May I express my gratitude to the hon. Member for Dagenham and Rainham (Jon Cruddas) for securing today’s debate and for the comprehensive manner in which he opened it? He said much that I can agree with. Indeed, there is not that much left to say, because it was a...
May I express my gratitude to the hon. Member for Dagenham and Rainham (Jon Cruddas) for securing today’s debate and for the comprehensive manner in which he opened it? He said much that I can agree with. Indeed, there is not that much left to say, because it was a...
My Lords, before I make my speech, let me make it clear that we will not support the noble Lord, Lord Paddick, in his amendment. Of course, we oppose the Bill, and did so at Second and Third Reading in the other place. We understand why the amendment has been...
My Lords, before I make my speech, let me make it clear that we will not support the noble Lord, Lord Paddick, in his amendment. Of course, we oppose the Bill, and did so at Second and Third Reading in the other place. We understand why the amendment has been...
My Lords, in the House of Commons there is no party like the party of Marine Le Pen in the Assemblée Nationale, like Alternative für Deutschland or like Vox in Spain. The reason for that is that the House of Commons is a sensitive barometer of public opinion. MPs understand...
My Lords, in the House of Commons there is no party like the party of Marine Le Pen in the Assemblée Nationale, like Alternative für Deutschland or like Vox in Spain. The reason for that is that the House of Commons is a sensitive barometer of public opinion. MPs understand...
My Lords, one of the advantages of speaking relatively late on in a debate such as this is that it affords one the opportunity to hear so many contributions from noble Lords and the passionate positions that many, quite understandably, have. On the whole, this debate has been conducted in...
My Lords, one of the advantages of speaking relatively late on in a debate such as this is that it affords one the opportunity to hear so many contributions from noble Lords and the passionate positions that many, quite understandably, have. On the whole, this debate has been conducted in...
I beg to move,
That this House has considered railway infrastructure in Wales.
It is always a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Cummins, and an honour to chair the all-party parliamentary group for rail in Wales. My hon. Friend the Member for Ogmore (Chris Elmore) is the previous chair, and...
I beg to move,
That this House has considered railway infrastructure in Wales.
It is always a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Cummins, and an honour to chair the all-party parliamentary group for rail in Wales. My hon. Friend the Member for Ogmore (Chris Elmore) is the previous chair, and...
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. [Interruption.] Has the hon. Member for Hove (Peter Kyle) finished? Is he done? Does he want to intervene? In spite of the relentless nastiness from the nasty party on the Opposition Benches, we found out some interesting facts today. Perhaps the Opposition can explain some...
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. [Interruption.] Has the hon. Member for Hove (Peter Kyle) finished? Is he done? Does he want to intervene? In spite of the relentless nastiness from the nasty party on the Opposition Benches, we found out some interesting facts today. Perhaps the Opposition can explain some...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford West (Naz Shah) on securing this important debate.
We are debating the human rights crisis in Burma, where ordinary citizens are being denied the most basic freedoms and rights, and the...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford West (Naz Shah) on securing this important debate.
We are debating the human rights crisis in Burma, where ordinary citizens are being denied the most basic freedoms and rights, and the...
I congratulate my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Torridge and West Devon (Sir Geoffrey Cox) for not just securing this debate and making such a powerful speech but leading the charge for us all in Devon in relation to Dartmoor over the last 12 months. It has...
I congratulate my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Torridge and West Devon (Sir Geoffrey Cox) for not just securing this debate and making such a powerful speech but leading the charge for us all in Devon in relation to Dartmoor over the last 12 months. It has...
The hon. Member may regret saying that by the time I sit down. [Laughter.] However, I will seek to raise a number of topics.
Let me kick off with the excellent performance of Harrow Council. In less than a year, it has managed to balance the budget overall, saving itself from...
The hon. Member may regret saying that by the time I sit down. [Laughter.] However, I will seek to raise a number of topics.
Let me kick off with the excellent performance of Harrow Council. In less than a year, it has managed to balance the budget overall, saving itself from...
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Knight of Weymouth, on securing this debate and introducing it with considerable erudition and eloquence. This debate has become important in a post-Brexit age. It is because we have gone through the baptism of post-Brexit, and because of what is to follow,...
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Knight of Weymouth, on securing this debate and introducing it with considerable erudition and eloquence. This debate has become important in a post-Brexit age. It is because we have gone through the baptism of post-Brexit, and because of what is to follow,...
That was a fascinating and wide-ranging speech from the hon. Member for South Thanet (Craig Mackinlay). Twice he used the analogy of being a Betamax waiting for the VHS video to arrive. I am sure I have heard that speech from the Conservative Benches so many times that it was...
