UK and Scottish gov told to 'solve differences' in Brexit farm policy

The UK and Scottish Government have been told to solve their differences on the Agriculture Bill so a new Scottish agricultural policy is made ready for Brexit.

Letters sent by NFU Scotland to Defra Secretary Michael Gove and Scotland's Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, Fergus Ewing urge the two to make progress and to break the current political log jam.

At present, the Scottish Government has refused to participate in the Agriculture Bill and is keeping open the option of introducing its own Scottish Agriculture Bill to the Scottish Parliament.

The main thrust of the Bill is to establish a new framework for agricultural policy in England and for the Welsh and Northern Irish administrations, who have opted in.

The UK Government’s Agriculture Bill was published in September and is currently receiving scrutiny in the House of Commons.

The Bill is ‘enabling’ legislation, providing broad powers to current and future governments to provide financial assistance and make other policy interventions around land use and agriculture after the UK’s departure from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

'Politicised'

But according to the NFU Scotland, the Bill has become "politicised". It has called for "meaningful progress" to be made between the UK Government and Scottish Government, and farmers are "desperate" for certainty and confidence.

NFU Scotland, Director of Policy Jonnie Hall said: “The politicisation of the process has, so far, been unhelpful and we must see meaningful progress between the two governments soon.

“We need the very best outcomes for Scottish agriculture, so it is vital that both Holyrood and Westminster act with urgency and establish a satisfactory outcome for all sides."

He added: “The real prize from exiting the EU is to move away from the CAP, while developing and implementing new agricultural policies that are bespoke to the unique and differing needs of the UK.

“This will only happen if both governments break the current impasse and play their respective and complementary roles."

'Legal framework'

Due to the continued Brexit stand-off between UK and Scottish ministers on the principle of agreeing common, UK-wide frameworks, the Scottish Government has chosen not to take any powers in the Agriculture Bill.

This means that it is uncertain how the legal framework on which a new Scottish agricultural policy is developed will be enabled.

Mr Hall said: “If the requirements of both governments can be met, then Scottish Ministers could take up the option to include a Schedule, right up to the final stages of the Bill.

"An alternative possibility is that Scottish Government introduces its own Bill on agricultural matters to the Scottish Parliament.

“But with the current absence of a clear commitment from the Scottish Government to take such an alternative route, it is our current view that a Schedule should be included in the Agriculture Bill, if the Bill is amended to allay concerns in other areas."

He added: “If the Scottish Government were to take up the offer of having a Schedule inserted into the Bill, that would provide the necessary legal basis upon which Scotland could continue beyond Brexit with agricultural policies with very similar objectives and operations to existing measures, such as Voluntary Coupled Support and the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme.

“Moreover, it could also provide the vehicle to design and implement new measures that deliver an improved Scottish agricultural policy that is more fitting to the needs of our unique agricultural profile," he said.