1

House of Commons

Thursday 13 February 2020

Public Bill Committee

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Amendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

Agriculture Bill

Note

This document includes all amendments tabled to date and includes any

withdrawn amendments at the end. The amendments have been arranged in

accordance with the Order of the Committee [11 February 2020].

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

1

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  6,  leave out “may” and insert “must”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would require the Secretary of State to provide financial assistance for the

purposes listed in Clause 1.

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

2

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  8,  at end insert—

“(aa)    

supporting agriculture and horticulture businesses in enabling public

access to healthy food that is farmed in an environmentally sustainable

way, including food produced through whole farm agroecological

systems”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would add to the purposes for which financial assistance can be given, that of

ensuring access to healthy food produced sustainably including through whole farm

agroecological systems.

Public Bill Committee: 13 February 2020                  

2

Agriculture Bill, continued

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

6

Clause  1,  page  2,  line  13,  after “(d)” insert “limiting greenhouse gas emissions

from agriculture or horticulture or encouraging activities that reduce such emissions or

remove greenhouse gas from the atmosphere, or otherwise”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment explicitly provides for limiting and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to be one

of the purposes for which financial assistance is given.

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

3

Clause  1,  page  3,  line  6,  at end insert ““environmentally sustainable way” means in

a way which employs factors and practices that contribute to the quality of environment

on a long-term basis and avoids the depletion of natural resources”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment defines “environmentally sustainable way” for the purposes of clause 1(4) and

Amendment 2.

Mr Robert Goodwill

8

Clause  1,  page  3,  line  13,  after “kept” insert “or managed”

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

4

Clause  2,  page  3,  line  32,  at end insert—

“(4A)    

Financial assistance under subsection (1)(1)(f) for protecting or improving the

health or welfare of livestock shall only be given to a person who satisfies the

Secretary of State that they—

(a)    

achieve, or have undertaken to achieve, standards of animal welfare

which exceed the minimum requirements laid down by legislation

governing welfare of livestock,

(b)    

raise animals in such a way that enables them to carry out their natural

behaviours,

(c)    

do not subject livestock to any prohibited procedure (within the meaning

of section 5 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006),

(d)    

do not kill livestock in any place other than in a slaughterhouse unless—

(i)    

a veterinary surgeon has certified that this is necessary due to the

animal’s poor health, and

(ii)    

the method of killing is humane, and

Public Bill Committee: 13 February 2020                  

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Agriculture Bill, continued

(e)    

do not, after IP completion day, export animals for slaughter or fattening

unless—

(i)    

the livestock is exported from Northern Ireland to the Republic

of Ireland, and

(ii)    

it is made a requirement of sale that the livestock shall not be re-

exported by the buyer.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would set minimum baseline welfare standards for the receipt of financial

assistance for protecting or improving the welfare of livestock.

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

5

Clause  2,  page  4,  line  5,  after “section” insert—

““fattening” means the keeping of livestock for the purpose of the livestock

gaining weight in preparation for slaughter,

“humane” shall be interpreted in accordance with paragraph 4 of Schedule

4 to the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations

2015,

“livestock” has the meaning given in section 1(5) of this Act,

“IP completion day” has the meaning given in section 39 of the European

Union (Withdrawal) Act 2020, and”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment is consequential on Amendment 4.

Mr Robert Goodwill

9

Clause  8,  page  8,  line  5,  after “extending” insert “or pausing the transition process

and”

Fiona Bruce

Julian Sturdy

Neil Parish

Derek Thomas

Philip Dunne

Simon Hoare

Tim Farron

7

Clause  17,  page  14,  line  20,  leave out “five years” and insert “year”

Public Bill Committee: 13 February 2020                  

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Agriculture Bill, continued

Simon Hoare

Tracey Crouch

10

Clause  17,  page  14,  line  21,  after “of”, insert “, and a response to,”

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

NC1

To move the following Clause—

“Import of agricultural goods

(1)    

Agricultural goods may be imported into the UK only if the standards to which

those goods were produced were as high as, or higher than, standards which at the

time of import applied under UK law relating to—

(a)    

animal welfare,

(b)    

protection of the environment, and

(c)    

food safety.

(2)    

“Agricultural goods”, for the purposes of this section, means—

(a)    

any livestock within the meaning of section 1(5),

(b)    

any plants or seeds, within the meaning of section 22(6),

(c)    

any product derived from livestock, plants or seeds.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This new clause would set a requirement for imported agricultural goods to meet animal welfare,

environmental and food safety standards which are at least as high as those which apply to UK

produced agricultural goods.

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

NC2

To move the following Clause—

“Annual assessment of funding for purposes

(1)    

The Secretary of State must report on financial assistance for each purpose listed

in section 1.

