Four votes on the new Agriculture Bill took place on 13th May 2020. This bill sets out the future of UK farming after we leave the European Union. Two Devon MPs featured in the debate. Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish failed to introduce a new clause which would protect British farmers against imports with lower standards of animal welfare and environmental protection. Luke Pollard, Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs voiced the opposition's stance to protect British farmers from cheap imports.

The Bill was passed 360 to 211

Summary of the Agriculture Bill 2019-21

A Bill to authorise expenditure for certain agricultural and other purposes; to make provision about direct payments following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union and about payments in response to exceptional market conditions affecting agricultural markets; to confer power to modify retained direct EU legislation relating to agricultural and rural development payments and public market intervention and private storage aid; to make provision about reports on food security; to make provision about the acquisition and use of information connected with food supply chains; to confer powers to make regulations about the imposition of obligations on business purchasers of agricultural products, marketing standards, organic products and the classification of carcasses; to make provision for the recognition of associations of agricultural producers which may benefit from certain exemptions from competition law; to make provision about fertilisers; to make provision about the identification and traceability of animals; to make provision about red meat levy in Great Britain; to make provision about agricultural
tenancies; to confer power to make regulations about securing compliance with the WTO Agreement on Agriculture; and for connected purposes.
 
 MPs voted on 13th May on the Third reading of the Agriculture Bill
 
 
Remote Division result: New Clause 2 (International trade agreements: agriculture and food products)

This clause included by Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish included:

(b) any agricultural or food product imported into the UK under the agreement will have been produced or processed according to standards which are equivalent to, or which exceed, the relevant domestic standards and regulations in relation to— (i) animal health and welfare, (ii) plant health, and (iii) environmental protection.

Result:

The House divided: Ayes 277, Noes 328. Question accordingly negatived.

Rosie Winterton Deputy Speaker (First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means)

I have been informed that a small number of Members have inadvertently cast their votes, by electronic means, in the opposite way to the one in which they intended to vote. I am informed that their use of technology was not quite as good as they felt it ought to be and that a few Members have made a mistake. There is no provision under the current temporary system by which a Member can change their vote once it has been cast, but I am satisfied that even if a small number of votes had been cast in a different way it does not affect the result of the Division.

 
Remote Division Result: New Clause 7 (Coronavirus emergency food plan)

The House divided: Ayes 221, Noes 352. Question accordingly negatived.

 
Remote Division Result: Amendment 39

The House divided: Ayes 56, Noes 362.Question accordingly negatived.

 

Third Reading Queen’s consent signified.

George Eustice The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

I would like to acknowledge the work that has got us to this point. In particular, I would like to thank DEFRA officials, those who provided evidence and especially those Members who served on the Bill Committee. I am conscious that the restricted nature of the hybrid Parliament means that many of those Committee members have found it difficult to contribute to this stage of proceedings, but they all contributed comprehensively during earlier stages, and the points they raised have been heard.

The Government stood on a manifesto commitment to guarantee the current annual budget for farmers in every year of the new Parliament. Our farmers need stability, certainty and a smooth seven-year transition to adapt to our new policy of public money for public goods, and the Bill provides for that.

This is the second outing of this Bill. I was involved in the last Parliament at Committee stage for the first. We have made a number of changes since then, including strengthening parliamentary scrutiny with the requirement for a multi-annual plan; a strengthened duty around food security, with five-yearly reviews of food security; and a new clause on the importance of food production. Finally, I am conscious that animal welfare has been a big feature of the debate. The Government have a manifesto commitment that in all trade deals, they will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards.

Luke Pollard Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Labour will not allow farmers to go out of business to secure a trade deal with Donald Trump. It is unusual for any party to vote against Third Reading of a Bill, but we will vote against this Bill because the issue of farm standards for our food is not a technical one; it is fundamental to what kind of country we are. We support high standards for our British farmers, and we demand that all food imported into our country after our Brexit transition periods ends adheres to those same high standards that our British farmers have to adhere to.

 
Remote Division Result: Agriculture Bill (Third Reading)

The House divided: Ayes 360, Noes 211. Question accordingly agreed to. Bill read the Third time.

 
The bill now passes to the House of Lords
 

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