Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

 

Members had been issued various briefing documents and correspondence from the Department through the Post Box facility on their tablets. The following items were considered and discussed:

1. LCM on the UK Government Environment Bill: Consideration of the draft Report.

The Committee considered a number of amendments and additions which had been made to the draft report, including a tabled paper from Clare Bailey. There was a discussion regarding the relevance of Sunset Clause and Rosemary Barton, Harry Harvey and William Irwin indicated that they were opposed to paragraph 25 of the draft report which refers to this. It was agreed that this would be referenced in the report.

The Committee further agreed that it would not take a position on the LCM on the UK Government Environment Bill.

The question was put and agreed to:

“That the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs orders the Report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the UK Government Environment Bill 2019-2020 Report (NIA 12/17-22) to be printed.”

 

2. COVID 19 update from the Department. Members agreed to forward any questions on the COVID 19 update to the Clerk by 12 noon.

Members agreed to publish the Department’s COVID 19 update and response to previous questions on the Committee web page.

Members agreed to issue a Tweet to inform that the COVID 19 update was now published on the Committee web page.

 

3. Correspondence from the Department on issued raised by the Committee at the meeting on 22 May 2020, including information on Fish Kill incidents, pollution and enforcement. The Committee agreed to write to the Department to request further information on the number of penalties imposed on Single Farm Payments due to river pollution incidents involving farmers, to include the number of incidents which had resulted in fish kills.

 

4. The Committee noted correspondence from the Department on issues raised at the Committee meeting on 28 May 2020.

 

5. The Committee noted correspondence from the Department which provides clarification on terminology used in the LCM on Medicines and Medical Devices. The Committee noted that the clarification had been referenced by the Chairperson in his speech in the debate on the LCM on16 June 2020.

 

6. The Committee noted the correspondence from the EU Commissioner for Agriculture in response to the Committee’s request for support for the agri- food industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Committee agreed to publish the correspondence on the Committee webpage.

 

7. The Committee noted the invitation from the House of Lords EU Sub Committee to the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson to a virtual meeting on 30 June 2020, alongside a number of other NI Assembly Committees.

 

8. The Committee noted a late submission from the British Heart Foundation on the LCM on the UK Government Environment Bill. The Committee agreed to publish the submission on the Committee webpage.

 

9. The Committee noted the correspondence from the Department on its development of a Science Strategy Framework. The Committee noted the importance of the Strategy but expressed disappointment in the low number of consultee responses the Department had received.

 

10. The Committee noted the correspondence from the Department on its development of an Innovation Strategy. The Committee noted the importance of the Strategy but expressed disappointment in the low number of consultee responses the Department had received.