UK Parliament / Open data

Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Bill

In terms of our discussions with the devolved Administrations, these are issues that we resolve through the Joint Ministerial Committee. We have frame- works to do that.

I will take no further interventions, because I want to address the other clauses before we move on to other speeches. I am sure that other hon. Members have a great deal to say. Clause 2 applies the provisions in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to the direct payments legislation. This is simply about interpretation, to ensure that our courts interpret this legislation in a way that is consistent with that Act.

Moving on, clause 3 contains regulation-making powers for the Secretary of State and the devolved Administrations in relation to the retained direct payments legislation. The parliamentary procedures that apply are covered in schedule 2, which is about the power to make operability changes to correct deficiencies, such as changing the words “European Commission” to “the relevant authority in England” and so on. It is simply about making the particular provisions that are brought across operable. I will address the amendments to schedule 2 when winding up, because the shadow Minister will want to make his points before I deal with them.

1.30 pm

Clause 4 is concerned with the publication of EU law before it is brought across under this Bill. It ensures that the approach taken under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to rules of evidence will apply equally to the legislation we are bringing across. It basically means that the law as it exists in the Official Journal of the European Union just before exit day is the form of law that is brought across.

Finally, clause 5 is a significant addition that I dealt with on Second Reading. It effectively gives us the power to change the financial ceilings to enable us to implement the recommendations of the Bew review for 2020, which will be of particular interest to those in the devolved Administrations. The Bew review recommended that the Scottish Government should receive an uplift in their allocation consistent with what would have been provided under the so-called convergence uplift when that calculation was run. There will be a similar but smaller payment for Wales. The Bew review also recommended that English farmers and farmers in Northern Ireland should not lose out as a result of the top-up payment made to Scotland and Wales. Clause five is important for those who represent the devolved Administrations, and it gives them the financial uplift that some have been requesting for some time. The Bew review also addressed the dispute over allocations that has been discussed many times .

The other clauses in the Bill mainly relate to the interpretation, extent, consequential transitional provisions and the like. The key issues, as I said, are in clause 1, which is why I spent so long on that particular clause.

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
670 c686 
Session
2019-21
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Back to top