Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5 March 2020            

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Agriculture Bill, continued

Deidre Brock

Dave Doogan

Negatived on division  NC7

To move the following Clause—

“International trade agreements: agricultural and food products

(1)    

A Minister of the Crown may not lay a copy of an international trade agreement

before Parliament under section 20(1) of the Constitutional Reform and

Governance Act 2010 unless the agreement—

(a)    

includes an affirmation of the United Kingdom’s rights and obligations

under the SPS Agreement, and

(b)    

prohibits the importation into the United Kingdom of agricultural and

food products in relation to which the relevant standards are lower than

the relevant standards in the United Kingdom.

(2)    

In subsection (1)—

“international trade agreement” means—

(a)    

an agreement that is or was notifiable under—

(i)    

paragraph 7(a) of Article XXIV of the General

Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, part of Annex 1A to the

WTO Agreement (as modified from time to time), or

(ii)    

paragraph 7(a) of Article V of the General Agreement on

Trade in Services, part of Annex 1B to the WTO

Agreement (as modified from time to time), or

(b)    

an international agreement that mainly relates to trade, other than

an agreement mentioned in sub-paragraph (i) or (ii);

“Minister of the Crown” has the same meaning as in the Ministers of the

Crown Act 1975;

“relevant standards” means standards relating to environmental protection,

plant health and animal welfare applying in connection with the

production of agricultural and food products;

“SPS Agreement” means the agreement on the Application of Sanitary and

Phytosanitary Measures, part of Annex 1A to the WTO Agreement (as

modified from time to time);

“WTO Agreement” means the agreement establishing the World Trade

Organisation signed at Marrakesh on 15 April 1994.”

Deidre Brock

Dave Doogan

Not selected  NC8

To move the following Clause—

“Agricultural payments to the Scottish Ministers

After exit day, the Secretary of State must make available to the Scottish

Ministers each year sums which are at least equivalent to the sums made available

to the Scottish Ministers in the year prior to exit day for the purpose of

expenditure under—

(a)    

the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund, and

(b)    

the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development,

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Agriculture Bill, continued

(both established under Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the

European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the financing,

management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy).”

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

Negatived on division  NC9

To move the following Clause—

“Duty and regulations governing agricultural and horticultural activity

(1)    

It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to establish a regulatory framework

relating to agricultural and horticultural activity for or in connection with the

following purposes—

(a)    

the management of land or water in a way that protects or improves the

environment;

(b)    

public access to and enjoyment of the countryside, farmland or woodland

and better understanding of the environment;

(c)    

the management of land or water in a way that maintains, restores or

enhances cultural or natural heritage;

(d)    

the management of land, water or livestock in a way that mitigates or

adapts to climate change;

(e)    

the management of land or water in a way that prevents, reduces or

protects from environmental hazards;

(f)    

the protection or improvement of the health or welfare of livestock;

(g)    

the conservation of native livestock, native equines or genetic resources

relating to any such animal;

(h)    

the protection or improvement of the health of plants;

(i)    

the conservation of plants grown or used in carrying on an agricultural,

horticultural or forestry activity, their wild relatives or genetic resources

relating to any such plant; and

(j)    

the protection or improvement of the quality of soil.

(2)    

Regulations under subsection (1) must include provision about the standards to

which activity for or in connection with all of the purposes in subsection (1) must

conform.

(3)    

Regulations under subsection (1) may include provision about enforcement,

which may (among other things) include provision—

(a)    

about the provision of information;

(b)    

conferring powers of entry;

(c)    

conferring powers of inspection, search and seizure;

(d)    

about the keeping of records;

(e)    

imposing monetary penalties;

(f)    

creating summary offences punishable with a fine (or a fine not

exceeding an amount specified in the regulations, which must not exceed

level 4 on the standard scale);

(g)    

about appeals;

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Agriculture Bill, continued

(h)    

conferring functions (including functions involving the exercise of a

discretion) on a person.

(4)    

Regulations under this section are subject to affirmative resolution procedure.

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

Deidre Brock

Negatived on division  NC10

To move the following Clause—

“Import of foie gras

(1)    

Foie gras may not be imported into the UK.

(2)    

“Foie gras”, for the purposes of this section, shall mean a product derived from

the liver of any goose or duck which has been force-fed for the purpose of

enlarging its liver.”

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

Negatived on division  NC11

To move the following Clause—

“Whistleblowing: standards in abattoirs

(1)    

The Food Standards Act 1999 is amended as follows.

(2)    

After section 20 insert—

“20A  

Whistleblowing: standards in abattoirs

(1)    

The Agency shall establish a method by which a person can make a

qualified disclosure under section 43B(1) of the Employment Rights Act

1996 (as inserted by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998) to the

Agency.

(2)    

A qualified disclosure under subsection (1) may relate to any act which,

in the reasonable belief of the person making the disclosure, tends to

show that an offence has been committed, is being committed or is likely

to be committed in England, Wales or Northern Ireland under—

(a)    

any of paragraphs 3 to 32 of Schedule 1 (additional requirements

for slaughterhouses) to the Welfare of Animals at the Time of

Killing (England) Regulations 2015 (S.I., No. 1782),

(b)    

any of paragraphs 3 to 32 of Schedule 1 (additional requirements

for slaughterhouses) to the Welfare of Animals at the Time of

Killing (Wales) Regulations 2014 (S.I., No. 951 (W. 92)),

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Agriculture Bill, continued

(c)    

any of paragraphs 3 to 32 of Schedule 1 (additional requirements

for slaughterhouses) to the Welfare of Animals at the Time of

Killing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 (Northern Ireland

Statutory Rules 2014 No. 107), or

(d)    

any of sections 4, 5 or 7 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, in

relation to livestock.

