Contributions
1,165 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillThe Agriculture Bill, which is a matter for future discussion, envisages in clause 1 that we would support, for instance, measures to reduce climate change and carbon emissions…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillIf my hon. Friend writes to me on the specific issues for the chicken producer that she mentions, I am happy to look at that. As a general rule, poultry producers tend not to…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillMy hon. Friend makes an important point, and I will come on to that when I describe some of the regulations that will be brought across by the Bill. The system will be exactly the…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillMy hon. Friend makes an important point. Obviously, that is not a matter for this Bill, but our party’s manifesto makes a clear commitment to our maintaining standards as we…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillMy hon. Friend makes a very important point. It is all about striking the right balance. The premise behind the direction of agriculture policy is this: rather than trying to put…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillIt is important to recognise that a significant proportion of sheep farmers in particular do not receive the basic payment scheme area payment, because they are on contract farm…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillI very much agree with my hon. Friend. The Bill will give certainty and clarity about this year to all farmers who currently make a BPS claim and have done for some years. That…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillMy right hon. Friend will be aware that we have presented a separate Agriculture Bill, which has had its First Reading. It sets out all the powers we would need to reform…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillIt includes the basic payment scheme. Only direct payments are in the Bill’s scope, and that includes the annual area payments that most farmers would receive. As we are not…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillClause 1 provides the legal basis for the Government and devolved Administrations to make payments to farmers under the direct payment scheme for 2020. The clause is needed…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillThe Bill will absolutely give them that certainty. The Bill is essential if we are to give farmers their direct payments—those area-based payments—in December. If this direct…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillYes—my hon. Friend makes a very important point. As we chart a new course on agriculture policy, one key objective set out in the Agriculture Bill, which was recently published,…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillYes, my hon. Friend is right. Under the common agricultural policy, there is provision for something called modulation, under which member states are able to transfer a chunk of…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillIt is complicated—as ever—with the common agricultural policy, but I tried to explain this point in my opening remarks. It is a quirk of the way that the EU budget works that the…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillAs my right hon. Friend will be aware, under the financial settlement in the withdrawal agreement, we did not make a contribution to the next multi-annual financial framework, so…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillI am sorry that I was not able to address my hon. Friend’s point previously. We will not be contributing to the next multi-annual financial framework or the 2021 budget.…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillI beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time. I thank the House for the debate on this Bill, which is so vital for the agricultural sector across the UK. I recognise…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillI wish to address some of the points raised by hon. Members, including the shadow Minister, who tabled some amendments. On the claim that the Bill has been rushed, the reason that…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillMy hon. Friend makes an important point. The short answer is that we have an appeals system in place. We have the independent agricultural appeals panel, which is drawn from…28 Jan 2020HANSARD Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) BillI can say that, for the Bill before us today, we have received legislative consent motions for every part of the UK, including Scotland. It is universally in the interests of…28 Jan 2020