That was a fascinating and wide-ranging speech from the hon. Member for South Thanet (Craig Mackinlay). Twice he used the analogy of being a Betamax waiting for the VHS video to arrive. I am sure I have heard that speech from the Conservative Benches so many times that it was...
A Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill [PDF] was introduced to the House of Commons on 25 May 2022 and received Royal Assent on 23 March 2023.
TIMELINE:
Commons Stages: Second Reading, 15 June 2022. Committee Stage, 28 June to 7 July 2022. Report Stage and Third Reading, 31 October 2022.
The Bill completed its Commons stages unamended.
Lords Stages: First Reading, 1 November 2022. Second Reading, 21 November 2022. Committee Stage, 12 and 14 December 2022. Report Stage, 25 January 2023, when a number of Government amendments were agreed to. King's Consent and Third Reading, 1 February 2023.
Commons consideration of Lords amendments: 6 March 2023. All the Lords' amendments were accepted.
Royal Assent, 23 March 2023
Neither the Scottish nor Welsh Parliaments have granted legislative consent to the Bill. The Scottish and Welsh Governments have indicated they do not plan to change regulation of GE technologies for food and feed. The Scottish Government said it would block the application of this Bill in Scotland.
The May 2022 Queen’s Speech [PDF] said the measures aims were to “encourage agricultural and scientific innovation” in the UK” and that “legislation will unlock the potential of new technologies to promote sustainable and efficient farming and food production.”
The Act applies to precision bred plants and vertebrate animals (excluding humans), meaning they are gene edited, and would remove them from the regulatory system for genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The Government’s Genetic Technology fact sheet published with the Bill [PDF] describes precision breeding as a range of breeding technologies, such as gene editing (GE), that enable DNA to be edited “much more efficiently and precisely than current breeding techniques”.
Precision breeding technologies can make targeted genetic changes to produce beneficial traits that can also occur through traditional breeding and natural processes. This makes it different to genetic modification (GM) where modern techniques are used to insert functional DNA from an unrelated species into another species.
Scientists consider that precision breeding will allow a range of foods with health, environmental or commercial benefits to be developed more quickly than traditional breeding methods. Policy makers hope these will help to tackle global food security, climate change and human health challenges. GE crops may currently be cultivated in several countries including Canada, China, the US, Australia, and Brazil (with varying regulation).
Examples of current GE products include soybean oil with reduced saturated fat sold in the USA and a tomato sold in Japan that accumulates a chemical that lowers blood pressure. For the future, a range of wheat, chickpea, and peanut products with health benefits are in development, alongside products aimed at consumer convenience such as seedless fruits and corn that is higher in thickening starch.
The Government said the primary policy objective of the legislation was to ensure plants, animals and food and feed products developed using precision breeding technologies are “regulated proportionately to risk” [PDF]. The Bill will “introduce simpler regulatory measures to enable these products to be authorised and brought to market more easily.”
GE and other new precision breeding techniques are currently regulated under the complex regime that applies to all genetically modified organisms (GMOs). EU rules on GMOs currently continue to apply in the UK, (although 2022 regulations amended the rules in England for certain GE plants used for research and development).
Regulations define a GMO as an organism in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination, or both. The European Court of Justice in 2018 determined that the GMO regulations should include new breeding technologies such as GE developed in the last 30 years. This ruling was contentious and the EU is currently consulting on possible loosening of restrictions for plants resulting from GE technology.
The Government has said leaving the EU provides the UK with the opportunity to adopt a “more science based and proportionate approach to the regulation” of precision bred organisms [PDF]. This could “drive innovation and investment” in the UK.
According to the Government, it should cost less to take a precision-bred crop to market, compared to under the current GMO process. These savings would predominantly benefit the plant breeding sector, but also, indirectly, the rest of the food chain. The overall time taken to comply with existing regulation for getting precision bred crops to market will be reduced from an estimated 10 years to 12 months.
The main policy changes in the Bill [PDF] as set out by Defra, are to:
The Government said the changes mean the level of regulatory scrutiny for precision bred organisms is “somewhere between that of GMOs and traditionally bred organisms” [PDF].
The Government has said the application of the measures to precision breeding of animals will not take place until an appropriate regulatory regime is in place. Nevertheless, the Bill provides powers for the Secretary of State to introduce the measures by secondary regulation.
The inclusion of animals in the proposed changes raises issues about the health and welfare of animals. GE could be used for breeding disease-resistant animals for example, but some stakeholders warn of the need to ensure animal welfare is not compromised by breeding to select certain traits. The legislation is drafted to apply to all animals, not just those used in agriculture. It includes a provision for animal welfare to be considered but does not include any specific restrictions on what can be marketed.
Several Government amendments were made in the House of Lords and accepted by the Commons. These were principally to change the scrutiny procedure for some secondary legislation made under the Act from negative to affirmative; and to clarify which kinds of genetic features are permissible in a precision-bred organism, and the techniques by which they may be introduced. There were no successful opposition amendments.
