Key Facts

• Clause 1 of the Bill provides legal basis for Government and devolved Administrations to make payments under the direct payment scheme for 2020.
• Article 37 of the withdrawal agreement means EU legislation governing 2020 schemes will no longer apply in the UK on exit day.
• Pillar one payments are funded from the following year’s budget, while pillar two is funded from the current year's budget.
• The Bill disapplies the direct payment scheme to allow UK funding for this year, providing continuity.
• The Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Bill aims to provide immediate continuity and legal certainty for direct farm payments in the transition year following Brexit.
• Wales modulates 15% of pillar one funds to pillar two, while England modulates at 12.5%, and Scotland and Northern Ireland modulate less but still slightly.
• The UK will fund domestic farming payments domestically from 2021 onwards, without contributing to the EU budget.
• The Agriculture Bill was recently published.
• Clause 1(3) of the Bill sets out regulations covered, including direct payments regulation except for article 13.
• UK pays around £100 million annually in disallowance risk fines under EU regulations.
• Eleanor Laing provides guidance on addressing different clauses of the Bill.
• She explains that Members can refer to any aspect of the Bill during clause 1 discussion.
• The total size of the budget has been guaranteed at the same level as last year.
• There is no currency risk for British farmers in this year.
• Farmers have a high degree of confidence that their payment will be the same as it was last year, barring any minuscule changes.
• 1 January is the official start of the scheme year.
• The period between 1 January to 30 June is regarded as the EFA period for EFA fallow land.
• Farmers can start sending in their applications from 13 March.
• Between 1 May and 30 June, farmers must demonstrate three crops on their farms.
• There is a deadline of 15 May for submitting BPS application forms.
• Late applications are accepted until 21 days after the initial deadline with a penalty.
• Clause 3 of the Bill deals with making operable changes akin to those in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
• The clause enables replacing 'European Commission' with 'UK Minister' or 'devolved Administration Minister'.
• The minister acknowledges that historical bureaucratic complexity led to difficulty for farmers, with a goal of future policies being less rules-based and more outcome-oriented.
• The RPA has had issues in the past.
• All paying agencies are dealing with complex law and audit structures.
• The Bill sets out eligibility criteria for common land, specific requirements for areas like the New Forest, and rules on transferring entitlements.
• It includes greening rules such as crop diversification and buffer strips.
• Legislative consent motions have been received from every part of the UK, including Scotland.
• There is an independent agricultural appeals panel to handle disputes.
• Clause 2 applies provisions from the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 to direct payments legislation.
• Schedule 2 covers parliamentary procedures applying to operability changes in regulations.
• Clause 5 gives power to change financial ceilings based on the Bew review recommendations for Scottish and Welsh allocations.
• The Agriculture Bill proposes powers to extend direct payments in future.
• There is a possibility of a delay beyond 2020 if the new payment system is not ready by then.
• Farmers face uncertainty due to the transition period's seven-year timeline.
• Neil Parish was re-elected and appointed as Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee.
• Fifty-eight per cent. of farm profitability comes from the basic payment scheme.
• Entitlements for making claims have been a major problem over the years, leading to hardship in some cases.
• Neil Parish welcomes his colleague's comments regarding the Bill.
• The Rural Development Programme for England covers development money that goes into rural areas, including village halls.
• Concerns are raised about potential double payments to farmers and the EU.
• Extra funding is welcomed in Wales and Scotland.
• The Agriculture Bill's Second Reading is scheduled for next week.
• The Bill is needed due to the Tory party's descent into a Brexit fetish.
• Crofters and farmers face massive uncertainty at autumn markets if there are tariff barriers and trade hurdles with the EU.
• Questions were asked about possible currency fluctuations affecting farm payments.
• Details of basic payments have not been decided, leaving farmers desperate for information to plan their businesses.
• The Bill provides certainty for long-term planning for farmers.
• Agritech benefits productivity and environmental concerns.
• There is a need for a clear audit trail to reassure both farmers and taxpayers.
• Lakeland Dairies employs 260 people.
• Her Majesty’s Treasury has confirmed the roll-over of UK farm funding from 2019 to 2020.
• DAERA must consider emergency support for Northern Ireland beef producers.
• Immediate re-instatement of DAERA funding for GrassCheck 2020, Beef from Grass and Land from Grass is required.
• The Agriculture Bill was introduced on 16 January.
• There will be a seven-year agricultural transition period allowing gradual introduction of a new system of public money for public goods.
• The UK will not contribute to the EU’s next budget cycle or pay into the CAP scheme year.
• The Budget of the Rural Payments Agency has decreased from £237.6 million in 2010 to £95 million in 2017-18.
• 95% of lamb produce from Wales goes out into markets, with a similar figure for Northern Ireland at 97%.
• The Minister aims to reform agricultural support within the next few years.
• The south-west creates some of the most fantastic foodstuffs in the country.
• Concerns about chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef are raised due to low animal welfare standards.
• Convergence moneys were supposed to level up support for farmers across the UK but have been ignored in practice.
• Over 90% of Cumbrian farm exports go to the single market.
• The CAP money was restricted for use on agriculture and the environment.
• Farmers provide £3 billion a year to the Cumbrian economy through tourism, supporting 60,000 jobs.
• Basic Payment Scheme makes up 85% of livestock farm incomes in this country.
• Direct payments have enabled important environmental projects, including tree-planting schemes.
• The National Trust has committed to planting trees on 500 properties.
• Farms in Northern Ireland are traditionally smaller, with many being around 60-70 acres.