Sustainability of Livestock Farming and Food Production (Strategy) Bill

House of Commons

Session 2009 - 10
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

Sustainability of Livestock Farming and Food Production (Strategy) Bill

Sustainability of Livestock Farming and Food Production (Strategy) Bill

Contents

1

Principal aim

2

Sustainable food strategy

3

Annual progress report

4

Interpretation

5

Financial provisions

6

Short title and extent

Bill 94

54/5

Sustainability of Livestock Farming and Food Production (Strategy) Bill

1

A

Bill

To

Require the Secretary of State to prepare and implement a strategy to improve

the sustainability of livestock farming and the sustainability of the

consumption of livestock produce; and for connected purposes.

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and

consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present

Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1

Principal aim

(1)

The principal aim of this Act is to promote the sustainability of—

(a)

livestock farming, and

(b)

the consumption of livestock produce.

(2)

In this Act references to promoting the sustainability of livestock farming and

5

the consumption of livestock produce are references to encouraging the

improvement of the economic, social and environmental impacts of livestock

farming and the consumption of livestock produce.

2

Sustainable food strategy

(1)

The Secretary of State must within 2 years prepare a strategy to improve the

10

sustainability of livestock farming and the sustainability of the consumption of

livestock produce.

(2)

The strategy must set out the Secretary of State’s proposals for improving the

sustainability of livestock farming and the sustainability of the consumption of

livestock produce, including—

15

(a)

the use of subsidies and grants to encourage or discourage the use of

particular practices, methods, feeds and crops;

(b)

the use of taxes or levies to encourage or discourage the use of

particular practices, methods, feeds and crops;

(c)

policies affecting the public procurement of livestock produce;

20

(d)

the use of public information campaigns to encourage or discourage

particular consumer behaviours;

Bill 94

54/5

Sustainability of Livestock Farming and Food Production (Strategy) Bill

2

(e)

the positions to be taken by the Government in the European Union

and other international policy fora where policies affecting livestock

farming and the consumption of livestock produce are agreed;

(f)

the setting of targets for reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases

and biodiversity loss arising from livestock farming and the

5

consumption of livestock produce;

(g)

the ways in which research and development into livestock farming

and the consumption of livestock produce are to be supported; and

(h)

any other policy the Secretary of State believes will assist in meeting the

objective set out in subsection (1).

10

(3)

When preparing the strategy the Secretary of State must consult—

(a)

farmers, food producers, the food processing industry and associated

industries;

(b)

food retailers and the food service sector;

(c)

persons concerned with, affected by or with expertise on, the

15

environmental impacts of livestock farming and the consumption of

livestock produce;

(d)

persons concerned with, affected by or with expertise on, the health

impacts of livestock farming and the consumption of livestock

produce;

20

(e)

persons appearing to the Secretary of State to represent the interests of

consumers;

(f)

individuals or organisations advising government which, in the

opinion of the Secretary of State, have relevant expertise, including but

not limited to the Committee on Climate Change, the Council of Food

25

Policy Advisors and the Sustainable Development Commission;

(g)

other national authorities.

(4)

When preparing the strategy the Secretary of State must have particular regard

to—

(a)

the full life-cycle impact of any policy;

30

(b)

the global impact of livestock farming and the consumption of livestock

produce.

(5)

The Secretary of State must lay a draft of the strategy before both Houses of

Parliament.

(6)

The strategy must not be issued unless the draft has been approved by a

35

resolution of each House of Parliament; and if it is so approved, the Secretary

of State must issue the strategy in the form of the draft.

(7)

The Secretary of State must take such steps as are necessary to ensure that the

strategy is implemented.

3

Annual progress report

40

(1)

Following the publication of the strategy in accordance with section 2, each

year the Secretary of State must prepare and lay a report before Parliament, the

Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern

Ireland Assembly setting out—

(a)

the progress that has been made towards implementing the strategy,

45

including the meeting of any targets set in the strategy;

Sustainability of Livestock Farming and Food Production (Strategy) Bill

3

(b)

the further progress that is needed to implement the strategy and meet

any targets set in the strategy;

(c)

whether, in the opinion of the Secretary of State, full implementation of

the strategy and the targets it contains are likely to be achieved; and

(d)

the most recent available figures showing the emissions of greenhouse

5

gases and biodiversity loss arising from livestock farming and the

consumption of livestock produce.

(2)

When preparing the report under subsection (1) the Secretary of State must

consult the other national authorities.

4

Interpretation

10

In this Act “national authority” means any of the following—

(a)

the Secretary of State;

(b)

the Scottish Ministers;

(c)

the Welsh Ministers;

(d)

the relevant Northern Ireland department.

15

5

Financial provisions

There shall be paid out of money provided by Parliament—

(a)

any expenses incurred by the Secretary of State in consequence of this Act, and

(b)

any increase in the sums so payable under any other enactment.

6

Short title and extent

20

(1)

This Act may be cited as the Sustainability of Livestock Farming and Food

Production (Strategy) Act 2010.

(2)

This Act extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.