Legislation

MP Graham Stuart has called for the Home Office, Defra and the Ministry of Justice to come together for a special summit to tackle the ‘blight’ of hare coursing.

Defra Secretary Theresa Villiers has promised to look at the availability of abattoir facilities as part of the Government’s plan to reduce the amount of time livestock spend in transit.

A new piece of legislation which will allow the Government to continue to pay farm subsidies in 2020 is expected to be passed by the end of this month, according to a Defra spokeswoman.

Theresa Villiers’ performance at OFC proved she does not ‘get’ farmers, or care about the impact the Agriculture Bill will have on them, says agricultural recruiter Phil Garnham.

As we enter a new decade, farmers need details on how the UK’s post-Brexit trade and policy arrangements will affect them, says Conservative peer Anne McIntosh.

UK political discourse has become more tribal in recent years, but the Government should be aware that society is united on one thing – the need to protect standards after Brexit, says Sue Pritchard, director of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC).

The Government’s chief food adviser has called the current debate on meat eating an unpleasant dialogue of the deaf.

Defra Secretary Theresa Villiers has admitted ‘engaging’ with Number 10 on the last-minute decision to stop the Derbyshire badger cull.

The new Agriculture Bill due to be introduced to Parliament this month will include a legal requirement for the Government to carry out regular food security audits.

Farmers without formal qualifications could be excluded from accessing Government funding or even tenancies over the next two or three years, a prominent peer has warned.