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1,048 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSubsidy Control BillOn the specific point about agriculture, I do not know whether the letter addressing those points has been issued yet. I can say that 99.5% of subsidies given to the agriculture…09 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillI hope that that addresses the noble Lord’s concerns.09 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillOne of the noble Baroness’s concerns was that there was no overarching principle for the Government’s drive towards net zero. I think that the Environment Act provides the…09 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillI understand the noble Baroness’s concerns, but I am not able to go further than I have done at the Dispatch Box. On the point that the noble Lord, Lord Whitty, made about the…09 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillWe are just going to have to agree to disagree on this point. I believe that it is part of the overarching principles of this Government that the environment is one of our most…09 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillI remind the noble Baroness that we have a legal commitment to net zero.09 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillMy Lords, Clause 68 requires that the CMA establishes a new committee of its board called the subsidy advice unit for the purposes of undertaking the subsidy control functions set…09 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillOn the noble Lord’s first point, it has been a year since the Bill was introduced and therefore things have moved on since the impact assessment was done. On his second point, we…09 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillI think the noble Lord might have to declare an interest on that front, but we will let that lie. I will have to write to him with the specifics on this. Obviously, recruitment is…09 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillThe noble Lord makes a very interesting point. It does have operational independence, and I am sure that is something it would be able to consider.09 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillWhile I absolutely accept that the agriculture industry is completely different from others that will be covered by the Bill for many of the cultural reasons that have been…07 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillThere are a couple of points I would like to address now, and obviously I will cover the other points in greater length in writing. Just to reassure the noble Baroness, on the…07 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillThe public authorities can devise their own schemes according to their own policy priorities, as long as they comply with the principles of the Bill.07 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillI thank the noble Baroness, Lady Randerson, and the noble Lord, Lord Bruce of Bennachie, for tabling this amendment and for their concern for the agricultural sector. This…07 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillI register those concerns. Consultation with the devolved Administrations continues, but I repeat that the subsidy schemes of each devolved Administration can be devised in the…07 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillI reassure the noble Lord that the CMA has an advisory function; the tribunal will be the body that decides. The subsidies will be devised by the local authority, or the devolved…07 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillI think a lot of this overlaps with the internal market Act, which we will debate at length on a later group of amendments. All I can say is that the set of principles will cover…07 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillIt might indeed be an initial response, because the noble Lord has the advantage of me: I was not aware of the announcement made this afternoon by Northern Ireland’s Agriculture…02 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillIf it is over £500,000 it will be visible. As I was saying, a challenge would be on the basis that that the subsidy should not enjoy the protection of the scheme but was instead a…02 Feb 2022HANSARDSubsidy Control BillI understand the point the noble Lord is making, but I suggest we would do better to continue this discussion with officials, and come back to him and to the whole Committee in…02 Feb 2022