Issues raised during scrutiny of the Bill in both Houses focused on animal welfare implications, the regulatory framework and the lack of any requirement for labelling GE products for consumers.
The Government said the independent Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) considered that precision bred organisms “posed no greater risk than their traditionally bred or naturally arising counterparts” [PDF]. However, stakeholders have divided views on regulatory changes.
In 2021, Defra consulted on possible broad changes to GE regulation [PDF]. Most individuals (88%) and nearly two-thirds of businesses responding wanted GE regulation to continue as now, under the GMO regime. However, more than half of academic institutions (58%) and non-governmental organisations supported change.
Similarly, views were divided on the risks posed by GE organisms. Some 87% of individuals and 64% of businesses considered they posed a greater risk to human health and the environment compared to traditionally bred counterparts. In contrast, 63% of academic institutions and 82% of public sector bodies considered they posed the same level of risk.
Scientists are broadly in favour of removing GE from wider GMO regulation, as are many food producers and farmers including the National Farmers’ Union and livestock producers. However, some groups such as the Soil Association, GM Freeze and Beyond GM are concerned that there is insufficient knowledge about the effect on organisms and the environment, and that claims about benefits for tackling food supply and health issues are overstated. Others, such as the RSPCA, are concerned that changes could lead to lower animal welfare standards.
There are also concerns about transparency for consumers. Ministers have said food and feed from precision bred organisms are unlikely to need to be labelled as such. This could be an issue for products authorised under this legislation in England which are sold in other UK nations.
Although regulation of genetic technologies is a devolved matter, under the UK Internal Market Act 2020, precision bred products legally marketed in one nation may be marketed in the other UK nations.
A Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill [PDF] was introduced to the House of Commons on 25 May 2022 and received Royal Assent on 23 March 2023.
TIMELINE:
Commons Stages: Second Reading, 15 June 2022. Committee Stage, 28 June to 7 July 2022. Report Stage and Third Reading, 31 October...
I will address some of those points in turn. I will not stand here and defend the system—I have said what I have said about it previously—and that is not what I have sought to do today. I have been clear that what I am trying to do is identify...
I will address some of those points in turn. I will not stand here and defend the system—I have said what I have said about it previously—and that is not what I have sought to do today. I have been clear that what I am trying to do is identify...
My Lords, I too support these amendments, particularly the lead amendment in this group, moved by the noble Lord, Lord Foster of Bath, about the gathering of better data. I will try not to repeat what I said last time, other than that I have some skin in the game...
My Lords, I too support these amendments, particularly the lead amendment in this group, moved by the noble Lord, Lord Foster of Bath, about the gathering of better data. I will try not to repeat what I said last time, other than that I have some skin in the game...
Perhaps I should begin by addressing the remarks made just now by the right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Julian Smith), who said that he thought the SNP was almost ready to support this. I can say to him that he is almost right. We support the agreement—we welcome...
Perhaps I should begin by addressing the remarks made just now by the right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Julian Smith), who said that he thought the SNP was almost ready to support this. I can say to him that he is almost right. We support the agreement—we welcome...
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cows were slaughtered because of Bovine TB in Shropshire in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cows were slaughtered because of Bovine TB in Shropshire in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.
Shropshire | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Total number of cattle slaughtered | 2047 | 2099 | 1981 |
The total number of cattle slaughtered include:
- TB test positive animals: animals compulsorily slaughtered because they responded to the tuberculin skin test, interferon-gamma test, or antibody test in a way that was consistent with Mycobacterium bovis infection
- inconclusive reactor animals: compulsory slaughtered animals that showed positive reactions to bovine tuberculin that were not strong enough for the animals to be deemed reactors
- direct contacts of positive animals: animals that, although not test reactors, were considered to have been exposed to Mycobacterium bovis and compulsorily slaughtered
The information required is currently published at GOV.UK:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/tuberculosis-tb-in-cattle-in-great-britain
Additional information is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/incidence-of-tuberculosis-tb-in-cattle-in-great-britain/quarterly-tb-in-cattle-in-great-britain-statistics-notice-december-2022: ‘total cattle slaughtered’ tab.
I beg to move,
That this House has considered energy support for farms.
As a matter of openness and transparency, I declare an interest: I come from a small, family-run farm. Thank you for chairing the debate, Mr Robertson; it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I thank the Minister...
I beg to move,
That this House has considered energy support for farms.
As a matter of openness and transparency, I declare an interest: I come from a small, family-run farm. Thank you for chairing the debate, Mr Robertson; it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I thank the Minister...
It is great to see you in the Chair, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Like my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Mr Wragg), I will be ultra-parochial: I am going to talk specifically about the funding model in my constituency in relation to public services, and what the Treasury says or...
