Key Facts

• The Agriculture Bill is the first major reform of agriculture policy in half a century.
• The Bill will strengthen the Union of the United Kingdom through levelling up opportunities and unlocking the country’s potential.
• Farmers are expected to play a fundamental role in tackling environmental challenges, including protecting nature and combating climate change.
• Agriculture is a devolved matter.
• The government commits to match 2019 funding levels for farming support throughout the current Parliament.
• £2.852 billion has been announced for direct payment support in the 2020 scheme year.
• Over $700 billion is spent globally on agriculture subsidies annually.
• The Bill aims to improve water and air quality, increase biodiversity, protect peatland, and address climate change.
• The ELM national pilot will launch in England in late 2021.
• Full implementation of the ELM scheme is planned for 2024.
• Clauses 7 to 13 provide a seven-year transition period for phasing out basic farm payments.
• Clause 1 includes provisions to conserve native breeds and plants.
• The amendment would deny the Agriculture Bill a Second Reading.
• Pollard raises concerns about future trade deals allowing lower standard imports that could undercut British farmers.
• Labour Members are concerned about the absence of legal protections on food hygiene rules, animal welfare, environmental protections and workers' rights in imported goods.
• The Agriculture Bill lacks legal guarantees on food hygiene and animal welfare standards.
• British farmers are worried about being undercut by lower-cost, poorly produced food imports.
• The NFU and Farmers’ Union of Wales have expressed concerns over the Government's commitments.
• The Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Act 2020 was debated previously.
• An amendment proposed by Neil Parish in a previous Parliament gained cross-party support but not the Government's backing.
• Chlorine washing is used as a compensation for poor hygiene standards rather than addressing them directly.
• Farmers are concerned about being undercut by cheap imported US produce.
• The Health Secretary used the NHS Funding Bill to provide certainty for NHS spending commitments.
• DEFRA officials' reports indicate that weakening standards could damage UK animal, plant and public health.
• The NFU, RSPCA, and Greenpeace support the argument for legal protections.
• Pollard states Labour will vote for a reasoned amendment against the Bill's Second Reading.
• The Bill includes a reference to multi-annual financial assistance plans.
• Parish is keen to see how the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will work with the Groceries Code Adjudicator to hold processors accountable.
• There are more than 7 billion people in the world today, expected to reach 8.6 billion by 2030.
• The Agriculture Bill is seen as a repeat of failed attempts to address farming support issues.
• Questions from previous debates regarding currency fluctuations and farm payments remain unanswered.
• There are concerns over the availability of multi-annual frameworks for farm support.
• Details on the shared prosperity fund, including its global funding figure and proportions for Scotland and Wales, have not been provided.
• Ynys Môn is known as the Mother of Wales with its motto 'Môn Mam Cymru'.
• The island has over 125 miles of coastline, numerous beaches, historical sites including Beaumaris castle and Parys Mountain.
• Holyhead is the second busiest ferry port in the UK.
• RAF Valley trains fast jet pilots and helicopter crews.
• Ynys Môn hosts the Anglesey agricultural show annually.
• Halen Môn sea salt has protected status, used in Barack Obama’s favourite caramels.
• The Agriculture Bill does not commit to financially rewarding the transition to whole-farm agroecological systems.
• There is no commitment to a net zero target by 2040 in the Bill.
• County farm support was committed previously but is not included in the current Bill.
• DEFRA's F stands for food.
• New clause 1 was attempted in the previous Parliament but disappeared as victory seemed imminent.
• A leaked DEFRA briefing stated that the Department would face pressure from DIT to weaken food and environmental standards.
• The US trade wish list includes allowing hormone-treated beef, chlorinated chicken, minimal GMO regulation, and lifting bans on pesticides.
• The US allows around 1,430 pesticides compared with 486 in the EU.
• Ken Clarke served Rushcliffe constituency for 49 years.
• The constituency includes world-famous sports grounds like Trent Bridge and Nottingham Forest.
• It is home to historic traditions such as the annual wrestling match in Bunny village.