(3)    

The Agency shall take steps to promote awareness of the method

established under subsection (1).

(4)    

The Agency may share with an enforcement authority (within the

meaning of section 15(2) of this Act) information received under a

qualified disclosure.

(5)    

“Livestock” shall, for the purposes of this section, have the meaning

given in section 1(5) of the Agriculture Act 2020.””

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

Negatived on division  NC12

To move the following Clause—

“Sow farrowing stalls

Sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 6 of the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England)

Regulations 2007 shall be omitted.”

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

Withdrawn after debate  NC13

To move the following Clause—

“Livestock farming practices: research

(1)    

The Secretary of State must—

(a)    

conduct,

(b)    

commission, or

(c)    

assist the conduct of

research into the impact on animal welfare of highly intensive livestock farming

practices in England.

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Agriculture Bill, continued

(2)    

The Secretary of State, in assisting in the conduct of research under subsection

(1)(c), must—

(a)    

provide financial assistance, and

(b)    

make available the services of any person or other resources.”

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

Not called  NC14

To move the following Clause—

“Livestock farming practices: duty to promote research

The Secretary of State must promote the conduct of research into the impact on

animal welfare of highly intensive livestock farming practices in England.”

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

Negatived on division  NC15

To move the following Clause—

“Grouse shooting and management: review and consultation

(1)    

The Secretary of State must—

(a)    

commission an independent review of the economic, environmental and

wildlife impacts of driven grouse shooting, and

(b)    

consult on regulation of grouse moor management.

(2)    

The Secretary of State must make available the services of any person or other

resources to assist in the conduct of a review under subsection (1)(a).

(3)    

The Secretary of State must publish a summary of responses to the consultation

under sub-section (1)(b).

(4)    

The Secretary of State must, no later than three months from the day on which—

(a)    

the review commissioned under subsection (1)(a) is received, or

(b)    

the consultation under subsection (2) closes,

whichever is the sooner, publish a statement of future policy on grouse shooting

and grouse moor management.”

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 5 March 2020            

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Agriculture Bill, continued

Luke Pollard

Daniel Zeichner

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

Not called  NC16

To move the following Clause—

“Grouse shooting and management: review and consultation (No. 2)

(1)    

The Secretary of State must—

(a)    

undertake a review of the economic, environmental and wildlife impacts

of driven grouse shooting, and

(b)    

consult on regulation of grouse moor management.

(2)    

The Secretary of State must publish a summary of responses to the consultation

under sub-section (1)(b).

(3)    

The Secretary of State must, no later than three months from the day on which the

consultation under subsection (2) closes, publish a statement of future policy on

grouse shooting and grouse moor management.”

Deidre Brock

Dave Doogan

Negatived on division  NC17

To move the following Clause—

“Report on agricultural payments to the Scottish Ministers

(1)    

The Secretary of State must, no later than one month before IP completion day,

lay before Parliament a statement of his or her policy on whether sums will be

made available to Scottish Ministers each year after IP completion day which are

at least equivalent to the sums made available to Scottish Ministers in the year

prior to IP completion day for the purpose of expenditure under—

(a)    

the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund, and

(b)    

the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development as established

under Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 of the European

Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the financing,

management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy.

(2)    

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

Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020.”

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Agriculture Bill, continued

Daniel Zeichner

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

Not called  NC18

To move the following Clause—

“Financial assistance: duty to provide advice

(1)    

The Secretary of State must make regulations to secure the provision of training,

guidance and advice to persons receiving financial assistance under this Act, for

the purpose of enabling those persons to deliver the purpose or purposes for

which the financial assistance is given.

(2)    

Regulations under subsection (1) may include provision for advice on matters

which include but are not limited to—

(a)    

the impact of any practice upon the environment,

(b)    

business management, including the development of business plans,

(c)    

the health and welfare of livestock,

(d)    

the safety and health of workers in any agricultural sector,

(e)    

innovation, including alternative methods of pest, disease and weed

control,

(f)    

food safety, insofar as it relates to the production of food or any activity

in, or in close connection with, an agri-food supply chain,

(g)    

the operation of any mechanism for applying for, or receiving, financial

assistance under this Act, and

(h)    

marketing of any product falling within an agricultural sector under

Schedule 1.

(3)    

Regulations under this section are subject to affirmative resolution procedure.”

Daniel Zeichner

Luke Pollard

Ruth Jones

Dr Alan Whitehead

Thangam Debbonaire

Negatived on division  NC19

To move the following Clause—

“Report on impact of Act upon agricultural workers

(1)    

The Secretary of State shall, within 18 months of Royal Assent being given to this

Act, lay before Parliament a report containing an assessment of the impact of the

provisions of this Act on agricultural workers in England.

(2)    

The report under subsection (1) shall include assessments of the impact of the Act

upon each of the factors listed in subsection (3).

(3)    

The factors are agricultural workers’—

(a)    

living standards,

(b)    

pay,

(c)    

conditions of employment, and

(d)    

accommodation.