It is great to see you in the Chair, Madam Deputy Speaker.
Like my hon. Friend the Member for Hazel Grove (Mr Wragg), I will be ultra-parochial: I am going to talk specifically about the funding model in my constituency in relation to public services, and what the Treasury says or...
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the number of farmers and growers in business in England today compared to the number in March 2018.
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the number of farmers and growers in business in England today compared to the number in March 2018.
The department does not hold a register of all farms. However, statistical estimates of the number of agricultural holdings with significant levels of farming activity* in England show there were 104,476 on 1 June 2022, compared to 106,035 on the same period in 2018.
* Data only covers holdings which are registered with the Rural Payments Agency for payments or livestock purposes and with significant levels of farming activity (as recorded in responses to the Defra June Survey of Agriculture or the Cattle Tracing System). Holdings are only included if they have more than five hectares of agricultural land, one hectare of orchards, 0.5 hectares of vegetables or 0.1 hectares of protected crops, or more than 10 cows, 50 pigs, 20 sheep, 20 goats or 1,000 poultry.
Farm support in the UK is changing. The UK took part in the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for decades. In 2019, the UK received some £4.7 billion of CAP funding. Around 80% of this was provided as ‘direct payments’ under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) based broadly on how much land was farmed. A further tranche of CAP money was spent on rural and environmental programmes such as England’s Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme.
Since Brexit, the Agriculture Act 2020, has been passed to provide a legal framework for the Government to develop very different approaches to supporting agriculture in future. The Government has guaranteed the current annual budget to farmers in every year of this Parliament, ending by 2024. However, in England this money will be spent in different ways in future. The Government is phasing out CAP-style direct payments and is introducing payments for farmers to provide public goods such as environmental and animal welfare improvements. These changes are taking place during a seven-year ‘Agricultural Transition’ period running from 2021.
2023 is the last year in which BPS will be paid. From 2024 to2027, delinked payments will be paid each year. Farmers will receive delinked payments based on their BPS payments in 2020-22, provided they are eligible for and claim BPS for the 2023 scheme year. Delinked payments rules will not require farmers to hold land or continue to farm. Legislation will be introduced in 2023 to make these changes.
The Library briefing on the Agriculture Act 2020 sets out detailed information and stakeholder views on the policy aims of the new funding framework. This briefing focuses on the subsequent development and implementation of new schemes, in particular the Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes. The paper was updated to reflect broad policy developments in the four parts of the UK since publication in July 2022, including to environmental management schemes in England. For future updates on farm schemes see Defra's farm blog which provides a rolling update on developments.
This briefing focuses mainly on England. Agricultural policy is a devolved matter, so the four nations of the UK have developed their own policies, with national legislation being introduced where required. More detail on this is provided in the Library briefing on the Agriculture Act 2020.
Defra is gradually introducing new schemes under the provisions of the Agriculture Act 2020. The main part of this new approach is known as Environmental Land Management (ELM). It has three main strands, being introduced in stages:
The Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme set up under the CAP remains open while these new environmental schemes are being phased in. The UK is funding new CS schemes in 2022 and 2023. The last new CS schemes will start in January 2024. Farmers may apply for a new environmental scheme whilst also receiving CS payments, provided the same land is not claimed for twice.
Separately, funding will also be provided for productivity improvements and innovation on farms. Other schemes to support animal health and welfare improvements for example are also being developed.
Farm representatives and green groups broadly welcomed the new farm support policies during the passage of the Agriculture Act 2020. There was general support for replacing the CAP system of paying farm subsidies based on the area farmed and instead paying farmers to provide public goods such as environmental and animal health improvements. However, farm groups were concerned that food production in itself was not included in the list of purposes for which funding could be provided.
Farmers have also expressed concerns about implementation of the new approaches. Particular concerns are the timescales for the new measures to be implemented and the extent to which the new schemes will provide farmers with enough support. The Public Accounts Committee has criticised the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ “blind optimism” over the schemes’ introduction, and the insufficient detail on how the schemes will make up for the ending of current approaches.
Farmers and the Government want the claims processes and IT systems supporting to be simple and effective. The CAP scheme had complex application and compliance processes which caused problems for farmers. The Rural Payments Agency’s record for processing claims was widely criticised for many years. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is working with the Government to co-design new schemes.
Defra has said that it is maintaining total farm support in every nation of the UK, worth a cumulative £3.7 billion a year, and is rolling out ELM schemes to pay farmers for delivering climate and environmental benefits while producing the nation’s food.
Farm support in the UK is changing. The UK took part in the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for decades. In 2019, the UK received some £4.7 billion of CAP funding. Around 80% of this was provided as ‘direct payments’ under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) based broadly on...
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