• Cropwell Bishop and Colston Bassett produce Stilton cheese.
• The speaker's husband receives direct payments for a smallholding.
• Steven Bonnar is making his maiden speech.
• The debate is about the Agriculture Bill.
• SNP’s amendment aims for environmental sustainability, food security, and animal welfare.
• Constituency: Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill.
• Population of Viewpark village is under 14,000.
• Smith was originally scheduled to make his maiden speech on January 15 but delayed it due to the birth of his second child.
• Smith thanks NHS staff at Stoke Mandeville Hospital for care during childbirth.
• Smith acknowledges the support from his constituency, Buckingham, with 37,035 electors.
• The constituency covers 335 square miles and includes market towns and over 100 villages.
• Major employers include the University of Buckingham and farming communities.
• Challenges mentioned: HS2 railway project, Oxford-Cambridge expressway, and over-development by Labour-run Milton Keynes.
• Northern Ireland produces 80% of its food output from agriculture.
• Agriculture employs one in eight people in Northern Ireland, amounting to over 25,000 farm businesses.
• Farm incomes have fallen by 23%, from £467 million to £360 million in the past year and a half.
• Northern Ireland exports about 800 litres of milk annually to the Republic of Ireland.
• North Devon has a high density of sheep per square acre.
• Saxby visited over 40 pubs during her campaign supporting village pubs in rural communities.
• Broadband speed in North Devon is only 60% of the UK average, contributing to £5,800 below average productivity per head.
• The National Farmers Union aims for English and Welsh agriculture to be carbon net zero by 2040.
• The Agriculture Bill aims to use public money for public goods, including environmental protection.
• There is support from farmers' groups and environmental organizations for the Bill's principles.
• A seven-year transition period is planned between current subsidy schemes and the new system.
• The Bill includes stronger protections for farmers from unfair trading practices.
• Soil is included as one of the public goods in part 1 of the Bill.
• Organic farms support healthier soils with 44% higher capacity to store long-term soil carbon and 50% more wildlife.
• The RSA Food, Farming and Countryside Commission is a two-year independent inquiry involving industry experts and civil society.
• Most farmers agree they can make big changes in five to ten years with the right support.
• Over 2,500 scientists across the EU have warned of the intensification of agriculture and loss of biodiversity.
• Greenpeace research shows UK chicken feed contributes to deforestation.
• Eleanor Laing is the fourth generation farmer addressing the House from West Dorset.
• The Agriculture Bill is described as the most significant piece of UK legislation on agriculture for over 70 years.
• The EU’s common agricultural policy costs £44 billion a year and fails to meet its objectives.
• Agriculture contributes £8.6 billion annually to the UK economy, with 72% of land managed by farmers.
• The Farmers’ Union of Wales has produced a policy paper outlining how common frameworks could work.
• Welsh and Scottish farm payments will diverge by about £16,200 per year over the next two years due to the Bew review.
• Approximately 35% to 40% of lamb produced in Wales is exported, with over 90% destined for the EU market.
• The UK has left the common agricultural policy.
• Agriculture employs 474,000 people with a net annual contribution of £8 billion.
• There were 85,000 recipients of CAP payments in England in 2017.
• Only 20,000 farms had enrolled in the countryside stewardship scheme after 42 years.
• Without direct payment, 42% of farms would have made a loss.
• ELMS and productivity schemes need to be implemented on time in 2024.
• The NFU aims for carbon-neutrality by 2040.
• British lamb producers face an adverse European tariff compared to New Zealand imports.
• The Government's figures show that 85% of livestock farm incomes come through direct payments.
• ELMS will not be fully available until 2028, seven years after the phase-out of BPS begins in 11 months.
• Some 50% of food consumed in the UK is imported compared with 35% about two decades ago.
• The Lake District and dales of south Cumbria were granted UNESCO world heritage site status largely due to farmers' contribution to maintaining the landscape.
• Clause 1(4) states the need to encourage food production.
• The global population is predicted to increase from 7 billion to 9 billion by 2050.
