Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what parts of the Government’s plan for accessing animal medicine IT systems in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.
Answered by George Eustice
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what parts of the Government’s plan for registration of veterinary medicines in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.
Answered by George Eustice
When the UK leaves the EU, the UK will no longer be part of the EU regulatory framework for veterinary medicines. The UK Government, through the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), will take on those functions which are currently carried out for the UK by the EU. In order to prepare for the regulation and registration of veterinary medicines in a no deal Brexit parliament has approved no deal statutory instruments, which will enable the continued regulation of veterinary medicines.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what parts of the Government’s plan for regulation of veterinary medicines in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.
Answered by George Eustice
When the UK leaves the EU, the UK will no longer be part of the EU regulatory framework for veterinary medicines. The UK Government, through the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), will take on those functions which are currently carried out for the UK by the EU. In order to prepare for the regulation and registration of veterinary medicines in a no deal Brexit parliament has approved no deal statutory instruments, which will enable the continued regulation of veterinary medicines.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, which parts of the Government’s plan for maintaining environmental standards in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
In reference to the technical notice issued, most of the necessary legislative work has been undertaken in Parliament and the devolved administrations. There is a small number of statutory instruments to be undertaken as further changes in EU law are anticipated.
Draft clauses have been prepared for the Environment Bill to include the establishment of the Office of Environmental Protection, which is due to proceed in the next Parliamentary session.
IT systems are already in place for the government, regulators and competent authorities to undertake any regulatory duties.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress the Government has made in planning for farm payments in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government has pledged to continue to commit the same cash total in funds for farm support until the end of this Parliament, expected in 2022; this includes all funding provided for farm support under both Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 of the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This commitment applies to the whole of the UK.
The Government has further guaranteed that the current level of agricultural funding under CAP Pillar 1 will be upheld until 2020, as part of the transition to new domestic arrangements.
To deliver this, Defra has made a number of statutory instruments under the powers in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. These statutory instruments provide certainty and stability to individuals and businesses by maintaining the current approach, ensuring the relevant EU-derived domestic legislation is operable following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, and allowing the current CAP arrangements to continue to operate and payments to beneficiaries to be made.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by the Department for Exiting the European Union, what parts of the plan for receiving rural development funding in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.
Answered by George Eustice
The UK Government has guaranteed that any rural development projects where funding has been agreed before the end of 2020 will be funded for their full lifetime.
This means in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal there will be no substantive change for farmers, land manages and rural businesses who have agreements funded by the UK Rural Development Programmes (RDP) due to finish after 31 October 2019, and existing application and contracting arrangements remain in place for those planning to seek funding after this date but before the end of 2020.
We will continue to update information about the RDP for England and the schemes open for applications on the rural grants and payment pages of GOV.UK.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department's Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, which parts of the Government’s plan for industrial emissions standards in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal have been implemented.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
Through the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 and subsequent secondary legislation, the Industrial Emissions Directive and the Medium Combustion Plant Directive will continue to have effect, including the existing Best Available Technique Conclusions.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by the Department for Exiting the European Union, what parts of the plan for control on mercury in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
All aspects of the plan for control of mercury in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented. The following regulations are now in place to ensure that the EU Mercury regulation will continues to operate:
The Control of Mercury (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
The Environment and Wildlife (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019
The UK’s enforcing authorities will continue to control the movement and use of mercury, in line with legislation and our commitments under the Minamata Convention.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Guidance on how to prepare for Brexit if there's no deal, published by the Department for Exiting the European Union, what parts of the plan for control on persistent organic pollutants in the event of a no deal Brexit have been implemented.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, UK no deal regulations will be in place to ensure continuity with the EU persistent organic pollutants (POPs) regulations. The UK’s enforcing authorities will continue to implement the Stockholm Convention, regulating the production, placing on the market and use of POPs. It will also regulate stockpiles and manage waste where POPs are present.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which parts of the Government’s plan for Funding for UK LIFE projects in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal (a) have and (b) have not been implemented.
Answered by Thérèse Coffey
In the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, the Government has guaranteed the EU LIFE Programme funding due to UK organisations, in line with the technical notice published on this issue. We have well developed contingency plans to implement this guarantee, if required. More information on the technical notices published by the Government on the guarantee and the funds covered by it can be found here: