Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether officials from her Department attended courses on (a) SPS agreements, (b) trade and the environment and (c) agriculture agreements at the World Trade Organisation in each year since the EU referendum in June 2016; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra officials have attended courses and other learning events on SPS agreements, trade and the environment, and agriculture agreements at the World Trade Organisation since 2017 (there is no record for 2016). This includes learning that is regularly on offer through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Trade Faculty. In addition, officials have attended seminars and presentations from departmental experts as part of Defra’s internal trade capability offer that ensures officials are fully equipped to deliver the Government’s trade objectives.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
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 White Paper entitled The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union, publish in July 2018, Cm 9593, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on innovation within UK agriculture of ongoing harmonisation under a common rulebook set out in that white paper.
Answered by George Eustice
Our proposal for a common rulebook, as part of a free trade area for goods, would cover only those rules for products that must be checked at the border. It does not cover other rules where we want regulatory flexibility in order to help our sectors to innovate and flourish. In this regard we have already announced that we will be leaving the Common Agricultural Policy and introducing a new agricultural policy that works in the best interests of land managers in England.
Asked by: Bernard Jenkin (Conservative - Harwich and North Essex)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in her Department are working on matters related to (a) European policy, (b) the future of Europe, (c) reform of the EU, (d) the renegotiation of the UK's relationship with the EU, (e) the EU referendum and (f) the consequences of the EU referendum; how many full-time equivalent staff are working on such matters; what the (i) staff and (ii) other cost of such work is; what proportion of that work is undertaken by such staff on (A) communications, (B) strategy and (C) policy; whether her Department has established any specific unit or units to deal with those matters; to whom such (1) staff and (2) units report; whether her Department has issued guidelines to staff on those matters; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by George Eustice
The Government is fighting hard to fix the aspects of our EU membership that cause so much frustration in Britain, to ensure we get a better deal for Britain and secure our future. Departments are appropriately resourced to support the Government's priorities in Europe, including the renegotiation and referendum.