(2)    

A report under subsection (1) must be made for each financial year and must be

laid before both Houses of Parliament no later than 31 October in the financial

year following the financial year to which the report relates.

(3)    

The first report shall be made by 31 October 2021 and shall relate to financial

assistance in the 2020-21 financial year.

Public Bill Committee: 13 February 2020                  

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Agriculture Bill, continued

(4)    

A report under this section must record, on the basis of best data available—

(a)    

the total sum of financial assistance for each purpose in section 1,

(b)    

the source of any element of financial assistance under subparagraph (a)

which comes from public funds, and

(c)    

the sums from each source under subparagraph (b).

(5)    

The Secretary of State must include in each report under this section—

(a)    

a statement of their opinion on whether any sum recorded under

subsection (4)(a) is sufficient to meet their policy objectives in relation

to each purpose; and (b) a statement of the Secretary of State’s intentions

if, in their opinion, a sum recorded under subsection (4)(a) was not

sufficient to meet their policy objectives in relation to a purpose.

(6)    

For the purposes of this section, “financial assistance” means financial assistance

either allocated or given in any form listed in section 2(1).”

Member’s explanatory statement

This new clause would require the Secretary of State to report annually on the financial assistance

given or allocated to each of the purposes of the Bill, on its sufficiency to meet policy objectives

and on the Secretary of State’s intentions if in their opinion funding for any purpose was not

sufficient.

Bill Wiggin

NC3

To move the following Clause—

 “Definition of grass-fed products

(1)    

Regulations under section 35(1) shall enable the provision described in

subsection (2) of this section.

(2)    

A product which is partly or wholly derived from an animal may only be

described as grass-fed if the animal or animals have eaten only grass and pasture

throughout their lifetime, with the exception of milk consumed by youngstock

prior to weaning.

(3)    

For the purposes of subsection (2), “pasture” includes—

(a)    

permanent pasture and long and short term leys which may be part of a

mixed farming system, and

(b)    

hay, silage derived from grass not grain, forage and naturally occurring

vegetation in the grassland including legumes and other forbs, and

woody species.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This new clause would protect the definition of grass-fed, certifying that livestock and food

products labelled as grass-fed are fully raised on pasture.

Public Bill Committee: 13 February 2020                  

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Agriculture Bill, continued

Simon Hoare

NC4

To move the following Clause—

“Import of agricultural goods after IP completion day

(1)    

After IP completion day, agricultural goods imported under a free trade

agreement may be imported into the UK only if the standards to which those

goods were produced were as high as, or higher than, standards which at the time

of import applied under UK law relating to—

(a)    

animal welfare,

(b)    

protection of the environment,

(c)    

food safety, hygiene and traceability, and

(d)    

plant health.

(2)    

The Secretary of State must prepare a register of UK production standards, to be

updated annually, to which goods imported under subsection (1) would have to

adhere.

(3)    

“Agricultural goods” for the purposes of this section, mean—

(a)    

any livestock within the meaning of section 1(5),

(b)    

any plants or seeds, within the meaning of section 22(6),

(c)    

any product derived from livestock, plants or seeds.

(4)    

“IP completion day” has the meaning given in section 39 of the European Union

(Withdrawal) Act 2020.”

Order of the House [3 February 2020]

That the following provisions shall apply to the Agriculture Bill:

Committal

1.    

The Bill shall be committed to a Public Bill Committee.

Proceedings in Public Bill Committee

2.    

Proceedings in the Public Bill Committee shall (so far as not previously

concluded) be brought to a conclusion on Tuesday 10 March 2020.

3.    

The Public Bill Committee shall have leave to sit twice on the first day on

which it meets.

Proceedings on Consideration and up to and including Third Reading

4.    

Proceedings on Consideration and any proceedings in legislative grand

committee shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a

conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the day on which

proceedings on Consideration are commenced.

5.    

Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be

brought to a conclusion at the moment of interruption on that day.

6.    

Standing Order No. 83B (Programming committees) shall not apply to

proceedings on Consideration and up to and including Third Reading.

Other proceedings

7.    

Any other proceedings on the Bill may be programmed.

Public Bill Committee: 13 February 2020                  

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Agriculture Bill, continued

Order of the Committee [11 February 2020]

That—

(1)  

the Committee shall (in addition to its first meeting at 9.25 am on Tuesday 11

February) meet—

(a)  

at 2.00 pm on Tuesday 11 February; 

(b)  

at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm on Thursday 13 February;

(c)  

at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesday 25 February;

(d)  

at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm on Thursday 27 February;

(e)  

at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesday 3 March;

(f)  

at 11.30 am and 2.00 pm on Thursday 5 March;

(g)  

at 9.25 am and 2.00 pm on Tuesday 10 March;

(2)  

the Committee shall hear oral evidence in accordance with the following

Table:

TABLE