
Meanwhile, Labour chiefs say Sir Keir Starmer will not step down if the party loses the Batley and Spen by-election.
A poll shows four in 10 members of the party would want him to stand aside.
Earlier, Boris Johnson dismissed the Matt Hancock affair as “Westminster bubble stuff” during a fiery clash with Sir Keir at PMQs.
The Labour leader accused the prime minister of attempting to sweep the scandal under the carpet after Mr Johnson had declared the matter closed.
“No questions asked on Friday and no questions answered today. There is a pattern emerging,” Sir Keir said, adding that “millions of people made huge and very difficult sacrifices to follow the rules that his health secretary has introduced”.
Mr Johnson said the former health secretary had resigned on Saturday, a day after the story broke, at “positively lightning speed” and attempted to turn the conversation onto the UK’s vaccine rollout.
