Agriculture Bill to be published before end of July, Gove confirms

Michael Gove has announced his intention to bring the Agriculture Bill before Parliament by the end of July
Michael Gove has announced his intention to bring the Agriculture Bill before Parliament by the end of July

Defra Secretary Michael Gove has confirmed that the long-awaited Agriculture Bill will be published before the end of July.

Mr Gove was giving evidence at the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) on numerous issues.

Questioning focused on the work of Defra, including topics such as Brexit progress, animal welfare, air quality and plastics.

Notably, Mr Gove announced his intention to bring the Agriculture Bill before Parliament by the end of July, and responded to questions on the Asda and Sainsbury’s merger, the Rural Payments Agency, and Rural Broadband.

A key moment for the agricultural industry this year is the anticipated Agriculture Bill, which is part of eight separate bills which will oversee different branches or departments announced in last year's Queen's Speech.

The Agriculture Bill will be a landmark piece of legislation that will transform UK farming and environmental protections.

'Scrutinise'

In response to Mr Gove's confirmation, the Chair of the EFRA Committee, Neil Parish said: "It is essential that the EFRA Committee has the opportunity to scrutinise the Bill in advance of it being presented to Parliament."

Th bill will set up a system to support farmers after Brexit takes them out of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP). It is still unclear how the bill will operate.

The government is seeking to move away from the current subsidy system for farmers, which is based on the amount of land owned or farmed.

Mr Gove has said that the "lion's share" of farm subsidies after Brexit should go to support environmental work.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has said the new bill is proposed to “provide stability” for farmers and ensure an “effective system” of support to replace the Common Agricultural Policy.

The NFU says it presents a once in a generation opportunity to enhance and promote British farming.