• Under clause 17, reports on the state of the nation’s food security must be produced at least once every five years.
• Laing suggests an annual report during the seven-year transition period.
• The Agriculture Bill is important for scrutinizing priorities of Scotland's agricultural sector.
• There are 10,000 seasonal agricultural workers which are insufficient for the industry’s operational requirements.
• The National Farmers Union of Scotland supports unconditional application of Scottish Government policy in agriculture.
• Agriculture contributed 13% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Wales in 2017.
• The Committee on Climate Change recommends a target of a 95% reduction in carbon emissions in Wales by 2050.
• Welsh Government is consulting on its clean air plan for Wales, with consultation due to be completed next month.
• There are more than 2,000 food banks in the UK compared to only 1,300 McDonald’s outlets.
• The number of emergency food parcels distributed by the Trussell Trust increased by almost 20% in 2018-19.
• The Bill ensures continued government support for those dependent on agriculture across the UK.
• There are concerns over the decline in slaughterhouses leading to a reduction in income for Hybu Cig Cymru, the Welsh meat promotion entity.
• Clause 1(4) encourages environmentally sustainable food production but is limited to England.
• Philip Dunne is a farmer who benefited from the CAP structures being replaced by the new Bill.
• The initial transition plan for the Bill is set to cover seven years.
• The Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme will be available only from late 2024, with significant reductions in direct payments before then.
• The statement is part of a debate on the Agriculture Bill.
• The speaker represents a constituency with a significant beef and sheep farming sector.
• There are six livestock markets in Brecon and Radnorshire, more than supermarkets.
• The Bill introduces reporting requirements on food security.
• Natural England has characterised 159 different land types.
• According to the Cranfield report, 80% of soil is now dead.
• The Bill allows financial assistance to shepherds.
• There is more enthusiasm for cuts than increases in the drafting of the Bill.
• Native breeds provision in the Bill is welcome but needs clarification on definition.
• The Bill aims to move away from the EU’s bureaucratic CAP.
• Local farmers require funding and certainty for long-term planning investments costing up to £100,000 for tractors and several hundred thousand pounds for infrastructure improvements.
• There has been a 20% reduction in labour supply responses for seasonal workers this season due to delays in Home Office permits.
• The Bill is underpinned by public money being paid for public good.
• Morris has a very rural Devon constituency with concerns over beef, sheep subsidies and coastal support.
• Thomas represents Cornwall and Scilly with an appetite to explore novelty crops for decarbonisation.
• There are concerns about food production standards and potential importation of low-standard products.
• The Front-Bench team listened to the previous Agriculture Bill Committee regarding food security.
• Clause 17 discusses a report at least once every five years, which Hoare suggests should be annual or biannual in early years.
• The National Farmers’ Union supports greater reporting requirements.
• The agritech sector is encouraged for environmental improvements.
• County farms in Dorset need support.
• Thomas Hardy referred to Blackmore vale as the 'vale of the little dairies'.
• Hoare urges Ministers to include an equivalence clause to maintain standards.
• The Agriculture Bill is described as being 14 months late.
• It lacks clear vision for future food supply and protection from food poverty.
• There are no legal commitments to prevent imported products with lower standards than domestic products.
• US Secretary of State Pompeo stated last week that the US Administration wants such low-standard imports in any trade deal.
• 62 farming and environmental organisations wrote to the Prime Minister urging amendment for standard guarantees.
• The Bill does not contain duties but mainly powers, leaving farmers unsure about implementation details.
• This is the second time the Bill has been taken through Parliament for Second Reading within two years.
• The new Government has a mandate to create a new, independent agriculture policy after Brexit.
• Several MPs delivered maiden speeches during this debate.
• The Bill provides for high animal welfare and environmental standards.
• Hope Farm in South Cambridgeshire is an example of nature-sensitive farming.
• There are more than 30 trials testing schemes across the country, with a full pilot planned for 2021.
• Scotland has clarity on funding levels set at the same level as 2019.
• Clause 1(4) explicitly states the need to encourage food production in scheme design.